Thank you for volunteering at the YWCA! You are a vital member of this organization. Because we rely heavily on our volunteers, we have outlined an overview of the responsibilities and our expectations of you. Please read through the list carefully.

Responsibilities and Expectations of Volunteering at the YWCA:

1. Honor your commitment.  When you have signed up to volunteer with us, we are counting on you to show up and perform the work agreed upon.  That includes being on time, doing the job you have come to do, and working the hours that you agreed to work. If you cannot come in at the agreed-upon time, you must call or e-mail the Volunteer Coordinator and let her know in advance (preferably at least 24 hours).
2. Maintain confidentiality.  You will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement when you volunteer for us, and you will get more information on confidentiality during your orientation.  Confidentiality means that pretty much everything that happens during your volunteer experience – who you see, what was said – stays with you. 
3. Fill out time sheets.  Many of the YWCA’s funding sources require that we document volunteer involvement, so it is imperative that we keep track of the number of volunteers and the hours they worked.  For the volunteer, it is important to fill out time sheets because if you should ever need a reference or a verification of the hours you volunteered with us, the YWCA can verify only those hours listed on your time sheet.
4. Treat everyone with respect.  In your volunteer work with us, you may come in contact with a wide variety of people – Shelter residents, children, YWCA staff members, and professionals from other agencies.  Everyone should be accorded the same respect and dignity.
5. Be professional.  As a volunteer for the YWCA, you represent the agency and how you treat people directly reflects the organization.    Therefore, when you show up to volunteer for us, we expect you to:

   1. Be professional, helpful, and have a positive attitude when you are with us.
   2. Leave your personal problems at the door.  That does not mean that staff or your fellow volunteers aren’t there to listen to you, but we expect that you will not let your personal issues affect how you do your job and how you treat the people you come in contact with.
6. Ask questions.  The YWCA is committed to providing you with proper orientation and training for the assignments you have volunteered for.  However, there may be times when you are unclear of what your role is, or you may have questions about why we do things a certain way.  Please don’t be afraid to ask questions. Our staff is more than happy to answer them.
7. Share your knowledge.  We are lucky to have such a wide variety of volunteers – in terms of education, expertise, and personal background.  We want you to share what you know with us.
8. Offer suggestions.  We welcome your suggestions on how to do things better.  The YWCA is a work in progress, and we are always willing to listen to new ideas.
9. If you wish to discontinue your volunteer service, please inform the Volunteer Coordinator.