ROOTS Volunteer Welcome Packet – PLEASE READ ENTIRE
DOCUMENT BEFORE ATTENDING ORIENTATION
Pages 7-8 will need to be printed, signed and turned in at orientation
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with ROOTS Young Adult Shelter.
Here is information to help you get to know more about what to expect!
Shelter Volunteer Position Descriptions
Below are the general descriptions for the various shelter volunteer positions. More specific
information about these shifts will be shared at the volunteer orientation.
Evening Volunteer (8pm-11pm; any day of the week): Volunteers work as part of a team
(including evening and overnight volunteers) to help set up shelter, engage with guests,
complete intake paperwork for new guests, hand out hygiene supplies enforce program rules
and help ensure the emotional and physical safety of the space. Volunteers participate in a
shelter team opening meeting and a shelter debrief meeting each shift. Volunteers are
supported each night in shelter by a volunteer Evening Supervisor and the Program
Coordinator.
Dinner Meal Teams: (7:30pm-10:30pm; Fri – Wed; Sat 8pm-10:30pm): Volunteers work
in a team of 3-5 people to prepare dinner, serve dinner and clean up the kitchen. Volunteers
are encouraged to bring food with them they are interested in cooking. We ask that at least
one person from the team has attended volunteer orientation and can act as a contact person
for the group. This is a great way to bring along friends, co-workers and family to volunteer
alongside you! Dinner Meal Teams are supported by a Dinner Meal Team Lead (veteran ROOTS
volunteer who is an evening volunteer that same day).
Overnight Volunteer (8pm-8:30am Sat-Thurs; 8pm-9:30am Fri): Volunteers do similar
roles as the evening volunteers before lights out in shelter (10:30pm). After lights out
volunteers rotate through having a 2 hour ‘awake’ shift where they are responsible for helping
to monitor the space, doing walk arounds of the room every 10 minutes, being available for if
guests need emergency assistance, completing guest laundry. There are 4 overnight volunteers
(including one or two overnight supervisors) and 1 overnight counselor (paid staff) who is the
second person awake all night. Volunteers can sleep the other 6 hours of lights off (10:30pm7am Sat-Thurs; 10:30pm-7:30am Fri) when they are not on their awake shift. Mat and bedding
are provided. Overnight volunteers are supported by the volunteer Overnight Supervisor(s) and
the Overnight Counselor. During the evening the Program Coordinator is also available for
support on site and available for support in an on call capacity during the overnight.
Breakfast Crew: (6:15-8:30am Sun-Fri; 6:45-9:00am Sat): Volunteers work as a team of
3-4 breakfast crew volunteers to help prepare a simple hot breakfast, serve food to guests, and
clean up the kitchen. Volunteers typically bring food they are cooking that morning. Some non
perishable supplies are available at ROOTS. We ask that one person from the breakfast crew
has attended volunteer orientation and filled out an application.
Morning Floor (6:45am-8:30am Sun-Fri; 7:15am-9:30am Sat): Volunteers work as part
of a team (including overnight volunteers and morning floor volunteers) to engage with guests,
hand out hygiene supplies, help clean up shelter, enforce program rules and help ensure the
emotional and physical safety of the space. Guests are required to leave shelter by 8am SunFri and 9am Sat. The 30 minutes after guests leave, volunteers help restock hygiene supplies,
prepare bedding for the next night, start any remaining shelter laundry and clean up the
shelter space. Morning volunteers are supported by the Overnight Supervisor(s). Management
and Program Coordinators are available for support in an on call capacity.
Volunteering at ROOTS – The Overview
Who is ROOTS looking for to volunteer with us?

ROOTS guests are diverse and come from a wide variety of backgrounds and life
experiences. ROOTS seeks to have a volunteer crew that reflects those diverse cultures
and experiences. ROOTS welcomes people of color, LGBTQ identified folks, people with
personal experiences of accessing shelters, multiple language speakers and those with
an awareness and commitment to undo systematic oppression (racism, homophobia,
trans-phobia, classism, sexism, ableism, etc).

ROOTS is looking to build community awareness of the community issue of young adult
homelessness. We are interested in welcoming volunteers who are interested in learning
more about how collective action around a community issue can lead to systematic
change.

