The Farmworker Unit is a statewide project of Legal Aid of North Carolina committed to providing high quality civil legal services to address the special legal needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina.

We are currently seeking volunteers to join the Witness for Justice (WfJ) program to accompany our outreach teams on visits to migrant labor camps. WfJ volunteers have the opportunity to make connections with workers on an individual basis, reducing the level of isolation that migrants feel from the larger community. During outreach visits, volunteers observe and participate in general community education on the legal rights of migrant farmworkers. WfJ volunteers also serve a vital role in asserting the right of migrant farmworkers to receive visitors at farmworker housing. Volunteers will not provide legal advice.

We ask that volunteers commit to doing outreach with our staff at least every other week during the agricultural season, for at least two months out of the year. We go on outreach Monday through Thursday from 5:00 pm until around 10:00pm, and some Sundays from noon to around 9:00PM, from May until the first week of November. All volunteers must be bilingual in English and Spanish.

 

To read a list frequently asked question about the program click here.

To read volunteer testimonials, click here. 

 

Desired Qualifications and Skills:

  1. Demonstrated interest in farmworker issues and a commitment to farmworker justice.
  2. Fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, or an Indigenous language from Mexico or Central America.
  3. Ability to interact well with people of different nationalities, ethnicities, gender, and education levels.
  4. Strong listening and communication skills.
  5. Comfort in rural surroundings.
  6. Ability to travel in the evenings once every other week (Mon-Th or Sunday) for at least two months (May-November), with some schedule flexibility.
  7. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
  8. Volunteers will commit to comply with the Farmworker Unit Security Protocol.

 

To apply:

  1. Fill out an application form and email a copy of your driver license or state ID to sophiar@legalaidnc.org.
  2. If selected to the next round, we will contact you to set up a phone interview and a Spanish language test.
  3. Selected candidates will be required to attend a mandatory orientation session.