Volunteer
ONLINE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION HERE
FEATURED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
When we serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Orion Center, we aren’t just meeting a fundamental need. We’re inviting trust—and opening the way to service. Last year, we served over 12,000 meals at Orion; in 2010 it may be close to double that. That’s a lot of opportunities to engage—but it only happens with your help.
Here is how you can help:
1) Organize a food drive at you school or office. For tips on how to do that and a list of what we need, click here.
2) Volunteer with friends or co-workers to prepare meals and serve them at the Orion Center. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for information.
3) Bring prepared meals for one of our transitional housing programs. For more information, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Volunteering at YouthCare
YouthCare has a wide range of volunteer experiences with a variety of time commitments and direct youth involvement. No matter which volunteer experience you choose, you will be helping to make a positive change, one life at a time. Generally, YouthCare asks for a minimum six-month commitment for direct service volunteers because of the clients we work with. Direct service volunteers may also be required to complete additional training. Our volunteer opportunities are for those 18 years and older. If you’re under 18 and interested in volunteering, visit the United Way of King County Web site to search for opportunities.
Each year, more than 200 volunteers support YouthCare by helping with meal preparation, tutoring, yard work, housekeeping and more. Training is required for some of these positions. Volunteers start by attending a volunteer orientation. These overviews of our organization and the opportunities available are offered each month. For the dates of upcoming orientations, click here.
Another education opportunity you might be interested in is “The Ropes: Understanding and Engaging Youth Homelessness.” This workshop, offered by the University District Service Providers Alliance, specifically addresses youth and young adult homelessness in a hands-on three hour training. Find out more about this training by clicking here.
Featured Opportunities
Meals
Orion Center Meal Providers—Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Number of volunteers: 5–8
Providing meals to youth at the Orion Center is an important step toward creating trusting and caring relationships with the teens who come to YouthCare for help. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served Monday through Friday. Groups bring food to the Orion Center (enough for approximately 50 youth) and help serve the meals.
Additionally, YouthCare’s housing programs are looking for volunteers to bring a prepared dinner, or make dinner on location, for approximately 10-12 youth. All housing programs have full kitchens and serving materials.
Group Projects
Outdoor Cleanup at Residential Houses
Number of volunteers: 5-20 per site
The residential facilities of YouthCare are located in 3 houses in the community and within the administration building. This volunteer project would entail coming to the sites and mowing grass, raking leaves, planting plants, pressure washing, and cleaning.
Orion Center Meal Providers—Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Number of volunteers: 5–8
Providing meals to youth at the Orion Center is an important step toward creating trusting and caring relationships with the teens who come to YouthCare for help. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served Monday through Friday. Groups bring food to the Orion Center (enough for approximately 45 youth) and help serve the meals.
Host a Community Drive
Host a drive at your school, church, work site, or community group to benefit YouthCare. YouthCare will help you with signs, can talk to your groups, and provide support. This is a great opportunity to engage the community and can be done by anyone and anytime. Click here for more details.
Direct Service
Drop In / Basic Needs Volunteer
Commitment: any day, Monday–Friday, from 2:30–7:00pm.
Location: YouthCare Orion Center
Scheduling contingent on available shifts, contact Christopher for more info on availability. Regular, consistent commitment required. Duties may include—being present on the Drop In floor to assist youth participants in accessing basic needs services: signing youth up for showers, laundry, lockers, etc.; helping youth access the clothing and hygiene bank; assist staff in meal preparation and cleaning; be available to engage youth in playing games, doing art, or just talking about life. Volunteer will learn about resources in the community that are available to youth and how to refer appropriately. Volunteer candidate must be capable of interacting with youth from a variety of backgrounds / lifestyles in a non-judgmental and supportive way. Must be capable of maintaining healthy professional boundaries with all youth participants. Volunteer must be willing to respond to staff direction and ongoing training.
GED Tutoring Volunteer
Commitment: once per week; Monday–Thursday; hours flexible between 9:00am–12:30pm; six-month commitment preferred.
