Volunteer At The John 3:16 Center

Many opportunities for volunteering exist at The John 3:16 Center. We truly appreciate your interest in serving God and your community through volunteering here. On the following page, you will see options for volunteering for general center activities/needs, for the after school program during the school year, and for special events/fundraising. Training requirements and minimum time commitments are included with each description.

VOLUNTEERS

All volunteers must fill out a volunteer application form below. Those who choose to work with children must complete a background check before beginning to volunteer and be willing to sign a document agreeing to random drug testing. All those who may work directly with clients will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to protect those we serve. Anyone who will be presenting items or exhibits for demonstration must give prior notice/information to staff for approval. As for training, specific on the job training is available for the individual positions, and we recommend that all our volunteers take the Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: Darkness to Light class.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

• Food Pantry – Help keep the food pantry organized; check for expiration dates; list items we are in need of; assist in record keeping for clients who utilize the food pantry. Training includes food pantry procedures and forms used. Commitment of at least 1 hour every two weeks; during the school year, must be done on Friday or Saturday mornings. Summer is more flexible in scheduling.

• Facility and Site Maintenance – Individuals should be willing to be contacted to help with minor repairs to the facility, site, and/or equipment; will also be contacted to help when we have days set aside for “beautification”. No training needed, but please list your skills on your application.

• Landscaping – Help keep the lawn mowed, bushes trimmed, and flower beds weeded; pick up branches and/or limbs as needed after storms; will use the lawnmower, weed eater, etc. to complete tasks. No training needed. (March-October)

• Administrative – Assist with general office duties; work at the reception desk; answer phone, greet and direct people as they come in, make copies, write thank you notes. Training on center programs and procedures. Commitment of two hours a week requested.
• Special Events – Willing to be contacted when a special event is offered at The John 3:16 Center. May be asked to assist with registration, food preparation, direction of other volunteers, set up, clean up, etc. This includes being contacted at Christmas to help with shopping, sorting and wrapping gifts, and helping with the Christmas party. If only interested in helping at Christmas, please note on application.
• Fundraising – Willing to be contacted to assist in Fundraising events. This may include sorting and pricing yard sale items, helping to set up for and clean up after events, assisting with event activities, contacting businesses for donations, assisting in broadcasting information about events, and helping to develop relationships between C.A.R.E./The John 3:16 Center and potential donors by representing the organization as a volunteer.
• After school volunteers -While the responsibilities and duties any given day may change, potential duties may include: assisting with homework and reading, arts and crafts, supervising outdoor games/playground time, snack preparation and clean up, devotions, game leadership, special projects, computer lab time, leading centers and skill building activities, and behavior management. Retired teachers, high school/college students, professional tutors, and others who have a gift/desire to help children learn are welcome. Training is in after school procedures and rules. Minimum of 1 afternoon per week (2:45pm-6:00pm) requested.

• Talent/Skill Training – If you have a talent or skill that you would like to share with the children in the after school program, please mention that on your application. Talent and skill trainings are great incentives for good grades and behaviors. They also provide cultural opportunities that “our” children may otherwise miss. Examples include: art, singing, musical instruments, sports, crafts, etc. Teaching of any skill requires a weekly commitment for the duration of the training. A craft or art project may be completed on a Friday or over a few Fridays, depending on the project.

• Speakers – The children usually do not have homework on Fridays. Therefore, we have dedicated Fridays as fun/special days. These days may consist of recreational activities, science experiments, special speakers, etc. Speakers are welcome to come to educate the children about things that will provide them with information, special experiences, one-day activities, and lessons that would not be attained under normal circumstances. Speakers must summarize material to be presented in order to ensure its appropriateness for “our” children.

• After School Van Drivers- These volunteers perform safety checks on the van, drive to Vaughan Elementary and transport children back, drive to Davie Middle School and transport children back, then document these activities in the Driver Notebook.   A minimum of 1 afternoon per week (2:45pm-4:00pm) is requested.

VOLUNTEER FORM

TRACKING YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS

As a volunteer your time is extremely valuable to The Center and greatly increases the impact we can make in the community. According to Independent Sector, the estimated value of volunteer time in North Carolina in 2017 was $23.14 and is continuing to rise. Accurately tracking this time shows community support and can additionally be used to assist in  the procurement of funding like grants. For these many reasons, we ask that you sign in at the front desk anytime you are volunteering with us.