Sistering offers tours of our program space and visiting speakers who can talk about the lived experience of poverty and homelessness and the changes needed to assist women.
For more information visit Speakers and Agency Tours.
Volunteer Job Description
Program Volunteers
Sistering offers women a variety of skill enhancing and recreationally-based programs. These programs take the form of clubs, workshops, and groups. Topics include, but are not limited to: cooking, health, woodworking, craft making, knitting, flower arranging, shiatsu, and yoga, facials, bowling, ESL, manicures, aromatherapy.
Job:
Program volunteers, in consultation with the volunteer coordinator and staff, develop a program that will run for an agreed upon time frame with an agreed upon content. These volunteers bring their hobbies, skills, or training to run groups and workshops. A staff member or another volunteer, may be available for additional support. The time commitment depends upon the nature of the program.
Skills:
- Understand issues of homelessness and poverty
- Prior experience, training and expertise in the program area agreed upon
- Demonstrate clear professional boundaries as outlined by the volunteer coordinator, Sistering staff and Sistering policies
- Work well as a part of a team
- Consult with staff respectfully and assertively to negotiate terms of work and volunteer placement
- Demonstrate good judgment and the ability to consult and take direction from staff appropriately
- Practice excellent communication and people skills in the interview and screening process as well as in practice once placed in a volunteer job
- Prior experience working with people
- Comfort and ease working with homeless and underhoused women
- Work responsibly and respectfully at all times with staff and participants
- Reliably commit consistently to a regular time slot (for an agreed upon period of time)
- Prior group facilitation experience (where applicable)
Shift:
One day per week (or every 2 weeks), for a 3 hour shift between 9:30am – 2:00pm
Program volunteers go through the general interview, screening, and training process as all volunteers who participate in Sistering’s volunteer program (see Volunteer Policy). For more details, please contact Sistering’s Volunteer Coordinator.
Donations Room – Volunteers
Sistering accepts gently used women’s clothing 7 days per week and arranges it in our clothing donations room. Women are then invited, on specified “Donations Room Days”, to choose a number of items from the room. This service is extremely important to women who may not be able to afford clothing items or who have no place to store season clothing items.
Job:
A Donations Room volunteer is responsible for helping to organize and sort through donations and to prepare the donations room for the Donations Day. Depending on the day, volunteers might also help out on donations day to help facilitate the distribution of donations to the women who attend Sistering.
Skills:
- Understand issues related to homelessness and poverty
- Ability to comfort working alone or alongside staff and volunteers
- Interest in sorting and organizing
- Demonstrate clear professional boundaries as outlined by the volunteer coordinator, Sistering staff and Sistering policies
- Work well as a part of a team
- Consult with staff respectfully and assertively to negotiate terms of work and volunteer placement
- Demonstrate good judgment and the ability to consult and take direction from staff appropriately
- Practice excellent communication and people skills in the interview and screening process as well as in practice once placed in a volunteer job
- Experience working with people
- Comfort and ease working with homeless and underhoused women
- Work responsibly and respectfully at all times with staff and participants
- Reliably commit consistently to a regular time slot (for an agreed upon period of time)
Shift:
One day per week (or every 2 weeks), for a 3 hour shift between 9:30am – 2:00pm
Donations Room volunteers go through the general interview, screening, and training process as all volunteers who participate in Sistering’s volunteer program (see Volunteer Policy). For more details, please contact Sistering’s Volunteer Coordinator.
Cooking Volunteers
The daily hot noon meal at Sistering is a core part of the practical services we offer homeless and low-income women. Many women cannot afford a hot meal and/or are living on the street where hot, nutritious, and delicious fresh food is difficult to get. For some women, the meal at Sistering will be the only meal they will have all day. Our meals are nutritionally balanced and are filling. Each day, our cook plans and cooks this huge meal with the help of staff and volunteers.
Job:
- Food preparation: Cleaning, chopping vegetables, seasoning, boiling, steaming, baking, reheating
- Storage and handling of food: Transfer foods to from fridge or freezer, put plates aside for late women, serve food to women (occasionally)
- Food Hygiene: Wear hairnets, gloves, proper handwashing, clean food preparation surfaces properly
Skills:
- Comfort in a kitchen environment
- Ability to perform the above mentioned duties under “Job”
Work alongside and take direction from staff and the primary cook - Ability to stand during the 3 hour shift
- Demonstrate clear professional boundaries as outlined by the volunteer coordinator, Sistering staff and Sistering policies
- Work well as a part of a team
- Ability to consult with staff respectfully and assertively to negotiate terms of work and volunteer placement
- Demonstrate good judgment and the ability to consult with staff appropriately
- Practice excellent communication and people skills in the interview and screening process as well as in practice once placed in a volunteer job
- Experience working well with others
- Work responsibly and respectfully at all times with staff, participants, and other volunteers
Shift:
One day per week or weekend from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (some flexibility)
Cooking volunteers go through the general interview, screening, and training process as all volunteers who participate in Sistering’s volunteer program (see Volunteer Policy). For more details, please contact Sistering’s Volunteer Coordinator.
