Overview of Volunteer Positions

If more than one option sounds appealing, you may volunteer in as many programs as you like! However, we ask that you pick one just to get started. You can always join another, whether concurrently or consecutively.

Additional Info

  • People aged 17 or younger may volunteer in our Youth Advisory Council. All other programs require a volunteer to be aged 18 or older.

    For more information on YAC, please reach out to Ana (she/they) at avelazquez@wafwc.org.

  • As a nonprofit, our Board of Directors is composed of volunteers. If you would like more information about joining our board, please reach out at info@wafwc.org.

  • “Development” volunteers work with our development director on fundraising and building relationships with donors. For more information, please contact Sarah Hirshland (she/her) at shirshland@wafwc.org.

  • If you would like to volunteer as a group with your friends or family, you have a few options:

    • Everyone over the age of 18 is welcome to participate as a domestic violence advocate (see below)

    • For groups with young people, please contact Sarah Hirshland at shirshland@wafwc.org to learn more about the annual she.is.beautiful fundraising event!

Domestic Violence Advocate

Department | Advocacy & Prevention
Program | Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence

Advocates provide crisis intervention, emotional support, domestic violence education, and resource information to survivors and their allies using peer counseling techniques on our 24-hour helpline.

Advocates may choose to participate in additional forms of service, all of which are done in person:

  • Drop-in domestic violence peer counseling

  • Legal advocacy / in-court services

  • Teen services

  • Space for Change (restorative justice) (available on an as-needed basis)

  • Survivor support group facilitation

Weekly time commitment: variable

  • Helpline shifts are once a week and operate remotely.

  • There is a monthly virtual meeting on the first Wednesday from 5:30-7:30pm which is mandatory for all volunteer advocates.

  • Additional services have their own time commitments.

Length of commitment: 12 months
Training required: attend an Info Night prior to the seasonal training you’ve chosen; complete the domestic violence certification training

Teen Services Facilitator
(Youth Advocate)

Department | Advocacy & Prevention
Program | Services for Children & Youth

Youth advocates provide a prosocial opportunity for teens to engage around healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationships as well as more general life skills. Youth advocates facilitate the weekly teen group and often bring group workshops to local middle and high school classrooms.

Weekly time commitment: 2-5 hours
Length of commitment: 12 months
Training required: the youth advocate training, which is scheduled on an as-needed basis with the program supervisor

Kids Club Volunteer

Department | Advocacy & Prevention
Program | Services for Children & Youth

Kids Club volunteers provide childcare for children aged 11 or younger while their parent attends a support group or meets with an advocate. Crafts, toys, games, and snacks are all provided. No diaper or bathroom assistance is required.

Weekly time commitment: 2 hours on Thursday nights, 5-7pm
Length of commitment: 6 months
Training required: N/A

Housing case navigators are assigned to one or two families in our Housing & Employment Program as case managers. They assist in securing housing and income to maintain stability.

Weekly time commitment: 8-10 hours
Length of commitment: 12 months
Training required: the housing case navigator training, which is scheduled on an as-needed basis with the program supervisor

Housing Case Navigator

Department | Advocacy & Prevention
Program | Housing & Employment Program

FSS Volunteer

Department | Advocacy & Prevention
Program | Family Support Services

Family support services (FSS) volunteers manage our weekly food pantry services and the donations that Walnut Avenue receives, ensuring that supplies are made available to the survivors and families we serve.

Training required: N/A

Youth Advisory Council

Department | Advocacy & Prevention
Program | Services for Children & Youth

People aged 14-17 make up our Youth Advisory Board, which advises our youth advocates on how to improve our services for teens, proposes new projects and events centered around teens, and develops the annual Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month campaign. This program may satisfy high school graduation requirements.

Training required: N/A

Page last updated July 2025.