Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
Direct Services to Survivors of Relationship Abuse:
- Child Mentor – adults 18+, support the children and staff in The Nest, our childcare center dedicated to providing safety, shelter, and care for children ages 0-17. Child mentors spend time with children, letting them know they are worthwhile, helping them to heal, and teaching them how to treat themselves and each other. Child mentor volunteers work alongside children’s program staff to plan and execute activities and to meet children’s varied needs.
- Shelter Support Advocate – adults 18+, provide support to individuals and families escaping relationship abuse by staffing the front desk of the advocate’s office. Shelter support advocates answer and direct phone calls, monitor the entrance to the shelter, assist residents with various requests, and provide encouragement to families seeking safety at Anna Marie’s Alliance. Shelter support advocate volunteers work alongside shelter staff to ensure all residents’ needs are being met properly.
- Weekend Cooking Crew – groups of 1-5; adults and teens 13+. The position of weekend cook serves to prepare meals for and interact with clients and children residing at Anna Marie’s shelter. This allows our advocates to better assist those experiencing relationship abuse within the shelter and our community.
- Other Support Areas:
Interpreter: Language(s)
Transportation: Give rides to clients.
Special Services: Teach a class, provide a professional service, etc.
Shelter and Center for Family Peace Support Services:
- Receptionist (Center for Family Peace) – Adults 18+, support our staff and residents by staffing the front desk, monitoring entrance to the CFP, receiving donations from community donors, welcoming guests to our space, and performing other office duties as needed. CFP reception volunteers work alongside staff to ensure general operations are running smoothly and to maintain a positive relationship with guests visiting the CFP.
- Facility Support – Adults 18+, assist in the organization, maintenance, and distribution of donated items. This supports our organization by providing necessary items to our residents and maintaining a clean, organized space.
- Groundskeeper – Adults 18+, support our residents by assisting in the maintenance of the AMA property. This may include snow blowing, shoveling, salting, mowing, watering, raking, etc. This helps staff meet the needs of our clients by providing a comfortable, safe environment to those residing in the shelter and transition house.
- Other Support Areas (please indicate):
Emergency Snow Removal Crew: Join our on-call list for emergency snow removal.
Donation Pickups: Pick up donations from Costco or other organizations.
Tabling and Outreach: Assist our prevention and education team at public events.
At Anna Marie’s Alliance, we recognize and appreciate the incredible value of the contributions our volunteers make to our work and our community. We could not do the work we do in central Minnesota without your help. For that, we thank you!
Individual Volunteer Application
We have had a surplus of recent interest so are currently pausing individual applications.
Group Volunteer Application
If you would to volunteer as a group please fill our the application by clicking the button below.
Contact our Volunteer Coordinator Victoria Evens at 320-251-7203 x252 or email VictoriaE@annamaries.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What volunteer roles are available?
We currently have many volunteer opportunities available. Generally, our greatest needs are weekend cooking crews and shelter support advocates. Other established roles include child mentors, receptionists, facility support, groundskeepers, and some department-specific opportunities. We are also looking for volunteers to help out with tasks such as giving rides to residents, picking up donations, helping with tabling and outreach, snow removal, and more! Volunteers with specific skills such as translating, giving haircuts, teaching yoga, etc., may volunteer their services as well.
Q: How old do you have to be to volunteer?
We require volunteers to be 18+ for the majority of our volunteer roles. However, group volunteering such as weekend cooking may include minors age 13-17 if supervised by an 18+ volunteer.
Q: Do you accept court-ordered volunteers?
We are not able to accept court-ordered volunteers.
Q: What group volunteering opportunities are available?
We have many opportunities for groups to get involved at Anna Marie’s Alliance. Weekend cooking, organizing and sorting donations, lawn care and outdoor clean-up, hosting games like BINGO, facilitating arts and crafts, life skills group facilitators, and other events and projects are some examples. We are flexible in planning group service projects based on the current or ongoing needs of the organization.
Q: How large of a group will you accept?
Group size will depend primarily on the type of activity and location of project. We have had volunteer groups as small as 2 and as large as 20. A good group size for most service projects is around 5 volunteers.
Q: Are there evening and weekend volunteer opportunities?
Yes. Many of our volunteer opportunities can be scheduled during evening hours or on the weekends. Roles like weekend cooking, facility support, and shelter support advocates are flexible in scheduling.
Q: Is there a dress code?
We do not have a specific dress code for volunteers. Please dress respectably, comfortably, and appropriately for your specific volunteer role. For example, we recommend comfortable and flexible clothing for roles like facility support or lawn care, and business casual for reception positions.
Q: Does Anna Marie’s Alliance require volunteers to go through a background check?
Yes. To maintain the safety and security of our residents, staff, and volunteers, a criminal background check is required of all staff and volunteers. This will be at no cost to the volunteer.
Q: Do volunteers at Anna Marie’s Alliance need prior volunteer experience?
No volunteer experience is required. All training and required information will be provided during the orientation process.
Q: Will I be safe working at the shelter?
Providing a safe space for residents, staff, and volunteers is a top priority at Anna Marie’s Alliance. We have security cameras, an extensive alarm system, secured entrances, and fully trained staff. If you have concerns of safety or feel any discomfort, please speak to the volunteer coordinator.
Q: Do you have internships available? Are they paid positions?
Yes, we have internships available. They are not paid positions. More information about internships can be found on this website under ‘Internships.’
Q: What is the process to become a volunteer at Anna Marie’s Alliance?
Please complete and submit our volunteer application. After review, our volunteer coordinator will reach out to complete a placement interview. You will complete a set of forms including a background check, confidentiality agreement, and additional forms depending on what role you are pursuing. Then, orientation and training will be scheduled. Some roles may have additional online training prior to starting your volunteer role. Throughout your onboarding process, you will work closely with Victoria, our volunteer coordinator, who will be able to answer any questions throughout the process.
Q: How long does it take to start volunteering?
Depending on what role you are pursuing, screening and onboarding can take anywhere between 2-6 weeks. Generally, you can expect to begin volunteering around 3-4 weeks after you submit your application.
Q: I have a question that wasn’t answered here. Who should I contact?
Please contact us at 320-251-7203 x252 or email VictoriaE@annamaries.org.