We Need You
Volunteers donate more than 2,500 hours per year serving as resume coaches; mentors, orientation leaders; and workshop facilitators. They staff the clothes closet and teach computer classes. Many of the more than seventy active volunteers were clients at one point. They model the tangible triumph of perseverance that leads to success in employment and in life.
We are always seeking volunteers who can help with many types of work. Many volunteer opportunities are listed below. However, we can always use volunteers for many activities. If you have other skills you would like to use for Women’s Resource Center, please contact us. We provide training and ongoing support to all of our volunteers.If you would like to put your talents to work, please complete our Volunteer Application using the form below or contact our Volunteer Coordinator at (616) 458-5443, ext. 111.
Mentor
Mentors provide ongoing assistance, guidance and accountability to women who are eager to take action in making changes in their professional lives. Volunteer mentors observe, listen, and ask questions to help the client explore her needs, motivations, desires, skills and thought processes. (More…)
The mentor helps the client sort through her situation, develop an action plan, set goals, and assess her progress. Mentors are supportive, nonjudgmental and encouraging as clients commit to taking action and moving toward lasting personal growth and change.
The mentor position requires a genuine desire to assist other women in their pursuit of self-sufficiency; the ability to listen, ask open-ended questions, develop an action plan and monitor the client's progress toward her goals while holding her accountable. The mentor also needs problem solving skills and the ability to maintain trust and confidentiality.
Resume Coach
Resume Coaches work one-on-one with our clients to develop new resumes, revise existing resumes, and write cover letters. (More…)
The Resume Coach position requires knowledge of and experience with current trends in resumes and cover letters, an understanding of interview essentials, basic computer and internet skills, and the ability to work with people at all levels of computer expertise. The ability to help clients identify their skills and work histories through open-ended questions and active listening is essential.
Computer Teacher
Our computer lab, a classroom with nine computers, provides clients of Women's Resource Center with a practical, hands-on environment for resume development, computer learning and practice, skills assessment and internet job searching. Computer Teachers staff the lab in shifts, making themselves available to answer questions and provide assistance to the women using the computers. (More...)
The Computer Lab Teacher position requires basic computer and internet skills and the ability to work with people from different backgrounds and with all levels of computer skill. It is essential that the Computer Lab Teacher be accepting and patient as clients go through the process of change, with a genuine desire to help them grow in confidence and self-esteem.
Working Women's Clothes Closet
The Working Women's Clothes Closet is a resource for women who are searching for employment or who have started a new job but need appropriate clothing. Volunteers work one-on-one with clients, assisting them with selection of up to three complete outfits of business attire from our donor-supplied clothes closet. (More…)
Our Working Women’s Clothes Closet volunteers receive about two and a half hours of training. We teach you how to help a woman identify the styles and colors that are most flattering to her; how to identify appropriate clothing based on the type of job she is seeking; and how to gently coach each woman to acquire clothing that fits her well.
Volunteers in our clothing closet need an ability to help women feel good about themselves. They also need an ability to help women make choices that fit their bodies and their career goals. A volunteer who can talk about the process of building a professional wardrobe and offer tips on shopping will add additional value to the client’s experience.
We ask our clothing closet volunteers to work for two shifts of two hours each every month for a year.