Location:YouthCare Orion Center
Orion’s GED program serves homeless and street involved youth, ages 16–22. Students set their own schedules and work individually at their own pace, with support from tutors. Some youth come in having had very negative experiences in school and may be lacking in basic skills, while others may have done substantial amounts of high school (or even college) level work. Volunteers are a crucial component to the program because of their ability to spend an extended amount of time with one or a few students, as well as potentially circulating among students. Volunteer candidate must be capable of interacting with youth from a variety of backgrounds / lifestyles in a non-judgmental and supportive way, and of maintaining healthy professional boundaries with all youth participants.
Tutor
Commitment: once per week; mostly evenings, days and times vary by program; six-month commitment preferred.
Location:all YouthCare housing programs
YouthCare’s programs serve youth ages 13–24. Some youth have had very negative experiences in school and may be lacking in basic skills, while others may have done substantial amounts of high school (or even college) work. Volunteers are an asset because of their ability to spend an extended amount of time with one or a few students, as well as potentially circulating among students. Volunteer must be capable of interacting with youth from a variety of backgrounds / lifestyles in a non-judgmental and supportive way, and of maintaining healthy professional boundaries with all youth participants. Commitment: once per week; generally two hours on an agreed-upon weeknight; six-month commitment preferred.
Life Skills Facilitator
Commitment: varies, continual or one-time, depending on the topic.
Location:all YouthCare programs
Do you have a special talent? Can you teach a youth a skill? Can you teach a class? Can you fix bikes? Since most of the youth in our programs have spent much of their lives on their own, they have not had the opportunity to learn basic life skills in areas such as job, health & hygiene, money management, housing, education, hobbies & recreation, cooking, and other independent living skills. The Life Skills Facilitator has the opportunity to utilize their “expertise” and teach important skills to the youth in our programs.
Administrative & Program Support
In-Kind Donation Processing
Commitment: once–twice per week; Monday–Thursday; hours flexible between 9:30am–4:00pm
Location: YouthCare Administration or the Orion Center
Many of the clients served by YouthCare have very few belongings, typically only the clothing on their backs. Our development staff works to procure needed items for both the youth we serve and our programs. The In-Kind Coordinators provide a space where program staff and clients can “shop” for items, be they school supplies, clothing or dish sets. Hours per week vary depending on the volume of community donations.
Facility Support Volunteer
Commitment: once per week; any day, Monday–Friday; 11:00am–1:30pm.
Location: YouthCare Orion Center
Duties may include laundry, light cleaning of shared spaces and bathrooms, organizing clothing bank, food pantry, donations and supplies. Assist staff in preparing, cooking, and serving lunch meal for youth participants, and helping with clean up. This position is a good entry-level volunteer position new to the field or organization. A regular consistent commitment is preferred, but not required.
Housekeeping Volunteer
Commitment: regularly scheduled, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
Location: any YouthCare program
Often housekeeping and organization get pushed to the backburner in order to keep up with the daily needs of our youth. All programs need housekeeping volunteers to provide light housekeeping and organizational expertise. This position can be done at flexible times.
Community Drives
Community Drives are a great opportunity for your business, school, or community/social organization to build team spirit while supporting local youth. Click here for a full list of needed items. Click here for tips on putting together a community drive. If you have any questions, or would like more ideas, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), volunteer coordinator.
Community Drive Suggestions
Back-To-School
Many of our youth are in high school or college, or working toward their GEDs. We’re always looking for basic supplies so they can focus on their class work.
Backpacks
Day Planners (2010 & 2011)
GED books (English & Spanish)
USB Drives
Notebooks
Pens
Pencils
Highlighters
Folders
Dictionaries
Calculators
Basics Needed
Bus Tickets
$5–$10 Gift Cards: Subway, Starbucks, Taco Del Mar Gift Cards, etc.
Phone Cards (including International Phone Cards)
Grocery Store Gift Cards
Feminine Hygiene Supplies
Bras—All Sizes and Colors (New, please!)
Socks
Underwear (men’s and women’s)
Snacks (granola bars, small bags of pretzels, etc)
Click here to record your volunteer hours.
