Volunteer Opportunities at the Children’s Alliance The Philadelphia Children’s Alliance has an active volunteer program and is dependent on the many volunteers who work at all levels of the organization to help it run smoothly. There are two different volunteer programs: Direct Service and Organization. Direct Service Volunteers work within the Alliance, primarily in child care and child development positions. Opportunities are limited, and experience is generally a requisite. The Alliance holds Children’s Self-Esteem Building Groups several times a year. These groups are held one night a week for ten-week sessions. The children are present for 90 minutes; volunteers serve 2 hours per week, from 5:45 pm to 7:45 pm. The group activities usually consist of arts and crafts projects or other programs that build self-esteem and make kids feel good about themselves. They get to be “just regular kids” and enjoy pizza and drinks each week. Qualifications for this position include: • Cultural competence and the ability to work collaboratively in a diverse workplace. • Some child care/child guidance experience, or be enrolled in a child development curriculum at a local university. • A firm commitment to serve for ten consecutive weeks. • Ability to maintain absolute confidentiality. • State police background check and child abuse clearance (the Alliance applies and pays for this investigation). •A love of children and the desire to work with them on projects and activities at their respective levels. At the same time as the Children’s Self-Esteem Groups take place, Caretaker Support Groups are held for parents and caregivers. Volunteers having counseling experience with adults in crisis are invited to apply for co-facilitator positions. Criteria 1, 3, 4, and 5 above must also be met. Other volunteers help maintain the physical facility of the Alliance – everything from putting up shelves to touching up paint and transporting teddy bears. Organizational Volunteers plan fundraisers, help with mailings, assist with administrative work, identify corporate sponsors and in-kind services, help with funding research, and may even apply to serve on the Board of Directors. The major fund raising activity is to help with a gala fundraiser, the Bear Affair, each April and to consistently increase each year’s proceeds from this event. If you have experience in corporate fundraising, obtaining in-kind gifts, or are in a sales, marketing, advertising, graphic design, media or public relations position, please contact the Executive Director of the alliance to see how you might use your skills as a volunteer. Other Opportunities If you have a skill and would like to help the Alliance accomplish its mission of healing and justice for sexually abused children, there is probably a way we can use your skills. Generally, volunteers complete the Application and Skills Inventory Form and meet one or more staff members. If your special gifts aren’t needed immediately, your information is kept in the Alliance’s secure database of volunteers. Then when a project comes up, we email you with a description of the project, and you can respond yes or no to an opportunity. You may print the form and mail it back to us or complete it on-line and click on the submit button. Questions can be referred to, info@philachildrensalliance.org. Application and Skills Inventory Form