Become a Volunteer
If your life has not been touched by the foster care system, you are likely not thinking about it or seeing it in your feed. Foster care directly affects some of our biggest issues in society—domestic violence, addiction, homelessness, incarceration, etc. One key component to reducing the number of children to foster care is access to resources and support. Many families at-risk of being separated could very likely remain together with modest material and relational support.
What we know is that: Children need families, families need community, and everyone can do something!
DC127 loves families. Our program outcomes focus on preserving and strengthening at-risk of being separated and fostering families through relationships. We start with meeting families where they are and earning the right to be heard. Volunteers come alongside a family, walking with them through a much-needed time of support. Volunteering with DC127 is about loving your neighbor. This is not community service or a box to check. It is moving beyond transactional encounters and genuinely seeking to know people.
DC127 is looking for followers of Christ who want to live out the James 1:27 call to care for the widows and orphans. Through partnerships with churches in the District, DC127 offers congregations meaningful engagements to live out Christian faith by serving others. As God’s children, we carry this family identity, and what greater way to live this out than welcoming in families and embracing them into church communities.
The ideal volunteer can look like some who is:
- rooted in their Christian faith
- compelled by James 1:27
- passionate about families and children
- loves meeting new people
- a proactive communicator
- an excellent listener
- able to inspire and encourage others
- any stage of life: single, married, have children, or does not have children
- enjoys working as part of a committed team
Volunteer OPPORTUNITIES
We believe the different volunteer roles will allow interested volunteers to serve in an area they are best gifted.
- Communities for Families Volunteer Team
Communities for Families Volunteer Team is at least 3 people to form a team or community around a family through a 6-month period. The team provides wraparound support and invites the family to be a part of their church community. The frequency of checking in week to week varies based on the role you hold. This volunteer opportunity is a great fit for small groups/bible studies and families to serve together.
- Team Coordinator: Focused on supporting the team.
- Parent Partner: Focused on supporting the parent/s.
- Child Advocate: Focused on supporting the child/ren.
- Host Home: Focused on supporting the child/ren.
- Not every team will have a 4th volunteer role. This component ties into the Child Advocate role and with time can build to overnight stays to give the parent/s a much needed break.
We also encourage you if a longer commitment like 6 months is daunting, to consider ways you could support a volunteer team at your church through items like meal trains and supply needs or consider serving at monthly events through foster care support (i.e. clothing, diapers, etc).
2. Foster Care Support Childcare Volunteer
Serving as a Foster Care Support Childcare Volunteer allows you to plan out and schedule when you serve in advance. Monthly DC127 offers parent’s day outs to offer kinship, foster, and adoptive families a much needed break for 4-hour blocks. During the block of time, childcare volunteers will engage children through games, crafts, activities, and food to provide a structured but fun time. Parent’s day outs are hosted at DC127 partner churches.
DC127 also offers in-person trainings/workshops and family events, where childcare volunteers are sought to help for 1-3 hours to allow parents time to learn and be poured into.
3. Village Volunteer
Through our Foster Care Support program, volunteers provide tangible support to families fostering such as meals and supply deliveries from Tabitha’s Closet. This is great for someone looking for a more flexible/as-needed volunteer commitment. Our vision is to grow village volunteers into teams that wraparound families fostering and focus support on respite care.
We urge anyone interested to join us in our goal of strengthening families throughout DC by taking the next step below. Everyone can do something when it comes to foster care!
NEXT STEPS
- Interest
- Attend a 30 minute interest meeting to learn more about volunteering
- Fill out a volunteer interest form
2. Training
- Depending on the role and program, sign-up for the required training
3. Clearances
- DC127 Volunteers are vetted, trained, and required to sign a faith statement and provide a pastoral reference before working with a family.
- DC127 will provide the forms and background checks needed to serve
- Background checks are good for 2 years, after we will ask you to resubmit
4. Serve
- Once cleared, begin serving families
