Volunteer with Us
Our volunteer program is closed to applications. Thank you to all the volunteers we have had during all this time. You are the reason to make it possible for us to improve the lives of North Carolina’s Latino community. Stay tuned for new announcements about volunteer opportunities throughout our programs and events. Follow us on social media to learn more. Find our account as @elfuturonc on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and LinkedIn.
Green Space Beautification
Our clinic in the Lakewood community in Durham includes an adjacent green space, which we’re turning into a therapeutic, natural area for our clients and other neighborhood residents and visitors.
We are grateful to a host of donors over the past year who helped us make major improvements in the space, and to Triangle Community Foundation for a grant to support adding a play area and easily accessible walkways. We are also very thankful to have local artist Cornelio Campos working on a 2,760 square foot mural in the outdoor space, which is being funded by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.
We’re seeking local volunteers – as individuals or groups – to help keep the space cleared of weeds and trash, watered well through the summer, and generally looking beautiful. There are one-time volunteer opportunities as well as recurring ones dependent on your availability and desires. Check out this video about the work we’re doing in the green space!
Outreach Team
Hours: 2-3 hours per week (Varies per event)
Recurrence: Dependent on availability (Generally available a few times a month)
Language proficiency: Spanish not required
Job Description: The outreach program requires volunteers to attend community events or festivals on behalf of El Futuro to share information with the community regarding our services. Spanish proficiency is not required but there are a few exceptions with specific events where the majority of attendees are mainly Spanish-speaking community members. El Futuro receives invitations from different organizations across the region such as Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Raleigh, Apex, etc. Training is available for all new volunteers prior to the day of the event.
Clerical Tasks
Supervised by: Mariana Abraham, Durham Clinic Manager
Hours: 3-5 hours per week
Recurrence: Volunteer must commit to at least 4 months.
Spanish proficiency: Not required.
Job Description: We need volunteers who can file medical records on a weekly bases. Our medical records go by letter and numbers and require someone who can sort out the documents before filing them.
Client Satisfaction Survey
Supervised by: Sarelli Rossi, Operations Director
Hours: Monthly
Recurrence: At least 3 hours per month. Volunteer must commit to at least 6 months.
Language proficiency: Spanish required
Job Description: Administer satisfaction survey to El Futuro clients in English and Spanish over the phone. The survey has 14 questions and is in google survey format. Volunteer can complete phone surveys from an El Futuro office and/or home.
Communications
Supervised by: Mary Hondermann, Communications Manager
Hours: Varies per project
Recurrence: Projects available twice monthly or according to agreed schedule on a per project basis
Language proficiency: Spanish not required
Job Description: Volunteers can help with communications tasks either remotely or at El Futuro’s Durham clinic. Opportunities to volunteer with El Futuro’s communications team include:
- Copy writing for blog posts and articles
- Design work for printed and online material
- Photography
- Social media planning and implementation
- Assisting with mailings
- Creating, implementing and reviewing surveys for our audience
Jr. Gardening Camp
Hours: 20 hours
Recurrence: June 19-23 and July 10-14.
Language proficiency: Spanish-speaking preferred
Job Description: El Futuro is having a free Jr. Gardener’s Camp for kids at the Therapeutic Green Space! This camp is for kids to learn the basics of gardening, how to take care of the planet, and the mental health benefits of spending time outdoors. Volunteers are needed to help chaperone the camp and assist with various hands-on activities to get the kids engaged in El Futuro’s community garden. A curriculum will be provided ahead of time, and no prior gardening knowledge or experience is required. The camp is 2-4 pm from June 27th to July 1st. Volunteers are asked to plan to help out from 1:30-4:30 each day.
Alvely Alcántara, LCSW
Rossy C. Garcia, MEd 
Katy Sims, MD 
Everardo Aviles, LCSW, LCAS (Eve)
As a medical anthropologist and social work researcher, Dr. Gulbas’ research embodies interdisciplinarity through the integration of applied theories of health and human development with qualitative and ethnographic methodologies. Her work seeks to understand how people—children, families, and providers—navigate complex sociocultural landscapes in the pursuit of mental health. Most of her work, to date, focuses attention on developing more robust interpretations of suicide risk. With funding from the National Institutes of Mental Health, this body of research has contributed to advancements in theoretical and empirical knowledge of the broader contexts within which youth suicide risk is situated. 
R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez is a developmental psychologist and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the principal investigator of a study that examines the impact of immigration-related threat and stress on school communities. She earned a PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University and hold a BA in human biology from Stanford University. Dr. Barajas-Gonzalez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first gen college student.
Dr. Parra-Cardona is an Associate Professor in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHSSW) at the University of Texas at Austin. At the SHSSW, he serves as Coordinator for Mexico and Latin American initiatives. He also serves as Area Director for Research at the UT Austin Latino Research Institute. Dr. Parra-Cardona’s program of research is focused on the cultural adaptation of evidence-based parenting interventions for low-income Latinx populations in the US and Latin America.
Bianka Reese, PhD, MSPH is a research scientist and program evaluator specializing in adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her previous research in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her work as the Research and Evaluation Manager at SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led largescale evaluations of multilevel, community-based sexual health promotion initiatives and research projects aimed at elevating the voices of diverse youth in North Carolina. Dr. Reese is currently the Senior Research Strategist at Creative Research Solutions, LLC, an award-winning national evaluation, research, and assessment firm.
Tania Connaughton-Espino, MPH is an independent researcher focused on adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health. Her interest in the experiences of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth stems from her previous work with SHIFT NC (Sexual Initiatives For Teens), where she led the training and evaluation department, conducted capacity-building workshops for youth serving professionals including on the topic of how to be more affirming of LGBTQ youth, and from her extensive experience working with the Latinx population in NC.
Maru Gonzalez, EdD is an Assistant Professor and Youth Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her areas of inquiry include youth development with a focus on activism, social justice, and the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people across familial, school, and community contexts. 
Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas, PhD
Hector Y. Adames, PsyD