A Place Called Home

Agency Description:  A Place Called Home’s mission is to provide at-risk youth with a secure, positive family environment where they can regain hope and belief, earn trust and self respect and learn skills to lead a productive lifestyle through learning. We help inner-city youth (8-20yrs old) find their dreams and lead a more self-reliant life through educational enrichment.

Programs and services offered: Mentoring (through youth mentoring connection), music classes and ensembles, athletics (soccer, basketball, baseball, track) educational services (scholarships, tutoring, college and career prep, intersession classes), dance classes, counseling, and nutrition (means).

Volunteer duties, expectations, training and time commitment: Volunteers can be placed in the areas of tutoring, recreational leaders, nusic assistants, dance assistants, and atheltic coaches.  Training is completed within the department where they are placed.  Time commitment depends upon the time that the volunteer is needed and/or willing to give.

Procedures and poilicies covered in orientation and in-service training:  Orientation is completed on an individual basis.  A general overview of organizational policies is completed before the volunteer is placed within a department.  Once placed in a department, the supervisor continues with training specific to job duties.  The total training takes about 1 week.

Getting started and volunteer supervision: All volunteers check in with their site supervisor prior to begining the work day.  Each department varies in how closely the volunteers are supervised; however, volunteers are never left in a room without a staff member.  Volunteers check in with the volunteer coordinator on the first day, and then will be assigned to a permanent supervisor.