Meet Our Volunteer: Amanda Sirianni

How long have you been volunteering with ReEstablish Richmond? 

Since July 2018.

How many volunteer roles were you involved in? 

Two, primarily. I've represented ReEstablish Richmond at outreach events since the beginning. Since this past September, I’ve been helping as a citizenship exam tutor. Both of my clients successfully passed their exams, and I was so thrilled for them! They both worked extremely hard!

What motivated you to start volunteering? 

At my core, I want our newest neighbors to feel welcome in their new homes. They're part of the community as much as anyone else.

What have you learned about our newest neighbors? 

The depth of how happy and grateful they are to live in the United States. When one of my citizenship exam clients got her interview date from USCIS, she was disappointed to realize it was the day after the cutoff date for voter registration because she is so excited to vote in her first election. 

What is the most important/rewarding part of this work? 

Really feeling like I'm making a small, but meaningful difference in people's lives. 

Do you have any advice for volunteers just starting to work with us? 

ReEstablish Richmond has so many supports in place for their volunteers! If you have questions, reach out and ask! The volunteer community is here to support each other just as much as we support our clients.

This story is among a series of posts celebrating ReEstablish Richmond volunteers for National Volunteer Month.