ROOTS asks that our Evening Volunteer, Overnight and Morning Volunteers are over 18

ROOTS welcomes folks under 18 to volunteer on our breakfast and dinner meal teams
with someone else who is over 18 years old.
What skills do I need to volunteer with ROOTS?
Volunteers at ROOTS will have many opportunities to learn and build new skills. There are
some skills that are important that volunteers come to ROOTS with already developed. These
include:

Ability to maintain boundaries in relationships

Non judgmental listener

Able to work as part of a team

Effective communication skills (both written and verbal)

Conflict resolution skills

King County Food Handlers permit preferred (not required for all positions)

Reliable

Commitment to continually learn and grow personally and professionally
What time commitment does ROOTS require of Volunteers?
****ROOTS Guests have shared they want Evening and Overnight volunteers who will
be a consistent presence in shelter. We ask that new shelter volunteers join us when
they are able to make the time commitment below.

Dinner Meal Teams are asked to sign up for 2 shift a month for 3 months

Evening and Morning Volunteers are asked to sign up for 4 shifts a month for 6 months

Breakfast Meal Teams are asked to sign up for 1 shift a month for 1 year

Overnight Volunteers are asked to sign up for 2 shifts a month for 6 months
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What training does ROOTS require of its volunteers?

Before starting shifts in shelter: Volunteer Orientation – see below for more info!

All volunteers:
o
Attend the Conflict De-escalation training. Overnight volunteers must complete the
training before their second overnight. All Evening and Morning volunteers must
complete it within their first month of volunteering. This training is strongly
recommended for meal teams. For dates, please visit www.rootsinfo.org. RSVP is
required to volunteer@rootsinfo.org.
o
Attend the ‘The Ropes’ Training within their first month of volunteering. For more
information and dates offered visit
https://sites.google.com/site/udspalliance2000/the-ropes-training. RSVP required
to theropestraining@gmail.com.
o
Attend the Change Team anti-oppression dialogue session. ROOTS asks all
volunteers to complete this training within their first 3 months at ROOTS. Dialogue
session are held the 2nd Thursday of every month at 5:30pm. Email
volunteer@rootsinfo.org to learn more and to RSVP.
o
Participate in Ongoing Trainings once a quarter: ROOTS asks that all volunteers
take advantage of quarterly trainings and do their own initiated learning to keep
growing in their understanding of how systematic oppression impacts homeless
young adults, how individual biases play out and how to move past them,
challenges impacting guests in shelter (mental health, intimate partner violence,
history of trauma, foster care system, lack of health care, lack of affordable
housing, etc).
What support does ROOTS provide volunteers?

On boarding trainings (Conflict De-escalation, Orientation, ROPES, Change Team
Dialogue Sessions)

Volunteers are supervised by the Volunteer Manager. The Volunteer Manager is in the
office Mon – Fri. While in shelter, Volunteers have the Program Coordinator and
Evening/Overnight Supervisors available for questions, concerns and support.

Volunteers are asked to reach out to the Volunteer Manager as concerns arise. The
Volunteer Manager is available to debrief, coach, and provide support in resolving
conflicts through scheduling a time to talk via phone or meet in person.

ROOTS has a clinical consultant available to volunteers to debrief any intense,
uncomfortable or personally triggering situations that occur. Caring for others has an
impact on the care giver. Taking time to debrief how the impact of caring for others over
time is important for being at ROOTS while being healthy and well. ROOTS is interested
in connecting our volunteers with this support. Contact the Volunteer Manager for more
info.

On-going training opportunities: Shelter involves many situations that our volunteer
crew may have not had to navigate before. ROOTS provides an ongoing rotation of
training topics to help prepare our volunteers for the various scenarios they may
encounter in shelter and the large community issues.
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How do I Get Started Volunteering!
Fill out the Volunteer Application online! Go to:
http://www.rootsinfo.org/volunteer/volunteer-application/
Attend an On-Site Orientation

Sign Pages 7&8 and bring them to orientation. Copies available onsite.

