Community service opportunities for every schedule, skill, and heart
Volunteering with the Coalition is a powerful way to make a difference for children and families impacted by foster care. With flexible opportunities for every schedule, it’s easy to get involved and create lasting impact.
Individual Volunteer Eligibility
The following volunteer opportunities are open to:
- Adults 21 years or older.
- All volunteers must complete an annual criminal background screening through the Family Care Safety Registry and required fingerprinting, and must pass all screenings to serve in roles involving direct interaction with children.
Individual Opportunities
Host and supervise fun, safe events for foster children at places like MADE for Kids and Urban Air. Foster friends are also invited to help at other Coalition events throughout the year to support foster children waiting to be adopted.
Length of Commitment: Foster Friends have the opportunity to help at an event about once every 4-6 weeks, but participation is not mandatory. Foster Friends is a flexible volunteer opportunity; they help when their schedule allows.
Requirements: All Foster Friends must be 21 years or older and must complete an annual criminal background screening through the Family Care Safety Registry and required fingerprinting, and must pass all screenings to serve in roles involving direct interaction with children.
Merchandise clothing by size and color and restock items on the sales floor of our resale store. ReFresh is open to the public and also provides free clothing to youth impacted by foster care. Store proceeds support the Coalition’s mission.
Length of Commitment: At least 40 hours annually.
Requirements: Adult volunteers must be 21 years or older and must complete an annual criminal background screening through the Family Care Safety Registry and required fingerprinting, and must pass all screenings to serve in roles involving direct interaction with children.
Project Dream Dress provides free prom dresses to students referred by high school counselors and social workers. During the giveaway week, Personal Shopper volunteers are matched with students to help them choose the perfect dress.
Length of Commitment: One or more 3-hour shift(s).
Requirements: Adult volunteers must be 21 years or older and must complete an annual criminal background screening through the Family Care Safety Registry and required fingerprinting, and must pass all screenings to serve in roles involving direct interaction with children.
Registration volunteers answer phones and enter holiday gift requests into our system. Online shoppers process holiday gift requests, ordering them online and sending them directly to the children.
Length of Commitment: One or more 4-5 hour shift for phone registration volunteers and 7-8 hour shift for online shoppers.
Requirements: Adult volunteers must be 21 years or older and must complete an annual criminal background screening through the Family Care Safety Registry and required fingerprinting, and must pass all screenings to serve in roles involving direct interaction with children.
Group Volunteering
Groups of 10 volunteers or fewer help at ReFresh by sorting clothing that help youth access items they can feel proud to wear.
Length of Commitment: Groups can schedule a 3 hour volunteer shift on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday between 12:30 to 5:30 pm.
Requirements: Group volunteers must be 13 years or older. One adult chaperone is required for every 4 youth, for a maximum of 8 youth and 2 adults per volunteer opportunity.
Help youth impacted by foster care feel confident, comfortable, and included. Youth especially love new or gently used hoodies, joggers, name-brand graphic T-shirts, and athletic tennis shoes.
Please reach out to our team for an up-to-date list of high-priority donation needs.
Help youth feel prepared with essential personal care items, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, deodorant, Vaseline, edge control and other textured hair care products, and toothbrush/toothpaste.
Please reach out to our team for an up-to-date list of high-priority donation needs.
Host a backpack drive that equips students to start the school year with pride by providing durable, stylish, and trendy backpacks they can proudly carry alongside their peers.
Please reach out to our team for an up-to-date list of high-priority donation needs.
Help students start the school year with confidence and dignity by hosting a school uniform drive.
Please reach out to our team for an up-to-date list of high-priority donation needs.
Help make prom memorable by providing students with free dress, shoes, and accessories such as jewelry and clutches.
Please reach out to our team for an up-to-date list of high-priority donation needs.
Recruit your community or colleagues to make a birthday or the holidays brighter for children impacted by foster care. You can collect monetary donations to purchase birthday and holiday gifts for a child or pay for them to get a special birthday party at a location they choose. We also have opportunities for teams to purchase and wrap holiday gifts for a family or group of children in foster care.
Please reach out to our team for an up-to-date list of high-priority donation needs.
Resources
Here’s some editable Canva templates to help spread the word about your own donation drives!
I keep coming back because it’s such a worthwhile organization. It’s very humbling to see firsthand how the Coalition works to support foster families,” Colleen said. “I always feel a part of the family when I come there [the Coalition]. Everyone is always so warm and welcoming, and it makes you feel good.
– Colleen Sullivan, Volunteer since 2019