How to Become a Volunteer at The Landing

Volunteers at The Landing — our emergency shelter for youth entering foster care — are dedicated to helping children feel safe, supported, and loved. This team allows The Landing to be open 24/7 to give kids a fun, comfortable 72 hours while their social workers determine next steps.

When a kid enters foster care, they may feel scared, confused, or a range of other emotions while navigating this experience. Our trained volunteers provide a sense of stability and security during this time where a child doesn’t know what comes next. What they do know is that, at The Landing, they have food, clothes, activities, and kind adults who give them undivided attention.

We need volunteers who are looking to participate in this important work of caring for kids in their first 72 hours in Foster Care. If this sounds right for you, then you might be a perfect fit as a Landing direct care volunteer.

Next Steps

Let’s Get Acquainted

We want to meet you! Schedule a meeting with our Volunteer Coordinator so we can connect. We want to hear about your interests, experience, and where you might like to volunteer — whether that be at The Landing, or one of our other volunteer opportunities. This is also a great opportunity to get your questions answered: What exactly am I signing up for? How many kids will I be taking care of? How long are shifts?

At the end of your meeting, the volunteer coordinator will go over next steps and send an application, along with training dates.

Application

Once you receive an application, you take the lead on completing paperwork. During this time,   we want you to be comfortable so that you feel prepared and excited to volunteer — our volunteer coordinator will provide support every step of the way to help you navigate instructions and answer questions. We are here to ensure you feel as knowledgeable and confident as possible before you arrive at The Landing. 

Come to The Landing

With the application process complete, you are ready to see The Landing! You will meet with the Program Manager of the Landing to discuss policies, procedures, and other need-to-know information, as well as get an in-depth tour of the Landing’s building. Then, you will ‘shadow’ a veteran staff/volunteer and work side by side to learn the ropes and get a feel for what a typical day looks like.

Now, you are officially a Landing volunteer! You can sign up for shifts that work best for you: morning, afternoon, evening, or maybe an overnight shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

This process will likely bring up many questions — and we’re here to answer them. To give you an idea of what you might ask, here are some of our most common questions:

• What are the requirements for becoming a direct care volunteer at the Landing?

  You must be at least 21 years old OR at least 18 years old and a college/university student interested in an internship with Skookum Kids. Additionally, we look for previous experience working with children or vulnerable populations (e.g. day cares, working in healthcare, education, etc.).

• How long does the process take?

  This is self-led and dependent on your schedule — you decide when to attend a Volunteer Interest Meeting, submit paperwork and trainings, and complete a shadow shift. Typically, we aim to have the entire process completed within 3-5 weeks.

• How often do I need to volunteer?

  We ask volunteers to commit to one four-hour shift per month, but you are welcome to sign up for more!

• Will I be volunteering alone?

  You will always be with at least one other volunteer or staff. If you have any questions during a shift, staff is just a phone call away.

• What age ranges are the kids who come to The Landing, and how many kids are there at a time?

  We care for children ages 0-12; sometimes, we have older kids (13-18) who will come with their younger siblings. The Landing can house up to 6 children at a time.

• I really want to volunteer at The Landing, but I’m not sure I have the capacity to be a direct care volunteer. Is there something else I could do?

  Absolutely! A critical part of The Landing’s success is due to the efforts of our Skookum Elf volunteers. Skookum Elves help keep the ship running smoothly by doing a variety of jobs including resetting bedrooms after kids leave, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. This helps to create a safe, tidy space ready for the next kiddos who stay with us.

• What do I get out of volunteering?

  Chances are, you want to volunteer at The Landing because you love kids, have a heart for children and families impacted by foster care, and/or want to help your community. Beyond helping kiddos in need, becoming a Landing volunteer allows you to meet like-minded people who are passionate about helping kids feel safe and loved. We also have ongoing training and learning opportunities for you to expand your knowledge in the realm of child welfare and help you care for children from a variety of backgrounds.

What Now?

Without Skookum volunteers, we would not be able to help children and families thrive. Volunteering at The Landing is a great way to get involved in this work by caring for kids and babies entering foster care. We also have a range of other opportunities for folks to support Skookum how they choose.

Skookum Kids aims to have a way for anyone to get involved in foster care. When you’re ready to learn more about volunteering, schedule a meeting. You can contribute to the meaningful work of creating a healthy foster care system — join us today!