Volunteer orientations are required for in shelter positions and are scheduled for the 1st
Thursday and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6 to 7:30pm. Please RSVP to
volunteer@rootsinfo.org. ROOTS is located in the basement of the University Temple
United Methodist Church at 1415 NE 43rd Street. The shelter entrance is at mid-alley on
the west side of the church, through a set of blue double doors with cement steps
leading up to them. Doors will open 15 minutes before the orientation is scheduled to
begin. Please bring a copy of your completed application and a state ID.
***If you are interested in volunteering in an out of shelter capacity (includes: administrative,
fundraising, group project or shelter prep volunteer position) please complete this application
and email volunteer@rootsinfo.org to schedule a meeting with the Volunteer Manager.****
Scheduling shifts in shelter

This can be done after you have attended volunteer orientation. We ask all overnight
and morning volunteers to start their training with two evening shifts before their first
overnight or morning shift. Evening, Dinner Meal Team and Breakfast teams are able to
schedule these shifts right away.

Volunteers are encouraged to choose a night of the week they would like to come into
shelter on a weekly basis. As a large crew this helps guests and crew members build
connections and trust. Volunteers are able to schedule shifts for particular dates they
are available given they are able to make the minimum monthly time commitments
asked of their position.

Scheduling is done monthly. You can check out the schedule online by going to
https://whentowork.com/logins.htm and use login: ‘ROOTS’, password ‘volunteer’.
Please send us an e-mail at volunteer@rootsinfo.org with the shifts you’d like to help
out month or with your general availability.

1st Three Shifts: During your first three shifts at ROOTS, you are considered “in
training”. We buddy all volunteers up with an experienced volunteer for these shifts in
order to receive full support in the training process. On any given night, the maximum
amount of volunteers in training is three, so we can ensure this proper support.
If you cannot make your shift, please give us notice at least 24 hours before your scheduled
shift via email and phone. If it is the day of your shift and you can’t make it please call 206632-1635 and leave a message that you will not be able to make it. When you schedule a shift
we rely on your presence to staff shelter. Please keep in mind that office staff is only available
Monday-Friday via email.
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How will I know what to do my first shift in shelter?
Everyone gets a Volunteer Buddy!

Evening/Overnight/Morning volunteers: Your first two evening shifts in shelter you
will be paired with an experienced volunteer who will be your buddy throughout the
evening. They will train you on the various duties of your shelter role and introduce you
to guests. Your buddy will be paired with you for the whole evening shift. You may have
a different person for your buddy the second night you are in.

Overnight Volunteers: Before your first overnight you will receive an email outlining
what the overnighter duties are and what to expect. On your first overnight you will
meet with a supervisor to go through a training checklist. You will have another person
awake with you on your overnight shift that will be available to answer questions and
provide support.

Dinner Meal Team: Before your first shift you will receive via email a training
document specific to Dinner Meal Teams. Please review this before your first shift. There
will be a Dinner Meal Team Lead who is in kitchen with you the whole shift to train you
on the ways of the Dinner Meal Team. They will be available to train you, answer
questions, provide support and introduce you to staff and guests.

Breakfast Teams: Before your first shift you will receive a training document via email
specific to Breakfast Teams. Your first shift in shelter there will be an experienced
volunteer available to train you, answer questions, provide support, and introduce you to
staff and guests.
Training Checklists

