Volunteer Opportunities

We currently have lots of exciting volunteer opportunities to choose from. Click on any open position to see the full details. To set up an appointment and take the next step in becoming a volunteer, write us at info@thegivingtreenw.org.

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Survey Taker – positions open

We’ve got 400+ new clients we need to help out, but we don’t know them well enough yet to know what services they would benefit from most.  We’ve developed a survey that will help us get to know our clients so we can deliver the services they need, but we need volunteers to help us get those surveys out to them.

Duties:

  • Go door to door at one of our sites, passing out surveys and assisting people who need help filling them out
  • Sit at a table in the community room of one or more of our sites during a designated time, passing out surveys and helping residents fill them out as needed
  • Insure that all surveys that you passed out are collected and turned in to our office

Requirements:

  • Honor and respect diversity
  • Be personable, organized, and reliable
  • Commit to a minimum of 2 hours per week for one month

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How to Thrive: A Teaching Opportunity – currently unavailable
Do you care about:

  • Greening your life
  • Making useful items from everyday stuff
  • Proper recycling methods
  • Planning nutritious meals on a tight budget
  • Organizing your home
  • Helping others and engaging in your community
  • Starting a kitchen container garden
  • Smoking cessation
  • Accessing community resources, education, and free information?

We need passionate people to put together workshops for our clients.  You may utilize local speakers, written information, video clips, and whatever else you can think of in order to make these events as engaging and educational as possible.  Each event must end with an element that supports immediate engagement, such as a workshop or brainstorming session.

An example would be putting together a presentation on recycling: inviting someone to talk about local recycling dos and don’ts, presenting a 10 minute video on plastics, holding a contest to see if people can identify what is recyclable and what is not, and then having a workshop on making something awesome and useful out of reusable plastic items.

Presentations run 2pm – 3pm on Tuesdays, or 1:30pm – 2:30pm on Thursdays.  You can choose which you’d like to do depending on your schedule, or present the same topic both days and times (these are separate sites).  You will be presenting to people living in affordable housing who may be dealing with housing stability issues, mental illness, aging, disabilities, or depression.  Presentations should offer a positive alternative to living that your audience may be unaware of, and do so in such a way that makes the alternative easy, accessible, and hopefully even fun.

Duties:

  • Create event schedule and encourage attendance through appropriate outreach methods
  • Research issues and develop awesome, engaging events
  • Coordinate with all presenters and lead the event
  • Complete proper paperwork at the end of the event

Requirements:

  • Be willing to commit to at least 3 events
  • Self-starter, already active and engaged in the community
  • Clear and calm, excellent communication skills

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Cooking With Kids – positions open
This is a great program for children and families living in affordable housing. Our emphasis is on wellness and community: we feature a cooking class for children, an explorations in food workshop with a focus on healthy alternatives, plus creativity workshops, holiday celebrations, and much more!

This activity runs every Thursday from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Duties:

  • Work with your team and the volunteer leader to develop engaging activity ideas for the children and families
  • Help gather all necessary materials (we reimburse for expenses as long as they are pre-approved)
  • Help create and distribute fliers to help everyone know about upcoming events
  • Play, cook, and have fun with the kids while teaching them about nutrition, cooking, and kitchen safety
  • Document your activities as required, and track your volunteer hours

Requirements:

  • Great with kids
  • Reliable and organized
  • Can pass a background check and have or willing to get a food handler’s card
  • Willing to commit to this program for a minimum of 6 months
  • Background in food preparation, nutrition helpful, working with youth, or creative pursuits helpful

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Coffee and Conversation – positions open
Come serve up coffee and talk to an incredibly interesting group of adults at a downtown SRO (Single Residency Occupancy housing complex). Many of the adults that participate in our program are mentally ill, aging, and disabled.  Many are chronically homeless and trying to make the adjustment to living “inside” for the first time in a while.  Participants in our coffee times are always so excited to have someone to talk to, and you are guaranteed to walk away feeling like you learned something from someone.

This is a daytime, weekday project, and you will be a part of a team during the activity, volunteering during established times of 10am – 12pm or 1:30pm – 3:30pm on Thursdays.  This is one of our small, weekly projects that we use as a conduit to our more “core services;” clients come to rely on you to be there, and as they become more comfortable with you they will begin to open up about their lives and their needs, this is when we can really do our best work by stepping in and assisting them through the rough patches.

