Tips for Prospective Volunteers

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Covenant House Pennsylvania. Volunteers are an important part of our effort to achieve our Mission of serving young people in crisis.

Covenant House provides shelter and a host of support services to homeless and at-risk young people under the age of 21. Following our “open intake” policy, we welcome through our doors at any hour of any day any youth in crisis. We pledge to treat all youth who come to us with absolute respect and unconditional love. Further, we subscribe to all Federal and State requirements for a child-care agency.

To meet the assurances implied by our pledge, all volunteers must:

• Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
• Be cleared of child abuse and other criminal behavior by the State of Pennsylvania;
• Present a physician’s verification as to your
• vaccination against tuberculosis
• generally good health;
• Endorse the “Volunteer Ethics Statement” which is included in your application package;
• Get letters of recommendation from two people who know you but are not related to you;
• Participate in a group orientation and training program, which is usually conducted by our staff in one or two evening sessions.

Also, please be aware that getting your medical check and your references will take some time, and your clearance process may take more than a month. So, if you are considering volunteering at Covenant House - and we hope you are - and you have a specific start time in mind, please inquire well in advance. Don’t let your “window” go shut before you’ve had an opportunity to offer your services and skills on behalf of the kids at “The Cov.”

Volunteer Activities

The following are some of the activities in which volunteers participate at Covenant House Pennsylvania. The list is not exhaustive, but is intended to suggest our typical requirements and cover a reasonable range of interests. The letters in brackets indicate the locations for these activities, as follows:

• [CRC] = Crisis Residential Center  31 E Armat St., Germantown, Phila., 19144
• [ROP] = Rites of Passage Living  1817 N Gratz St., North Philadelphia, 19121
• [CSC] = Community Service Center  417 Callowhill St., Center City Phila., 19123
• [COC] = Community Outreach Center  2625 Kensington Ave, Phila., 19125

Activity Areas

1. Assisting youth in employment-related tasks:

• Writing and updating resumes [CRC, ROP]
• Writing cover letters [CRC, ROP]
• Faxing resumes [CRC, ROP]
• Filling out job applications [CRC, ROP]
• Typing and basic PC operations [CRC, ROP, CSC]
• Interviewing techniques / job coaching [CRC, ROP, CSC]
• Occupational Knowledge [CRC, ROP]

2. Mentoring youth in educational and practical skills:

• Reading [CRC, ROP]
• Writing [CRC, ROP]
• Mathematics [CRC, ROP]
• Science [CRC, ROP]
• Social Studies [CRC, ROP]
• Health and Self Awareness [CRC, ROP]
• Consumer and Household Economics [ROP]
• Cultural Awareness [ROP]
• Government, Citizenship, and Law [ROP]

3. Maintenance and Housekeeping

• Cleaning [CRC, ROP, CSC]
• Painting [CRC, ROP, CSC]
• Minor “handy-man” repairs [CRC, ROP, CSC]
• Yard work [CRC, ROP, CSC]

4. Administrative support:

• Filing [CRC, CSC]
• Typing [CRC, CSC]
• Data entry [CRC, CSC]
• Completing mass mailings [CSC]
• Organizing supplies [CRC, CSC]
• Supporting special projects and special events [CRC, CSC]

5. Managing clothing donations:

• Receiving donations and issuing donation receipt slips [CRC, CSC]
• Sorting and hanging clothing in the youths’ “boutique” [CRC]
• Arranging for re-gifting of inappropriate clothing [CRC]
• Delivering unusable clothing to another local charity [CRC]
• Issuing clothing to youth during boutique hours [CRC]
• Picking up donations [CRC]

6. Youth care support:

• Driving youth to appointments in CHPA van [CRC]
• Supporting a staff youth adviser as a youth care aide [CRC]
• Being a “grand mom” for infants and tots of working mothers [CRC]
• Playing board games with the youth [CRC, COC]
• Preparing sandwiches and snacks for “visiting” kids and outreach [COC]
• Constructively entertaining “visiting” kids at the outreach center [COC]

Special Group Activities

Covenant House Pennsylvania encourages volunteers who like to work in small groups performing special activities. As these groups develop, their members will experience a special camaraderie with each other, with our staff, and with the “kids at the Cov.” We especially invite those with skills and willingness to serve in the following two groups:

The Grandmoms

              In this group we look for those with a special flair for caring for infants and toddlers while their parents (who are residents of our Crisis Center) are working, looking for work, or finishing their education. These volunteers will work primarily during daytime hours.  It goes without saying that these volunteers will be gifted with an abundance of TLC, patience, and wisdom, and will be rewarded by the affectionate response of their little “grandchildren.”

The Clean, Fix, and Paint Brigade

              This group is made up of folks with an interest in helping to maintain our facilities. Members of the group will be contacted a week or two in advance regarding the location and the kinds of jobs to be done. There will be staff direction for the particular tasks, such as general repairs, carpentry, painting, gardening, and cleaning. All materials and tools will be provided by Covenant House or by one of our generous donors (but if you prefer your own tools, that will be just fine).

              The more extensive tasks will usually be scheduled for a weekend, while others will be done in time periods in which volunteers have indicated (on their applications) that they are available. Of course, members of this group may also participate in “regular” volunteer activities.

              So, if you spend a lot of your working life sitting behind a desk, and you’re interested in (maybe monthly) forays into vigorous (maybe even mindless) activities that will help keep “The Cov” in good working order, this might be just the thing for you – no stress, some new friends, a meal or two with our kids, and a sense of having contributed something really worthwhile. If this piques your interest, please get in touch with us. And, as always, both Grandmoms and Grandpops are welcome.

This list will change as new needs are identified. If your interests are not shown here or you have ideas or skills that might be the basis of another special project, please let us know.

If you have questions, please contact Norbert Moser at nmoser@covenanthousepa.org or at 215-923-8350 ext.2407. We’d be happy to hear from you!