At volunteer orientation you will receive training checklists for all volunteers and position
specific training checklists. Please bring these with you to your time in shelter so you and
staff can know what items you still need to be trained on. Once the checklist has been
completed they should be turned into the Volunteer Manager for ROOTS records.
ROOTS Contact Information
If you have any questions, the best way to reach us is by sending an e-mail to
volunteer@rootsinfo.org or calling (206) 632-1635. We are not in the office during the day on
Saturdays and Sundays, but we do check voicemail around 8pm on those days.
Please keep reading the last few pages of this document! Pages 7&8 will need to be signed and
brought with you to Volunteer Orientation. Blank copies will be available at orientation.
Thank you for your interest in supporting ROOTS! Welcome to the team! - ROOTS Staff
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ROOTS YOUNG ADULT SHELTER POLICY
Please READ THOROUGHLY before your first shift in shelter. If you have any questions about the following policies,
or believe another volunteer or staff member is in violation of one or more of these policies, please contact the
Volunteer Manager, Chelsea Stevenson at Chelsea@rootsinfo.org or (206) 632-1635. If the issue is with the
Volunteer Manager, call the above number and ask for the Executive Director, Kristine Cunningham.
CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY
Volunteers are expected to help those served by modeling responsible adult behavior and emotional maturity,
both within the service site and the community at large. For this reason, volunteers are not allowed to engage
in the following activities with those served by local homeless youth and young adult programs:
1. Any physically intimate or sexual activity
2. Domestic partnership (i.e. roommates or sharing rent)
3. The provision of transportation in a personal vehicle
4. Financial dealings or bartering for goods or services
5. Gifts or loans of goods or services (in either direction)
6. Sharing personal contact information, including home address and home or cell phone numbers
7. Any activity deemed criminal by federal, state, or municipal law
8. Consumption or purchase of alcohol, cigarettes or other drugs with participants, regardless of age
9. Disclosure of confidential information of another program participants
CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY
The ROOTS Young Adult Shelter is a confidential program. Generally, program staff (paid and volunteer) may
not say to a person outside the program that a participant attends the program, disclose any information
identifying a participant’s location, issues, needs, or any other personal information UNLESS:
1. The participant consents in writing.
2. The disclosure is allowed by a subpoena or court order.
3. The disclosure is made to medical personnel in a medical emergency
4. If a person commits a crime at the shelter or against shelter property or personnel, the crime may be
reported.
5. If a participant states or implies that s/he will hurt self or others, ROOTS will report this to the
appropriate authorities.
6. If a minor discloses any information about or shows signs of child abuse or neglect by an adult, that
information will be reported to the appropriate authorities. If a program participant over age 18
discloses information regarding the abuse or neglect of a minor (i.e. a younger sibling) who is still at
risk, that information will also be reported.
7. Registry of program participants suspected to be sex offenders will be checked and, if confirmed, those
individuals will not be able to access the ROOTS Young Adult Shelter.
8. Shelter staff and volunteers share participant information amongst each other for the purposes of
service consistency and safety maintenance.
Violation of the State laws and regulations by a program is a crime. Suspected violations may be reported to
the appropriate authorities in accordance with State regulations. If a situation arises wherein a participant’s
confidentiality must be broken, the decision and disclosure will only be made by staff.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
All employees and volunteers are required to comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and with
ROOTS policies and regulations. No employee or volunteer shall engage in the following actions:
1. Personal Use. Authorize the use of or use for the benefit or advantage of any person, the name, emblem,
endorsement, services or property of ROOTS or its partners.
2. Financial Advantage. Accept or seek on behalf of or any other person, any financial advantage or gain of other
than nominal value offered as a result of the employee’s or volunteer’s affiliation with ROOTS.
3. Affiliation. Publicly use any ROOTS affiliation in connection with the promotion of partisan politics, religious
matters or positions on any issue not in conformity with the official position of the board or organization.
4. Confidentiality. Disclose any confidential/proprietary information that is available solely as a result of the
employee’s or volunteer's affiliation with ROOTS, including any identifying information of those we serve to any
person not authorized to receive such information, or use to the disadvantage of ROOTS any such
confidential/proprietary information, without the express authorization of ROOTS.
5. Improper Influence. Knowingly take any action or make any statement intended to influence the conduct of
ROOTS or its agents in such a way as to confer any financial benefit on any person, corporation or entity in which
the individual has a significant interest or affiliation.
6. Conflict of Interest. Operate or act in a manner that creates a conflict or appears to create a conflict with the
