Volunteer Interpreters and Translators needed for the Haiti Relief Effort

By now we are all painfully aware of the situation in Haiti following the devastating earthquake last week. The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators and the American Red Cross are seeking Haitian Creole and French interpreters and translators to assist in this time of great need.

Interpreters are needed for two types of assignments – either at the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington DC (see "Immediate Need" below) or on the hospital ship USNS Comfort off the coast of Haiti (see "Anticipated Future Need" below).

Immediate Need

The American Red Cross wishes to identify and recruit a Haitian Creole and French interpreter and translator to work at its National Headquarters Office in Washington for periods of between one to three weeks. The volunteer will support the International Services Department (ISD) in response to the earthquake in Haiti by sharing information with Haitian Creole speakers in the United States, translating documents from various ISD offices and/or American Red Cross chapters around the country, may be called upon to record messages in Haitian Creole or respond to inquiries from Haitian Creole speakers by telephone or in writing. The qualifications for this assignment are below:

• Willingness to support Red Cross Mission
• Translate written information into Haitian Creole
• Respond to inquiries from Haitian Creole speakers

Qualifications:

• At least three (3) years of demonstrated experience as a professional translator and/or interpreter
• Excellent writing, good interpersonal and some cross-cultural communication skills and experience.
• Advanced use of Microsoft Office for word processing.

Training:

• Orientation to American Red Cross

Reports to or Partners with ISD/ International Communications Department

Length of Appointment: Open

Time Commitment: 20 - 40 hours a week -- flexible

Anticipated Future Need

Last week a request was sent out for the recruitment for interpreters for the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship that is scheduled to arrive in Haiti Tuesday night January 20 and will remain docked off the coast. Thanks to the American Red Cross chapter network, that need was filled quickly. NAJIT and the American Red Cross anticipate there will be a continued need for interpreters for the USNS Comfort over the weeks and months to come. Currently, the projection is that USNS Comfort will be deployed on this mission for 6-12 months.

At this time, in an effort to anticipate the ongoing and future need for interpreters, NAJIT and the American Red Cross are standing ready by identifying available volunteers for the next possible 30 day rotations. Volunteers will remain on the ship throughout the duration of the assignment and will not deploy to the mainland of Haiti.

Both assignments are on a volunteer basis and the American Red Cross will cover all travel expenses.

Because of the special American Red Cross and NAJIT partnership and our joint collaboration in recent years during major disaster response operations, NAJIT has been asked to coordinate the recruitment of interpreters for the Red Cross Haiti Relief Effort. NAJIT continues to serve as the direct link between interpreters and the Red Cross emergency response. In order to participate in the Haiti Relief Effort, interpreters must either be members of NAJIT or members of one of NAJIT’s organizational or institutional members.

We know that many interpreters and translators want to help in this time of great need, either by volunteering or making donations. Please be as generous with your time and resources as you can be. Thank you.

Please send all responses to christina@najit.org or phone 202-293-0342 for further information.