Long-term Opportunities
Long-term volunteer opportunities are for individuals who seek to make an ongoing commitment to supporting Raphael House staff in roles that usually involve regular interaction with Raphael House families and children. Long-term volunteers typically make a six-month to one-year commitment. They are also required to submit proof of a recent, negative tuberculosis test and to undergo a criminal background check as part of the application process.
Our long-term volunteer opportunities include:
Academic Enrichment Tutor
Every weekday during the school year, when the children of Raphael House return from school, they head to our AfterSchool Room to participate in our Tutoring Club, where they work with Children’s Program staff and tutors to complete their homework along with individualized, supplemental learning materials designed to enhance their academic performance. Once they’ve completed their assignments, they spend some time reading aloud to an adult and then head up to our rooftop playground, where they play until it’s time for dinner. Tutoring Club volunteers are assigned one day per week, from Monday to Friday, from 3:30 – 5:30 pm. The children in this program are of elementary school age. We prefer for our tutors to be 20 or older, but exceptionally qualified high school students who are 16 and older and have previous experience as a tutor or in a leadership role such as camp counselor or coach, are welcome to apply. Apply for this position.
Saturday Morning Tutor
On Saturday mornings during the school year, children and teens from both our Residential and AfterCare Programs, who are need of additional tutoring, participate in our Saturday Morning Tutoring Club. They may have a specific project they are working on, or they may just be in need of extra help in a particular subject area. Volunteers use academic materials prepared by Raphael House program staff to assist children and teens in completing their schoolwork. Saturday Morning Tutors commit to volunteering for one or two Saturdays per month, from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. The minimum age for Saturday Morning Tutors is 19.
Children's Evening Program Volunteer
After joining staff and families for dinner, Children’s Evening Program volunteers work with children and assist staff with a variety of activities, including art, games, singing, plays, and multiple activities designed to capture the imagination of the children. After the evening activity, families of the younger children gather together for story time, followed by a singing candlelight processional to each child’s room. The evening program takes place Monday through Friday, and volunteers are asked to come one evening each week from 6-8:00 pm. they are assigned to either the younger children’s group, usually ages 4-7, or with the older children, who range in age from about 8-12 years old. The minimum age for Children’s Evening Program Volunteers is 21. Apply for this position.
Residential Program Volunteer
Residential Program Volunteers arrive between 5:30 – 6 pm to join the families and staff for dinner. After dinner, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm, they assist staff and some of our parents in playing with the toddlers while other parents are attending classes, such as computer skills training or financial literacy. The minimum age for Residential Program Volunteers is 21. Apply for this position.
AfterCare Program Volunteer
Volunteers assist ChildReach staff in organizing and facilitating family activities and events that are held at Raphael House throughout the year as well. They may also assist as chaperones, when needed, for our Saturday fieldtrips to places in the city and around the Bay Area. Raphael House family events include activities such as holiday parties and group birthday celebrations. Most events take place on weekends or during the week, in the early evening. Our Saturday fieldtrips include activities such as farm trips, zoo trips, visits to museums, and even indoor skydiving! The trips take place three Saturdays a month and trips are usually between 4-6 hours, sometimes longer depending on the activity. While on the trips, ChildReach assistants help program staff and parents with engaging the children to give them a meaningful, educational and enriching experience. AfterCare Program Volunteers must be 18 or older to serve as fieldtrip chaperones, but mature teens, 14 and older, who have previous experience working with kids, are welcome to apply to help out with family activities.
Kitchen Volunteer
Kitchen volunteers are an essential part of our kitchen team. Raphael House serves dinner seven days a week to upwards of 50 people, including families, volunteers, and staff members. This is a lively time with considerable hustle and bustle in getting the meal out to the dining room and serving the families the main course, beverages, and dessert. On days when we don’t have Corporate and Community Chef groups, Kitchen Meal Prep Assistants come in at 3:30 pm to help prepare and serve the meal; they also assist with cleaning-up and setting the tables. Most Kitchen Meal Prep Assistants work from 3:30-7 pm. Dinner Servers come in from 5-7 pm to help with prepping coffee and tea, getting the meal ready to go out the dining room, and then serving the meal. The minimum age for Kitchen Volunteers is 18. Apply for this position.
Saturday Morning Baking Club Volunteer
Every Saturday, from 10 am – 2pm, volunteers come to Raphael House to work with our Chef to bake breads and make desserts that will be served at dinner throughout the week. Baking Club Volunteers also help make the snacks that are served to our kids and teens during Tutoring Club. This is an enjoyable position for those who enjoy baking as there are opportunities to share recipes and be creative, while learning new skills. The minimum age for Baking Club Volunteers is 18, but teens who are 13 or older may participate when they are accompanied by a parent.
Workforce Development Volunteer
Our Workforce Development Program helps our parents to gain the skills they need to secure sustainable employment. Workforce Development Volunteers assist staff with facilitating workforce development activities, such as conducting mock interviews or presenting interview skills workshops. Work Force Development Volunteers commit to a minimum of two hours per month. The hours are from 6:30-7:30 pm. The minimum age for Workforce Development Volunteers is 25.
Administrative Volunteer
Administrative Volunteers help out where needed on projects such as stuffing envelopes, hand-addressing invitations, making phone calls, doing light data entry, or helping with preparations for events such as our annual One Home, Many Hearts Gala or our holiday Adopt-a-Family program.
Please note: if there is no option to apply at the end of a position description, then we do not have an opening for that position at this time. If you would like to submit a general application for us to keep on file for the future, you may do so by clicking here. For additional questions regarding our short-term volunteer opportunities, please contact Kim Lessard at (415) 345-7264.