Studio Support
Volunteers assist staff in helping to run and maintain the On The Path Sewing Program and the Inspirations Art Program Studios.
Job:
Volunteers help:
- organize materials
- maintain equipment (kilns, glazes, sewing machines)
- provide informal artistic, computer, and technical support (where applicable)
Skills:
- Understand issues of homelessness and poverty and ability to work comfortably with the women Sistering serves
- Background in sewing, or visual arts (clay, painting, jewelry making) an asset
- Computer skills an asset for the Inspirations program
- Demonstrate clear professional boundaries as outlined by the volunteer coordinator, Sistering staff and Sistering policies
- Work responsibly and respectfully at all times with staff and participants
- Work well as a part of a team
- Consult with staff respectfully and assertively to negotiate terms of volunteer placement
- Demonstrate good judgment and the ability to consult and take direction from staff appropriately
- Practice excellent communication and people skills in the interview and screening process as well as in practice once placed in a volunteer job
- Commit consistently to a regular time slot (for an agreed upon period of time)
Shift:
One 3-hour shift per week (or every second week).
Studio Support volunteers go through the general interview, screening, and training process as all volunteers who participate in Sistering’s volunteer program (see Volunteer Policy). For more details, please contact Sistering’s Volunteer Coordinator.
Event and Occasional Volunteers
Event and occasional volunteers help out at various special events such as Sistering’s yearly seasonal parties, as well as on an “occasional basis” and “time-specific” projects.
Volunteers are given as much notice as possible so that they can make plans to be available. Volunteers are only expected to attend events that are compatible with their schedule. It is understood that these volunteers may not be available for every event.
Job:
Some examples of jobs within this category include (but are not limited to):
- Serving and helping prepare a holiday party meal
- Decorating and gift stuffing
- Staffing info booths, silent auction tables, etc…
- Posting flyers for a special event
- Administrative support
- Performing or leading an activity at an event (karaoke, singing, dancing etc….)
- Providing a one-day only service (massage, facials, etc…)
Duties:
- Available on an “as needed basis”, usually during weekdays
- Understands issues of homelessness and poverty and ability to work comfortably with the women Sistering serves
- Demonstrates clear professional boundaries as outlined by the volunteer coordinator, Sistering staff and Sistering policies
- Works responsibly and respectfully at all times with staff and participants
- Works well as a part of a team
- Consults with staff respectfully and assertively to negotiate terms of volunteer placement
- Demonstrates good judgment and the ability to consult and take direction from staff appropriately
- Practices excellent communication and people skills in the interview and screening process as well as in practice once placed in a volunteer job
- Reliably commits to an agreed upon arrangement
- Ability to work comfortably with food and to follow kitchen safety guidelines
Shift:
As needed, on an event-based basis
Event and occasional volunteers go through the general interview, screening, and training process as all volunteers who participate in Sistering’s volunteer program (see Volunteer Policy). For more details, please contact Sistering’s Volunteer Coordinator.
Board of Directors Volunteers
Sistering’s volunteer Board of Directors is accountable to the membership of Sistering. The role of the Board is to determine policy, ensure effective management and plan for Sistering’s future so that the mission, goals, and objectives of the agency can be reached.
Responsibilities of Board Members:
- Learn and understand: Sistering’s mission, policies, financial and legal responsibilities, materials provided by the Executive Director, Sistering’s community, community agencies, and the needs of the community
- Prepare adequately and attend monthly meetings
- Become a member of Sistering (there is no fee)
- Attend special events
- Participate in fundraising and networking activities
- Provide leadership and be a spokesperson for the agency
- Understand democratic processes and ability to work within a Modified Governance Model framework
- Actively participate for at least a 3 year tenure
- Participate in at least one Board committee
- Bring skills, training and experience from professional, technical and community areas to provide counsel and advise the Board and agency
Expected Time Commitment:
Minimally, to prepare and attend 11 yearly Board Meetings for a minimum of a 3 year tenure. Additional responsibilities include work and assignments to be prepared between meetings, fundraising and networking activities, attendance at special events, participation on at least 1 Board committee.
For information on applying for a Board of Director position or to obtain a Board of Director application package please contact Sistering’s Volunteer Coordinator.
Committee Volunteers
Sistering has a number of committees that are comprised of Sistering staff, community volunteers, participant volunteers, and Board volunteers.
Job:
- Learn and understand: Sistering’s mission, policies, history, community of women we serve, materials provided by staff
- Prepare adequately and attend monthly meetings
- Provide leadership to the committee
- Understand democratic processes and ability to work well with others
- Actively participate in monthly meetings for at least a 1 year tenure
- Participate in external activities and events relevant to the committee’s work
- Bring skills, training and experience from professional, technical and community areas to provide expertise to the committee
Shift:
Volunteers are asked to prepare for and attend committee meetings (some committees meet monthly, others meet based on a project to project basis) and to provide support and work on activities outside of committee meeting times, for a minimum tenure of 1 year.
Committee volunteers go through the general interview, screening, and training process as all volunteers who participate in Sistering’s volunteer program (see Volunteer Policy). For more details, please contact Sistering’s Volunteer Coordinator.