Duties:

  • Serve coffee and light breakfast to participants
  • Facilitate conversations and give confidence to clients through a positive and encourage attitude
  • Take part in any activity scheduled during that time (games, larger community meals, creativity workshops)
  • Provide support to clients through information and referral to core services as needed
  • Clean up after coffee time has ended
  • Fill out paperwork as required

Requirements:

  • Honor diversity
  • Confident, adaptable and reliable
  • Great with people
  • Commit to 2 hours per week for a minimum of 3 months

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Biographer – positions open
What sort of assumptions do you or those you know make about people living in affordable housing?  You might be surprised by how much you have in common with our clients.  Come listen to and record the rich life stories full of strength, beauty, and courage told by our clients.  We’ll use these stories in our newsletters and other promotional materials to help people realize and appreciate the diversity of the people we serve, as we’re sure you will once you’ve spent some time with them.

Duties:

  • Generate interest and excitement about the project by promoting at each of our 4 sites
  • Set up interviews and perform interviews, taking copious notes and pictures during each interview
  • Compile the information gleaned from each interview and assemble it into an engaging story

You should have:

  • A quick and open mind
  • Great note-taking and organizational skills
  • A known ability to help people feel comfortable and open up to you
  • Good listening and conversational skills
  • Excellent writing skills

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Fundraising Development – positions open
This is a fantastic opportunity for the type of person who always has a million ideas and connections sparking.  You get to work on your own time to actively and effectively research and develop community partnerships that will generate donations of funds, goods, and services for our organization.

You should:

  • Be super organized and self-motivated
  • Commit to learning the details of our organization and programs so you can speak fluently to potential partners
  • Feel comfortable contacting prospects via telephone, email, or face-to-face
  • Be persistent and charming while maintaining a professional demeanor
  • Own a working computer and have proficiency in online research and standard Microsoft programs
  • Own reliable transportation
  • Be willing to perform the legwork necessary to build a successful partnership base
  • Document all contacts and conversations

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Project Building – positions open
Armed with a list of the various art and craft supplies we have, come up with multiple projects with a maximum length of 2 hours each, using those materials.  The internet is a wonderful thing, so really you just need to know how to do your research.  Finished project sheets should include pictures or a physical example, a list of materials needed, and easy step by step instructions.

For this position you will need:

  • Self-motivation, as you’ll be working from home
  • A computer with internet access and a printer
  • A deep love of all things crafty
  • Proficiency enough to be able to develop project sheets using Microsoft Word

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Computer Tech – currently unavailable

  • Want to build your resume in a supportive, fun environment where you are the technology god?
  • Do you love the idea of working behind the scenes to help empower people and build communities?
  • Does having the freedom to try out your tricks and ideas appeal to you?
  • Would you like to occasionally be rewarded for your efforts with pies or beer?

    • Your duties will be to:

    • Administer approximately 5 Windows XP systems in public computer stations at 2 locations, including installation, maintenance, repair, upgrades, etc.
    • Install software and optimize performance as needed
    • Perform very basic network administration including configuration of DHCP and web proxies
    • Advise on how to improve and expand computing services

    We will expect you to:

    • Spend an average of 3 hours per month maintaining the system as needed
    • Set aside one weekend every 6 months to work on any major projects that arise
    • Commit to at least 6 months of service with us
    • Train your replacement when you finally take your leave of us

    In return, we will:

    • Ensure that our outgoing tech familiarizes you with our operations
    • Respect your personal time and availability
    • Encourage you as you explore the possibilities of your position and our technology

    Summer Youth Program Assistant – currently unavailable
    This is a fantastic opportunity for enthusiastic volunteers who love to lead indoor activities such as crafts, cooking projects, and science experiments as well as outdoor activities like basketball, kite-flying, relay races, short hikes. Our emphasis is on fun, but we try to sneak an educational element into every activity we feature so our kids’ brains stay active during the long break.

    Your duties will be to:

    • Help prepare children for mealtimes, serve food, and clean up afterward
    • Facilitate learning and fun in a safe environment
    • Assist program coordinator in preparing for daily activities and generating interest in the program
    • Drive when necessary to transport children

    Requirements:

    • Be great with kids
    • Be willing to attend training sessions and meetings prior to the start of the summer program
    • Be able to pass a background check
    • Have or get a food handler’s card
    • Have a vehicle with a valid driver’s license and current insurance

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