Volunteer Orientation

OF NORTH ALABAMA

How to Become a Volunteer• Review online orientation• Complete volunteer application online or at your local Boys

& Girls Club• Interview with Volunteer Coordinator• Once we receive the results of your background check, you

will be ready for fun-filled volunteer opportunities

Our Mission• “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those

who need us the most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

• We truly believe that each and every one of our club members has the potential to Be Great, no matter what his or her background is, which is why our slogan is, “Great Futures Start Here.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama• Chartered in 1938• Administrative Office: 203 Eastside Square Huntsville, AL 35801• Nine Clubs (locations on next slide) • Hours of Operation:

– Administrative Office: 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.– Clubs:

• School Year: 2:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.• Summer: 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Club LocationsLIMESTONE COUNTY CLUBS

Ardmore Club – Robin Hargrove29865 Park Ave.

Ardmore, AL256.423.8570

Athens Club – Pete Miller/Teens – Jarret Collier

1017 West Washington St.Athens, AL 35611

256.232.4298

Tanner Club – Minnie Leonard13529 Lucas Ferry Rd.

Athens, AL 35611256.232.9983

MADISON COUNTY CLUBSFarley – Dorothy Singleton

2900 Green Cove RoadHuntsville, AL 35803

256.428.0058

James A Lane – Liz Clemons/Teens – Edwin Lightborne103 Abingdon Ave.

Huntsville, AL 35801256.536.1596

Seminole Club – Juanita Hill/Teens - 2201 Clinton Ave.

Huntsville, AL 35801256.564.7018

Sparkman Homes – Yassiry Rivera101 Mason Court

Huntsville, AL 35805256.539.5607

Butler Teens – Antonia Shaunee In Butler High School3401 Holmes Ave NWHuntsville, AL 35816

Williams Club – Henry Hammonds/Teens155 Barren Fork Blvd.Huntsville, AL 35824

256.428.7550

Who We Serve• Youth aged 5-18 years• We do not discriminate based on ethnicity, gender, social

economic status. We accept youth from all backgrounds and circumstances

• 89% are minority• Almost 90% are from families earning less than $25,000

annually.• Approximately 82% of children we serve come from single-

parent households• Currently, we serve approximately 800 Club members on a daily

basis. However, we have over 3,690 registered Club members• We transport over 300 children daily from 48 schools in

targeted communities.

Five Core Focus Areas• Education and Career Development• Character and Leadership• Health and Life Skills• Sports, Fitness and Recreation• The Arts

Some of our Specialized Initiatives include STEM, STRIDE, Encaampment, Summer Reading Academy, and SPARK

#1 Goal• Each and every one of our Club members graduates

high school on time with a plan for his or her future.

• We recognize that high school graduation starts in Kindergarten, so we work equally with Club members of all ages to ensure they are being promoted to the next grade level year after year.

• We provide daily academic intervention in reading and mathematics for our struggling club members.

Volunteer Management• Each volunteer will select a Club, where s/he will be

managed by a Club Director or Staff member.• Club selection will be based on availability in the

schedule, and your preference marked on application.• Each volunteer is responsible for signing up for time

slots. Time slots are available on a first come first serve basis.

• Please bring any concerns, problems or issues to the Club Director immediately.

• Please bring any suggestions to better our programs to the Club Director.

Norms• We will demonstrate self-respect and respect for others, including

Club Members, staff, volunteers and visitors.• We will respect the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama, both on

and off Club grounds.• We will be responsible and accept responsibility for our actions.• We will not participate in any form of verbal or physical abuse at

any time.• We will not use, possess or distribute alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or

weapons at any time.• We will work within the job descriptions provided to us and will

respect the staff and their decisions.

Attendance• All volunteers must sign in and out in the volunteer binder at

the front desk of each Club, or volunteer identification number.

• All volunteers must be identified with a volunteer badge at all times when in the Club.

• Volunteers are expected to remain on duty for the full time agreed upon, unless otherwise stated by the Club Director.

• Volunteers must give at least 24 hours’ notice of any absence, except in the case of an unforeseen circumstance.

• Volunteers who frequently do not show up on the selected date and time without providing advance notice may be subjected to reassignment.

Drug-Free Workplace• Possession, use or distribution of illegal drugs, prescription

medications and/or alcohol is strictly prohibited.• Volunteers are prohibited from entering Club grounds while

under the influence of any illegal substance, alcohol and/or legally prescribed medication that may impair judgment.

• Smoking tobacco is strictly prohibited on Club grounds, in Club vehicles and while representing the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama as a volunteer.

Emergency and Club Safety• In an emergency, follow directions from Club Staff and

ensure all Club members are safe.• All Clubs have staff that are First Aid/CPR certified.• If a volunteer is First Aid/CPR certified, that individual

does not need additional permission to help the person in need.

• All club guidelines should be followed to include transportation, facility, and field trips.

Signs of Abuse• It is a felony in Alabama to not report any suspected abuse of a

vulnerable population (youth, elderly, disabled).• If you notice any of the below signs or anything else suspicious,

you must report the suspected abuse to the Club Director immediately.

• You must also report your suspicion to the Volunteer Coordinator as soon as possible (no more than 24 hours after the suspicion arises).

Repeated or unexplainable bruises, scrapes or bumpsChange in behaviorInappropriate behaviorShynessLack of self care

Confidentiality• No information about any Club member, staff member or

volunteer should be shared with any one or any entity outside the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama.

• Family Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA): Anything that is within a student’s record, including school work and behavior

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA): Anything related to an individual’s health record

• Privacy Act: Anything that can be found within a specific person’s record

If you must keep a journal for a class or wish to talk about your volunteer experience with others, you can use fake names, so nothing can be tied back to any specific individual.

Medications/Accidents• We are not allowed, by policy, to dispense, store or

oversee any type of medication, including both prescription and non-prescription medications.

• This includes Advil, Tylenol, Aleve, Tums, vitamins, gummy vitamins, etc.

• If a member bring in his/her own medication, bring that medication and the Club member to the Club Director (inhaler, Epi-pen).

• Staff and volunteers are permitted to provide band-aids and ice bags only.

Cell Phones• Cell phones must be turned off or set to silent (not vibrate)

while volunteering at the Clubs.• If an emergency arises requiring the use of a cell phone,

volunteers must remove themselves from the Club environment (out of sight of all Club members) before taking or placing a phone call.

Transportation• Volunteers (and staff who are not on the Clubs’

insurance) are forbidden to transport Club members in personal vehicles.

Sexual Harassment• Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome physical or verbal

conduct.• If you believe you or another volunteer or staff member is being

subjected to harassing conduct, report the behavior to the Club Director or the Volunteer Coordinator immediately.

• A prompt investigation will be conducted of each and every complaint and appropriate action will be taken.

• You have a duty to report any harassing conduct you either experience or observe.

• Under no circumstances will a person’s volunteer service be jeopardized because of a bona fide report of what he or she perceives to be an incident of harassing conduct or behavior.

A final thought…

“One hundred years from now,it will not matter what my bank account was,

the sort of house I lived inor the kind of car I drove,

but the world will be a better placebecause I was important in the life of a child.”

-Anonymous