Pittsburgh Region International Student Ministries aka PRISM, not to be confused with “prison,” is one of my favorite Pittsburgh nonprofits.
What PRISM Does
A small team of globally-minded individuals, working out of the Bellefield Presbyterian Church on Fifth Avenue, organize events such as English conversation groups, social evenings, and trips to surrounding areas specifically for international students and their families. PRISM offers a cooking class for internationals so they can learn how to prepare favorite American foods and PRISM likes to partner internationals with American families for a year for monthly dinners. This organization focuses on helping internationals adjust to the American culture with connections to Americans, traditions, and fun activities.
My PRISM Experience
As a native Pittsburgher, I love the opportunity to mingle with people from every continent (except for Antarctica). English conversation groups are low-key and questions are handed out to the native English speakers to help guide conversation for an hour. I found these “cheat sheets” super helpful since I tend towards shyness in a big group. The questions helped me to relax and encouraged an easy flow of conversation. The discussion often ends up revolving around the differences between our countries.
One evening, I learned from a Spaniard that he feared honking at Americans when driving because they might pull a gun on you. I admit that I laughed. This thought only ever crosses my mind in the most ghetto parts of America, but I looked around the table at the other internationals. They were all nodding. Most of their countries have a no guns policy so they are distinctly uncomfortable with America’s policy on guns.
Lend A Hand to PRISM
A no brainer to help out this organization is to donate funds. But if you’re local or visiting Pittsburgh, contact PRISM or email one of the PRISM staff to find out about upcoming volunteer activities. My favorite volunteer activities are English conversation groups and Holiday dinner hosting.
What About You?
Do you volunteer with a particular organization? Why do you like to volunteer with them? Tell me in the comments!
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