VOLUNTEERING

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What is STAR House and what services do you provide? 

As a nonprofit organization, STAR House will offer free, safe, holistic, and trauma-informed care to children in an overnight care facility. Parents/guardians will become a part of our support network and are encouraged to care for themselves.  We will also offer services to overcome barriers or life stressors families may be facing (housing instability, financial instability, inadequate childcare, domestic violence, etc.).  We will partner with other community services to make the resources, care, and support that the families desire.  We will also work to provide a safe home away from home for children in early childhood. Joblessness, homelessness, mental health needs, medical issues, domestic violence, and the simple need for a break and some rest are all factors that can create overwhelming stress for families and impact their lives. When these crises arise, many parents reach out to family, friends, or other reliable individuals who can help. However, there are families that do not have a trusted friend or family member to provide care for their children. This is where STAR House can step in as a trusted ally to provide free, safe, overnight care for children and supportive services for caregivers.  STAR House Family Advocates will be available to inform parents about additional resources and de-escalation tools to benefit the overall health and well-being of the family. Seeking out STAR House and trusting us during difficult times is a show of faith in their abilities as well as ours.  It shows their commitment to their family’s well being as well as their amazing parenting skills and we will be honored to receive these people with open arms and without judgement. STAR House will continuously work towards goals which are based on standing with caregivers in a nonintrusive manner. 

What are the requirements for volunteering? 

At this time, all STAR House volunteers must be 18 years or older.  Once we are on-site, we may offer volunteer opportunities for accompanied minors.  Additionally, once on-site, all regularly scheduled on-site volunteers will be required to pass a DHS background check.  At this time, volunteers need to have the ability and equipment needed to volunteer, such as using Zoom and Google Docs. 

How do I become a volunteer?  

Anyone who meets the qualifications and is interested in becoming a volunteer is invited to watch the introduction video and complete an application. You will then be invited to an interview during which we will also discuss available volunteer opportunities and your preferences to determine which position or committee will be your best match.  All volunteers that hope to work on-site in the future will have to pass a DHS background check.  

What kind of volunteer positions are available? What kind of tasks and time commitments are involved? 

We have several committees run by volunteers who perform their work virtually to accomplish the tasks needed to run STAR House. The committees meet and communicate as often as needed to complete their goals and the schedule and frequency of meetings will be determined by committees themselves. 

Our current and future committees are: 

• Grants - Sourcing, organizing and crafting grant responses
• General Fundraising - Creation and execution of all other fundraising tactics
• Communications - Newsletters, social media, blog posts, website maintenance and email messages.
• Launch Committee - Help us put the finishing touches on STAR House before opening. 
• Volunteer Relations - Create volunteer relations plan including orientation, on boarding and recognition.
• Outreach - Reach out to the community and make connections to potential partners.

Every opportunity is a chance to build and strengthen your skills and we hope one of these positions are of interest to you. 

As we get closer to the full fruition of our vision, we will also have more hands-on positions available, including direct care, cooks, hospitality, cleaning, and many more.  Volunteer shifts will be available 24 hours a day in 4-hour increments, based on the needs of STAR House.  STAR House asks volunteers to commit to a 4 hour shift, twice per month at a minimum. We will update this section with more information when these positions become available, but we expect them to include the following: 

Direct Care - Work with staff to provide basic needs, emotional support, and enrichment to children in order to create a warm and responsive environment. There will be a limited number of direct care positions, those volunteers will be required to meet similar criteria as staff. 

Parallel Care - Volunteers who perform parallel care work will work closely with or around children to support Direct Care Staff and Volunteers, these include: 

• Helper 
• Cook/ Meal Prep 
• Cleaning / Maintenance 
• Engagement activity support 
• Hospitality 

Supportive Care- Volunteers in the supportive care role will perform most duties outside of the child care areas and have no direct care responsibility for caring for children.  

• Administrative & Business needs 
• Development Assistant 

Who do I contact for more information?

You can email us at volunteer@starhousemn.org with any additional questions. 

Do you offer internships?

Our goals include exploring the option of integrating internships into our organization and we will continue to update our site when a program is fully developed.  If you or someone you know would like to help STAR House establish an internship program, please reach out to us at volunteer@starhousemn.org

Do you offer corporate volunteer groups or sponsorships?

We would love to explore that possibility with you.  If you are interested in establishing a Volunteer Day with your co-workers and STAR House, please reach out to volunteer@starhousemn.org Opportunities for this type of volunteering may be limited until STAR House finds a permanent home.

Apply Here!  

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