As a small nonprofit organization, Catherine Place greatly values all our volunteers. Last year, we had 20 volunteers dedicate over 1,000 hours of their time and talent to help us continue our wonderful work.
There are many different ways people can donate their time and effort at Catherine Place. Volunteers are essential to the day-to-day success of our programs and services, which are offered free of charge. Volunteers provide key support to the staff and clients through caring for our clients, facilities and supporting many of our workshops.
Administrative volunteers are invaluable for the smooth functioning of our small office. Volunteers help with answering phones; taking messages and transferring calls; opening and sorting mail and faxes; organizing office spaces and files; greeting and assisting office visitors; organizing materials and assembling packets; and helping with client resource referral and navigation. Administrative volunteers can set their own schedule, but must be available during at least some of our open hours, 10 am to 3 pm, Tuesday through Friday.
Event volunteers help at events big and small throughout the year. Our signature event, Boombaballa, happens in the spring, but we also host Open Houses on a semi-regular basis. Catherine Place needs assistance will all aspects of event planning and execution. If you are looking for a volunteer job that does not require an ongoing commitment or has a clear outcome, volunteering for one of our events might be right for you.
Board volunteers manage governance and strategic planning for the organization. If you’re a big picture thinker with a passion for our mission, this might be the right role for you. Board members are usually selected from existing volunteers or those who are connected to Catherine Place as a community partner, but if you have board experience and want to lend your expertise, we’d love to talk with you.
Facilitation volunteers have the skills and time to manage groups. Facilitation is a weekly commitment, usually for at least 8 weeks. Extensive training or education is required for facilitators, as familiarity with trauma informed care, Nonviolent Communication, and the Circle Way process are integral to our facilitation techniques.
Facilities/Gardening volunteers support smooth physical operations. Are you handy, or do you love to garden? Catherine Place has a lovely historic house and beautiful gardens, both of which need a lot of loving care. We are currently looking for folks who want to play in the dirt or learn a bit about how to garden. We have a Master Gardener who volunteers weekly, and she would love to train some assistants.
Healing Arts volunteers help clients build techniques to deal with challenges such as anxiety, panic, PTSD, body image, sleep, health and lifestyle issues. By applying their modality within the scope of their practice/licensing clients learn their body’s unique way of communicating and find balance. Healing Arts volunteers must have experience in one or more Healing Arts modalities, potentially, but not limited to massage, reiki, tapping, myofascial energetics, breathwork, mindfulness practices, acupuncture, ayurveda, yoga or energy exercises.
Interns are volunteers that are working through a specific higher education program. Currently we work with the University of Washington, Tacoma’s School of Social Work and the Pacific Lutheran University Department of Social Work, but we are always open to developing new higher ed partnerships. We accept students pursuing their Bachelor’s Degree as well as Masters level students.
Marketing volunteers assist with public relations, communications, social media, and sometimes special projects. A background in journalism, digital media, or a related field is encouraged for this position. Marketing volunteers may work remotely depending on their assignments and (for the most part) may set their own schedules.
Presence volunteers are women who are present for whatever is needed. It sounds simple, but they are incredibly important for our drop in clients who need a sympathetic ear. Generally the commitment for presence volunteers is one day a week. We prefer people who are available for the same amount of time on the same day every week, as our clients generally prefer to meet with the same volunteer each time they come.
Are you interested in being a Presence Volunteer? If so, please complete the form below. For other areas of interest, email cplace@catherineplace.org for more information. Please note, we are currently seeking Presence Volunteers and do not have openings for Admin, Facility, or Gardening volunteers at this time.