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Volunteer Opportunities
Become a voice for a child. Western Massachusetts is a region rich in citizens who appreciate meaningful volunteer experiences. Here are a few opportunities with Friends of Children.
Adolescent Advocacy Mentoring Project Volunteer
Foster children need consistent adult guidance as they approach their eighteenth birthday. Yet more than 100 foster teens in the area will "age-out" of the child welfare system over the next three years. Without stable family connections and few services to support them, these foster youth must fend for themselves.
For many, their lack of adult support, incomplete education and inadequate training result in an unstable lifestyle leading to homelessness or becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
Friends of Children initiated AAMP to help steer this at-risk and often forgotten population to a successful adulthood.
AAMP volunteers are recruited, trained and supervised as volunteer mentors. These committed adults serve as a reliable presence in each youth’s life. The support they provide by offering skill preparation and advocacy helps make it more likely that these vulnerable youth will become successful, independent adults.
How do I apply to the AAMP program?
Request an application packet from the office by:
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Calling the FOC office at 413-586-0011 and speak with the AAMP Project Coordinator.
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Emailing the program at volunteer@friends-of-children.org leaving your name, address and phone number. A staff member will contact you promptly.
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Foster Dignity Program
Friends of Children initiated the Foster Dignity Project to offer a tangible message of respect and dignity to foster children in transition. Thanks to this project, more than 1400 children in western Massachusetts have been able to move into new situations with their belongings safely stored in a backpack or duffel all their own instead of using a trash bag. Recently, the program has expanded to include support for extracurricular activities for foster children.
How do I help the Foster Dignity program?
Request information from the office by:
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Calling the FOC office at 413-586-0011.
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Emailing the program at volunteer@friends-of-children.org leaving your name, address and phone number. A staff member will contact you promptly.
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Become a Court Appinted Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer
Each year, hundreds of our area’s children are thrust into court — the victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and witnesses to domestic violence. Many of these children end up in foster care or other placements outside their homes, and eventually their cases are heard in court where a judge must decide their future.
These children are often placed in temporary placements in a system that is overwhelmed with the numbers of children it must protect. Their futures are uncertain during a time when they most need safety and security. The CASA Program is designed to aid the court in making decisions about a child’s safety and placement that are in their best interests. While it is not the job of the CASA to change the system, CASAs volunteers help prevent children from falling through cracks in the system that is designed to protect them.
Volunteers perform three basic functions:
FACT-FINDER The volunteer is trained to thoroughly research the child’s circumstances, both past and present. The information is provided to the court in ongoing, detailed, unbiased written reports.
ADVOCATE: The volunteer promotes immediate and long-term outcomes that are in the child’s best interest.
MONITOR: The volunteer continues to report on the child’s situation for the duration of the case, ensuring that appropriate services are being provided. The CASA volunteer encourages the system to manage these cases in a sensitive, expedient manner which will result in the child’s placement in a safe, permanent home , with his/her parent, a legal guardian, or an adoptive parent.
How do I apply to become a CASA volunteer in the Franklin/Hampshire Program?
Request an application packet from the office by:
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