After a long career in social services, Sonia Rincon Heflin retired at age 76. But she wasn’t finished serving her community. Today, the Bogotá-born social worker volunteers with Catholic Charities of Oregon’s Immigration Legal Services, using her Spanish-language skills and decades of experience to help immigrants navigate complex legal processes. Along the way, she says, she receives as much as she gives.
For Sonia Rincon Heflin, retirement didn’t mean stepping away from service.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Sonia married a Peace Corps volunteer in 1968 and moved to California three years later. Over the decades that followed, she built a career centered on helping others, including work with Catholic Charities in Los Angeles in the 1980s and, later, with nonprofit social service organizations in Portland.
Sonia didn’t retire until age 76. She loved the work, she says, and found just as much meaning in what she learned from the people she served as in what she was able to offer them. After retiring in December 2024, Sonia soon found another way to put her experience and bilingual skills to work. In July 2025, she began volunteering with Catholic Charities of Oregon’s Immigration Legal Services, providing Spanish interpretation and translation for immigrants navigating an increasingly complex immigration system.
For Sonia, that work is another chapter in a life shaped by service, faith and a deep appreciation for the richness of different cultures. “The immigrants I have worked with help me as much as I help them,” she says. “I learn something every time.”
Name: Sonia Rincon Heflin
Role with Catholic Charities: I am a volunteer with Catholic Charities of Oregon’s Immigration Legal Services, where I help with Spanish interpretation and translation.
How did you hear about Catholic Charities of Oregon, and what prompted you to get involved? I was at church when someone from Catholic Charities spoke to the congregation about the work CCO does and the different ways people could get involved. Volunteering was one of them, and I was interested right away. Catholic Charities was already familiar to me because of my previous work and because I had referred families to CCO for immigration and legal assistance before I retired. Becoming a volunteer felt like a natural way to continue serving my community.
What does being part of Catholic Charities/Catholic Social Teaching mean to you personally? I have been involved with Catholic Charities organizations in different ways and at different periods throughout my life. In the mid- to late-1980s, I worked for Catholic Charities in Los Angeles. That experience awakened my interest in social services and eventually motivated me to become a social worker. We provided food, clothing, transportation, referrals to community agencies and many other forms of support to marginalized and immigrant communities. I saw how much it mattered to meet people where they were and help them find the resources they needed. Before I retired in December 2024, I worked for a nonprofit social service organization here in Portland. I referred many families who needed legal and immigration advice to Catholic Charities of Oregon, and I saw their needs met with dignity and compassion. In July 2025, I became a volunteer with CCO’s Immigration Legal Services. In many ways, it feels like a continuation of work that has been important to me throughout my life.
What’s one story or moment from your time with Catholic Charities that you’ll never forget? Since I began volunteering as an interpreter with Immigration Legal Services, I have learned so much about the complexity of the immigration system and the difficult situations immigrants are experiencing in the United States right now. Each person and family has a different story. Being able to listen to those stories and help people communicate and understand what is happening has given me an even greater appreciation for the challenges immigrants face and the resilience they bring with them.
What activities, situations or people most inspire you? I have had the privilege of working closely with one of the ILS attorneys, and I am inspired by the support and compassion she extends to clients who need her assistance. I am also inspired by the immigrant families I meet. They are resilient and appreciative of the services and guidance Catholic Charities provides. I love the richness of different cultures and the opportunity to learn from people whose experiences may be different from my own. The immigrants I have worked with help me as much as I help them. I learn something every time.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involved, whether through volunteering, donating or seeking support? I often talk to people about the many ways Catholic Charities helps people in our communities and how its wide range of services has touched so many families. I would encourage people to learn more about the organization and find the way of getting involved that is right for them. There are many ways to contribute. For me, volunteering has been an opportunity to use my experience and language skills to continue doing something I care deeply about.
What’s your favorite book, movie, TV show, podcast or social media account, and why? I love to read, and right now I am especially focused on reading books in Spanish. I am discovering authors from throughout Latin America, which gives me another way to connect with the language, cultures and stories of the region.
What’s on your personal “bucket list,” something you still hope to do, learn or experience? I don’t really have a bucket list. As I age, my goal is to stay healthy, enjoy my family and friends and continue growing stronger on my spiritual path. I want to appreciate the people and experiences that are already part of my life.