Domestic Violence Children's Program Volunteer Needed Wednesday Evenings

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The Children’s Program Support Group Volunteer offers their support on Wednesdays weekly from 4:45pm to 7:15pm with children ages 0-5 years old.

Specific Responsibilities

• Help to ensure the safety of all the children by way of supervision.
• Hold/soothe infants.
• Support/engage free play of toddlers.
• Participate in games/art projects/circle time with preschoolers.
• Set up and clean-up program space throughout the night.
• Generally support of staff

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to eliminating racism and empowering women
• Sensitivity to issues faced by survivors of domestic violence
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Being fully engaged and present on a consistent basis
• Acting and interacting in safe and violence-free ways at all times
• Modeling positive behavior and healthy relationships
• Maintaining effective communication with Children’s Program staff
• Experience working with children preferred

Commitment

This position requires a minimum commitment of once per weekfor at least six months, preferably longer. If you cannot make the commitment to come each week then this is not the opportunity for you. For the health and well-being of the children in our programs it is important for volunteers to be here each week, and for an extended time period so that trust is built.

Position Benefits

The Children’s Program Support Group Volunteer will gain valuable experience in a therapeutic children’s program within a non-profit organization. The volunteer will also hopefully gain the satisfaction of contributing to programs that make a difference in the community by supporting survivors of intimate partner violence and their children.

Supervision

This position will be supervised directly by the Children’s Program Manager.

Background

A child's exposure to a batterer abusing a family member is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next. The YWCA Children's Program not only provides immediate physical safety, but also equips the children of women living in the Support Shelter with tools and resources that will prevent them from becoming involved in violent relationships in the future. Children receive food, clothing, respite care, age-appropriate therapy, sexual assault training, safety planning and connections to other community resources. Our goal is to help them develop healthy bodies and minds and to grow to be stable adults.