The Community Outreach Volunteers (COV) project promotes the active and meaningful participation of refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons, recognising their knowledge, skills and lived experience as a key resource for protection and inclusion.

Launched in 2022 by INTERSOS in partnership with UNHCR, the project supports volunteers from refugee and diaspora communities in acting as trusted bridges between their communities, local services, institutions and integration pathways.

COVs play a central role in community-based protection. They facilitate dialogue within communities through thematic discussions and focus groups, help identify needs, challenges and existing resources, and support refugees and asylum seekers in navigating and accessing services. At the same time, they contribute to strengthening two-way communication between communities and service providers, ensuring that community perspectives are heard and taken into account.

In 2025, the network brought together 32 women and men aged 18 to 60, refugees or members of diaspora communities, originating from Afghanistan, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Georgia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru and Ukraine.
They are cultural mediators, students, lawyers, psychologists, translators, social workers, journalists, teachers, artists, athletes and filmmakers, reflecting the diversity and richness of the communities they represent.

Throughout 2025, the COV project achieved the following results:

• 32 community volunteers were identified and supported across different territories
• 94 people from refugee and asylum-seeker communities participated in training sessions on protection and related topics
• 261 community members were reached through awareness-raising activities on access to work, health and mental health, and civil, social and economic rights
• 444 refugees and asylum seekers were oriented and referred to local services
• 12 Focus Group Discussions were conducted to gather community feedback, identify emerging needs and inform protection responses

Through their daily engagement, Community Outreach Volunteers turn community knowledge into action, fostering protection and integration processes that are grounded in trust, participation and lived experience.

Are you based in Turin, Milan, Rome or Napoli and would you like to become a volunteer?

Click here to access the application form that will be sent and managed by INTERSOS.

Contact and information

Would you like to learn more about the Community Outreach Volunteers project and initiatives? Would you like to collaborate with us?

Write an e-mail to: cosimo.verrusio@intersos.org

Feedback and Complaints

To send feedback, a complaint or a report on the programme, please write to: complaint.italy@intersos.org.

Please specify in the subject line of the email that it is about the Communiy Outreach Volunteers project.