Volunteering

IHEA depends largely on multicultural volunteers to translate and modify English language content into their own native tongue. Multicultural health professionals then evaluate the results and focus groups help further refine the content.

We then depend on sensitive, intelligent graphic design and photography to ensure the publication’s highest rate of success. Outreach volunteers then help disseminate the brochures and their lifesaving message; and surveyors and researchers gather and analyze the valuable data that help us measure success and improve further publications. What makes all this happen, of course, largely depends on the financial means provided by our fundraisers.

Translators/Content Modifiers

Far more than just interpretation of the words is required in translation of a health message. To ensure the highest rate of audience receptivity, often deft transformation of the text is necessary to render it both understandable and appropriate for a given culture. Therefore, the translator is also a content modifier. Another challenge is balancing scientific accuracy with the need for simplicity and comprehension by all levels of literacy. It’s an art for which IHEA depends on savvy, proficient first-generation immigrants who are comfortable not just with their native tongue but their ability to judge the cultural, religious and economic aspects of the message. If you are a translator, please visit this page.

Evaluators/Health Professionals

IHEA translates only rigorously vetted English-language material. But as an additional precaution, we evaluate the translations through health professionals (doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers) who themselves are immigrants or work with immigrants everyday. Again, the material is checked for cultural suitability as well as medical accuracy. Minority health professionals also constitute the authority on their own community’s health and education needs. Their suggestions have spurred countless content improvements, research ideas, and community outreaches. Without these volunteers IHEA’s work would not go forward.

Focus Group Coordinators

The next stage of the brochure development requires the input of the end-users of our literature: the lay person. We call on community activists (they includes just about anyone who can put together a meeting of fellow immigrants) to draw unprofessional comments on the literature’s text and graphics. At least one volunteer health professional is always present at these meetings.

Surveyors

We gauge our success after the distribution of the publications through telephone and in-person surveys conducted by committed volunteers who understand the disease in question. The responses gathered by these important volunteers from their fellow community members provide the data to rate everything from the science of our literature to our methods of distribution.

Researchers

IHEA calls on scholars and health professionals scrutinize the science of our work. Volunteer university professors, for example, vigorously check the design of our survey questions or analyze our research methodology.

Outreach Volunteers

IHEA has an endless need for members of immigrant populations and minority groups to help carry out our awareness programs. We train volunteers to speak to and educate their fellow community members about chronic disease, its early detection, and proven methods of prevention. Thereby, IHEA provides the priceless opportunity to inspire, save lives, and fight ignorance and helplessness that plague so many underserved communities.

Internships

IHEA cherishes the help of college interns who wish to learn to work with immigrant and minority population through real-world experience — and receive college credits also. So far, we have accepted and trained several interns from the University of Minnesota.

Fundraisers/Grant Writers and Locators

Fundraising efforts are critical to the survival of this young non-profit. We need your enthusiastic ideas: a concert or party to raise donations? Selling T-shirts or literature? What about soliciting funds through the mail? If you have the idea, IHEA will give you the opportunity to change the world. We also need your input on finding and applying for grants that fit our mission.

Photography / Graphic Arts

Culturally suitable literature also demands sensitive design and illustration. Because we publish so frequently, we have a virtually perpetual need for volunteer help on layout design, graphic illustration and photography work. At IHEA, there is always a publication that is being created for the first time or being redone in response to feedback received from the community or the content evaluators.

Administrative Assistants

Again, we have plenty of work for dedicated office volunteers who can help create and manage documents and contact information, including our burgeoning lists of volunteers categorized by the dozens of nationalities and ethnicities that we serve. Much of the work, such as data entry into our contacts database, or phone calls to volunteers can be done from the home.