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Joel Nafuma Refugee Center
Information for Volunteers & Outreach Committees

The Joel Nafuma Refugee Center is an outreach ministry of St. Paul’s Within the Walls, the American Episcopal Church in Rome. It is housed in the crypt of the church and opens from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday, September to July. It caters to political refugees, and receives approximately 120 people a day. Most of these are young men, of whom very few speak English or Italian.

General Services
The JNRC is the only day center in Rome, and is first point of reference for many refugees, so we have information to hand about where to find basic services (dormitories, medical and legal help) and documentation for getting legalized in this country. The legalization process usually takes about 8 months, during which time refugees cannot work. 

We provide:

•  Morning tea; seasonal fruit & brioches;
•  Clothing, shoes (when available) and toiletries;
•  Satellite TV, table tennis and board games;
•  Legal and medical referrals.

Volunteering
Volunteers are always welcome at the Center. Help is needed with the following:

•  General security (registration and checking documents);
•  Making and distribution of tea;
•  Clothing distribution;
•  Teaching English, Italian, Computing / Typing;
•  Other (in the past, volunteers have taught music, arts, given assistance with going to offices for documentation and permits, organized sports tournaments).

Rules for volunteers:

• We do not proselytize, and all refugees must be treated equally.
• Dress appropriately (girls: no short skirts or low-cut blouses)
• No smoking in any of the buildings. You may smoke in the back garden.
• Do not socialize with refugees outside the Center or share personal contact details.

Internships
Internships are welcome: please have your academic institution contact Fr. Michael at the address below.

Donations
We accept donations of men’s clothing and shoes (must be clean and in good condition), toiletries, phone cards, blankets, dictionaries (Arabic/English or Farsi/English). Cash donations should be given to Fr. Michael or Tuana, checks should be made out to St. Paul’s American Church with a memo to say they are designated for the JNRC. Please note that all donations to this church are tax deductible in the US – just notify the office that you need a receipt.

Contacts:
St. Paul’s Within the Walls (JNRC)
Via Napoli 58
00184 Roma, Italy
Tel: +39 06 4883339 X Fax: +39 06 4814549 X http://www.stpaulsrome.it

The Rev. Dr. Michael L Vono, Rector
Akbatan ‘Tuana’ Abdulla, Coordinator for Refugee Services
Andrea D’Agosto, Administrative Assistant