2019 Family Support Services Volunteer

Volunteers in Family Support Services (FSS) assist staff with:

• Facilitation of Walnut Avenue’s food and donation programs
• Assistance with special campaigns and drives (Back to School, Adopt a Family)
• Front office management
• Phone reception
• Daily maintenance and running

No previous experience required. Bilingual Spanish-speakers are strongly encouraged to participate!

Why It Matters
Current research shows that, in the US, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience some form of abuse from an intimate partner. Domestic violence has a reciprocal relationship with other forms of abuse of power, such as racism, transphobia, and ableism, and it is the primary cause of homelessness among women. Our FSS department is responsible for the additional programs addressing common challenges that survivors and their face regarding food insecurity, access to resources, and general compassion from service providers.

Benefits

• Daily running of a grassroots nonprofit
• Office management skills
• Public relations with vulnerable demographics (e.g. domestic violence, homelessness, etc)

Requirements

• Be 18 years or older
• Have not received domestic violence services as a participant with Walnut Avenue for a minimum of two years
• Attend a Walnut Avenue volunteer orientation
• Pass a fingerprinting/criminal background check
• Have appropriate boundaries and communication with participants
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
• Punctual and reliable
• An email which is checked regularly
• Bilingual Spanish encouraged but not required

Time Commitment

• Commitment to 6 consecutive months of service
• Minimum one weekly shift (9am-1pm or 2pm-5pm)

Associated Costs

• Standard criminal background check: $45

If cost is a barrier for you, please contact the community engagement coordinator to discuss your options without judgment at mcoffey@wafwc.org.

To Get Started
The first step is to attend a volunteer orientation at Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center, which happen about twice a month/every two weeks. To hear upcoming dates and times and to register for the one which works best for you, please call our office at (831) 426-3062. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact our community engagement coordinator, Marjorie Coffey, at mcoffey@wafwc.org.

It is the policy of Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center to provide equal employment, volunteer opportunities and services to participants (EEO) to all persons regardless of ancestry, age, color, national origin, disability (physical and mental, includes HIV and AIDS), genetic information, race, religion (includes religious dress and grooming), gender, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran, request for FMLA or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.