Volunteers
There are many opportunities to make a difference working with juveniles or in support of the juvenile department operations. These include a commitment of a few hours, one or more days, a school semester, completion of a project, or years of involvement. Youth under supervision of the juvenile department need support to increase their skills and competencies in leading a productive, healthy, educated, sober and employable lifestyle.
We need both individuals to support English speaking youth and those who are bi-lingual, mono-lingual and bi-cultural.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at 503-588-7990.
All volunteers are required to pass a criminal history background check.
Opportunities to volunteer include:
Alternative Programs: Marketing, merchandise display, developing training curriculum, inventory, teaching youth in metal works, woodworking, and welding to create items to sell in the market, food prep, coffee shop operations, project painting, plants, flowers, vegetables, fruit growing, gardening, employment skill development, life skill development; budgeting, resumes, independent living, money management.
Administrative: reception, filing, data entry, office organization, system coordination, create packets of information.
Detention: youth mentoring, presentations on life skills, tutoring, educational support in reading and math, religious and spiritual, sobriety, arts and crafts, recreation.
Education Support: community youth education support, mentoring, and tutoring in subjects such as mathematics and language arts.
Family support/ Counseling: interns, educational support, tutoring, parents/ family support.
Probation: youth mentoring, transport, educational support, tutoring, case aides.
Guaranteed Attendance Program (GAP): youth mentoring, presentation on life skills, tutoring, educational support in reading and math, religious and spiritual, sobriety, arts and crafts, recreation.
The Juvenile Department has benefited from having Master of Social Work graduate student interns volunteering during their academic year in Counseling Services, for two days a week each. Services provided have included individual and family counseling, facilitating skill-building groups for teens, and parenting classes. Those served were youth and families involved with the Juvenile Department who had limited counseling resources and were able to benefit by receiving counseling related services through the Department. Graduate student interns allow expansion of counseling services provided to Department clients.
In turn, the Juvenile Department sends volunteers into the community. GAP has an active youth volunteer component in the unit. The opportunity to volunteer is earned by the youth. It is not a requirement. Juvenile Department youth have given their services to:
Oak Crest Rehabilitation Center
AgFest - An agricultural fair
Marion County Fair
Paintback - graffiti paint over
Earth Day activities
Union Gospel Mission
Salem Police Department - Anti-graffiti campaign
Salem Bike Lanes
Adopt-a-highway
Food Bank
Silverton Food Bank
Youth feel positive and connected to their community when they can give of themselves and their time. As research has shown, attachment to the community is a protective factor against future criminality. Rewards seen by youth volunteers include:
"Satisfaction and work experience for the future" - Ruby
"People always tell me that I’m doing a great job and I’m working hard". - Valerie
"... seeing the looks on people’s faces when we delivered wood and other things." - Sam
We hope this is an attitude they will carry with them after they leave department supervision.
