Special Announcement

WBFN programs and activities are run by our members for our members. Our volunteers are members from around the world who dedicate their time, talents and energy to giving back. Volunteering at WBFN is not only a great opportunity to use your skills and experience for the benefit of the WBG and wider communities, but also to learn new skills, enhance your professional development, and boost your social life. WBFN volunteers work in an extraordinarily wide range of positions, from event organization and database management to branding and graphic design. Browse the descriptions of what the main WBFN teams do below and register to volunteer based on your personal and professional interests. These detailed descriptions are only to be used as a guide and can be adapted to suit the individual’s skill and time commitment.

Get Involved—Welcoming Team

The Welcoming Team warmly welcomes all the newly arrived WBFN members in the Washington DC area, either the new hires or staff coming from Country Offices, and helps with their smooth settling-in process. The Welcoming Team is the first point of contact for new members through the monthly Welcoming Information Session at the WBFN office or in a virtual environment when WBG office is closed. At this session, the Welcoming Team shares information and experience with new members to enable a pleasant relocation. With the virtual format, newcomers can join prior to physically move to Washington DC.
 

The dedicated volunteers of the Welcoming Team contact the new members through personal phone calls/emails and help to develop a sense of belonging, express their care and concern for them, and introduce the new members to different activities of WBFN as well as to key people of the team at HQ.
 

The Welcoming Team tasks include:

  • giving information about Career Development sessions, G4 visas, work permits, health care, family consultation, etc., at the Welcoming Information Sessions and Spouse Orientation Sessions;
  • interacting with members [new and old] via WBFN’s “Members’ Corner”, held in-person on Thursdays, to help with personal queries or difficulties;
  • reaching out to newcomers by phone, email, WhatsApp, and the Telegram ‘WBFN Buddies Group’ through which newcomers and established members can seek or exchange information around topics of common interest;
  • organizing social events such as monthly Get-togethers which include for instance visits to some museums and parks in the Washington DC area;
  • promoting WBFN at the “Getting Settled Program” held monthly for newly WBG appointed staff
  • maintaining a database of newcomers and other administrative tasks

 

 

The Welcoming Team’s key objective is to assure the new members and make them feel that they are not alone in a new city or country. A wonderful WBFN community is available and willing to support new members by sharing its experience and knowledge of living in Washington DC. By getting involved in different WBFN volunteer activities, the new members gradually develop their network of friends and acquaintances. In due course, these members are a rich resource themselves willing to give back to WBFN future newcomers and remain engaged in nurturing the WBFN community.

Browse the Welcoming Team volunteer positions