interests of ROOTS and any organization in which the individual has a personal, business or financial interest. In
the event there is a conflict, ROOTS has a structured conflict of interest process. First, the individual shall disclose
such conflicts of interest to the President of the board or the Executive Director, as applicable. Next, a decision will
be made about the conflict of interest, and, where required, the individual may be required to recuse or absent
himself or herself during deliberations, decisions and/or voting in connection with the matter.
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*For the purposes of this policy, “those served” and “program participants” refer to any individual who is
currently, or has in the past year, accessed services in the University District.
PLEASE SIGN AND BRING WITH YOU TO VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION
Conditions of Volunteer Participation and Release from Liability
Background Certification: I certify that all of the information provided on
this application is true and complete. I authorize Rising Out Of The Shadows
(ROOTS) to investigate and verify any and all information I have submitted.
Because ROOTS strives to provide a safe environment for young adults, I
understand that ROOTS may order a criminal history check, and I authorize
this investigation.
Volunteer Terms: I agree to abide by ROOTS policies, procedures, Code of
Conduct, and Conflict of Interest Policy, and will disclose any potential
conflicts of interest to management. I understand that ROOTS does not
provide any health benefits (e.g. medical, dental, workers compensation,
etc.) or any accident insurance for me as a volunteer; I understand that it is
my responsibility to provide this coverage.
Property Loss: I understand that ROOTS is not responsible for personal
property that is lost, damaged or stolen while I am participating in ROOTS
volunteer activities.
Medical Treatment: In the case of a medical emergency in which I am
unable to act on my own behalf, I give permission for ROOTS representatives
to provide or arrange emergency care for me and to arrange for transport to
an emergency center for treatment. I consent to medical treatment deemed
immediately necessary or advisable by a physician. I further understand that
ROOTS is not responsible for payment of such medical treatment.
Photograph Permission: I give permission to ROOTS to use, without
limitation or obligation, photographs or other media that may include my
image or voice to promote or interpret ROOTS programs.
Release from Liability: I understand that accidents may occur during my
volunteer activities. By signing below, I release ROOTS, its agents, directors,
consultants, and employees from all liability based on any damage, loss or
injury, whether it is the result of ordinary negligence or otherwise, caused to
me or my dependent from participation as a volunteer.
______________________________
PRINT NAME
______________________________
Signature
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___/___/___
Date
PLEASE SIGN AND BRING WITH YOU TO VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION
ROOTS YOUNG ADULT SHELTER VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT
We ask all volunteers to share our commitment to providing safe services to youth and
young adults within specific boundaries and through positive interactions between
volunteers and program participants. Therefore, all volunteers are required to adhere
to the following agreement:
1.
I will respect and maintain the confidentiality of participants in ROOTS
Young Adult Shelter (see reference sheet).
2.
My attitude and conduct while volunteering will reflect the Shelter Policy,
volunteer code of conduct and the program’s Philosophy of Engagement (see
reference sheet).
3.
I will refrain from imposing moral, religious, or political beliefs on program
participants.
4.
I will refrain from using homophobic, racist, sexist, and otherwise
derogatory language.
5.
I will respect the rights, including personal space and property, of
program participants including no hugging or touching of program participants.
6.
I will refrain from the use of alcohol and other drugs in the presence of
program participants and I will not volunteer while I am under the influence of
alcohol or drugs.
7.
I will respect the differences of opinion which may arise between myself
and other volunteers. If I disagree with the way a situation is handled, I will not
interfere, but will discuss my concerns with the Program Coordinator (PC) when
it is over.
8.
I will respect, carry out, and abide by the rules of the ROOTS Young Adult
Shelter. If I disagree with a rule, I will discuss it with the PC, but carry it out
unless it is changed.
9.
I will notify the Program Coordinator and/or Overnight Supervisor
immediately about any issues with guests, threats of harm, violence, drug
activity, and policy violations.
10.
I will establish a schedule for my volunteer time and will let the scheduler
or ROOTS staff know in advance via email (weekdays) and a phone call if I am
unable to maintain that schedule.
11.
I will not invite or allow a program participant to come to my home,
leave the shelter or meet at a predetermined time/place with a program
participant, or drive a participant in my personal vehicle.
12.
While volunteering at shelter I will wear modest clothing (covering my
stomach, back and upper thighs) and following shelter guidelines as far as
content (eg. No shirts or paraphernalia glorifying drugs, sex, or violence.)
I have read the above and agree to adhere to these volunteer stipulations. I have also
read the volunteer orientation packet and agree to carry out the duties listed.
________________________________________________________ ___/___/___
PRINT NAME
SIGNATURE
DATE
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