Thank you for your interest in volunteering with REACH!
Volunteering with REACH is a rewarding and enriching experience. Our goal at REACH is to meet the needs of survivors in the Metrowest region through staff and volunteer service. We offer challenging opportunities for volunteers to grow and become part of the movement to end domestic violence.
For over 25 years, REACH has been a central support in the community, providing refuge and assistance to all survivors of domestic violence. While REACH provides survivors with crisis intervention through our 24-hour hotline and shelter, we also offer community-based support through our support groups, legal advocacy program, and child and teen services. Currently, REACH employs a staff of 15 full time employees and 6 relief personnel.
Without our dedicated volunteers, REACH would not be able to do all of the work we do. Last year alone, we served over 5,000 individuals and answered 2,544 hotline calls. Volunteers contributed 6,600 hours to these efforts.
Please take some time to read through our volunteer job descriptions. Note that all volunteer jobs require an orientation to REACH and domestic violence. Direct service volunteers can expect 36-hours of training; each 36-hour training is divided into multiple sessions over the course of 4 weeks. Non-direct service volunteers (e.g., development volunteers) may begin after the 6-hour training and orientation.
We ask that all volunteers go through training for multiple reasons, but most importantly so that you will have the tools you need should someone in the community ever REACH out to you for support. We believe that everyone has the ability to help make our communities into safer places.
We look forward to hearing from you and working with you in the future.
If you are interested in becoming a part of our volunteer team, please call to request our application packet at 781-891-0724 x 303 or email jo@reachma.org
Volunteer Positions Available
Most opportunities require a minimum volunteer commitment of one year to REACH.
To learn how to apply for a position, click here.
To view our application, click here.
To view detailed volunteer descriptions, click here.
Positions requiring our 36-hour training
Residential Service Volunteer
Would you like to volunteer with individual survivors and their families? Residential service volunteers work in our shelter to provide support for our families and staff. Tasks for this position vary, and volunteers may be asked to provide childcare, help residents in daily tasks, answer our emergency hotline, or help manage our shelter donations. Daytime, evening, and weekend hours are available for this position, and volunteers are asked to commit to one shift per week.
Support Group Volunteer
Groups are a central component to providing support and building community in the lives of survivors, and volunteers are essential to increasing REACH’s capacity to provide support group services. Support group volunteers work with REACH staff to co-facilitate 12-week groups with adult survivors. As part of the group, volunteers listen to survivor stories, help problem solve and normalize experiences, and develop bonds within the survivor group. Both daytime and evening hours are available for this position, and volunteers are asked to commit to one shift weekly for each 12-week cycle.
Volunteer Court Advocate
When you become a Volunteer Court Advocate, you will experience what it is like to navigate the legal system with a survivor of domestic violence. REACH provides legal advocacy in the Waltham, Woburn, Newton, and Lowell district courts, and volunteers support survivors seeking restraining orders by providing information, referrals, and encouragement. Shifts for this position are limited to daytime hours, and volunteer court advocates are asked to provide one shift per week.
Volunteer Community Educator
Are you comfortable working with groups? Do you want to be more involved in raising awareness of domestic violence your community? Volunteer Community Educators help plan events such as community fundraisers and speakouts, and educate the public about domestic and dating violence through classroom and community group presentations. While hours for this position may vary, at least one shift a month is required of all volunteers.
Opportunities requiring our 6-hour training
Fundraising and Development Volunteer
Do you have a few hours each month to donate your time to increasing REACH’s sustainability? Fundraising and Development volunteers help us raise funds and visibility through office and community-based projects. Whether you’re interested in assisting with our annual event, REACH for the Stars, hosting awareness and fundraising programs, or assisting with our newsletters and mailings, we have a development volunteer position to interest you.
Childcare Services Volunteer
As we support adult survivors, we also support our survivor families. Childcare Services volunteers provide care for children whose parents attend our weekly support groups. Childcare takes place on site while adults attend group, and volunteers assist in play and mentoring. Because children crave routine, we ask that those interested in this position are able to commit long term. Because childcare needs may vary each week, this is an on-call position in which volunteers sign-up to cover one 2-hour childcare shift each week.
Community Outreach Volunteer
Domestic violence is a community issue and community outreach volunteers help us bring the issue back to the community. Outreach volunteers generate awareness by representing REACH at community events and fairs, engaging future volunteers, and distributing domestic violence awareness materials at local businesses and organizations. While hours for this position may vary, at least one shift a month is required of all volunteers.
Holiday Gift Program Volunteers
Would you like to support local families around the holidays? Holiday Gift Program volunteers help us collect and distribute gifts to survivors who have worked with our programs. Volunteers completing training may also attend our annual Holiday Gift party to help us celebrate with food, gifts, games, and our extended REACH family. While hours for this position may vary, volunteers may participate between November and December each year in the program.
What you can do right now
There are many things you can do today to support this work:
Organize a donation drive
We always have an on-going need for certain shelter supplies and other items, and we also run seasonal donation drives for Back-to-School supplies, Holiday Gifts, Valentine’s Day baskets, and Easter Baskets. Organize your group of friends, school community, religious group, or your office to help us fill an important need or to do something special for a family.
Host a house party to introduce new people to REACH
With help from REACH, you can put together an event that will help us raise awareness and bring in new supporters. Invite friends, neighbors, and coworkers to your home (or the home of a generous friend) and we can make a presentation about the work we do and a featured speaker. House parties are vital to expanding our outreach and increasing our support.
Help plan our annual gala
REACH for the Stars is our signature fundraising event and has been highly successful, representing half of charitable giving to REACH for the year. Artists and celebrities design plates for the event that are auctioned off at a spectacular evening at the Waltham Westin. There are dozens of ways you can get involved as an event committee member with time commitments as large or small as you want. We will need additional help with public relations, soliciting celebrity plate artists, finding restaurants to donate food, contacting corporate sponsors, event planning, packing/transferring the plates themselves, and much more!
Donate
Without individual contributions, we would not be able to continue providing excellent services to thousands of people affected by domestic violence. Your support can help pay for those services, or you can make a donation to our Independence Fund which helps cover costs of education, security deposits, car repair and more for families in need. We also have an e-mail list we use exclusively for times when we need specific furniture or household items for a survivor who is either moving in to shelter or moving out on their own.
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