Our organization has committed to confidentiality to the woman we welcome into our home. This commitment creates a safe place where their deepest needs can be addressed. As a volunteer in the home, you are expected to help uphold our culture of confidentiality. We expect that any information that you receive via your time in the home will be used in a manner that upholds the dignity of the moms we serve and protects their confidentiality.

• As a volunteer, you may receive information pertinent to your role in the house (i.e., expecting return times, food allergies, and special needs of a resident). However, it is crucial to recognize that you may receive only a snapshot of information pertinent to the time you are in the house.
• While the staff is to be mindful of confidentiality at all times, volunteers may occasionally have access to confidential information. This information should not be shared outside of the home or discussed openly within the home.
• We hope that you engage in conversations with moms at the home. The moms may, at times, disclose personal information. This information should not be shared with other moms or anyone outside the staff. Please inform staff about  information that will help us to better serve our moms, especially information regarding safety and health issues. Keep in mind that creating allies is pitting one against another and may be a form of manipulation.
• The home address must not be given out. Information or whereabouts of staff or residents should not be given out. If needed, you may contact the Director to relay critical information.
• Please refrain from making social media posts that include any information or images that should be protected as confidential.

If you are ever uncertain about what information can and cannot be shared, please consult a staff member.

With some volunteer roles (i.e. respite, house coverage), you may be acting in a staff capacity. In that role, you are responsible for enforcing the rules that we have in place for our residents. It is often difficult to exercise tough love, especially after developing a relationship with a mom, but it is important for setting boundaries. House rules are found in the on-duty binder. In the case of rule violation, please report the incident to the staff. Staff will be responsible for following through with necessary accountability.

Our Core documents outline our beliefs on topics related to sexuality, marriage, gender identity, abortion, and more. We ask that all our volunteers, no matter their personal beliefs, respect those values in their interactions with residents.

It is inappropriate for moms to ask a volunteer for money, rides, food, or to run errands. Moms have access to those resources through different avenues within our homes. If these situations arise, please bring the problem to a staff person. In addition, a mom should not ask volunteers for their personal contact information. If this happens, volunteers can let the mom know that the staff is capable of reaching volunteers when needed. If you choose to provide personal information to the moms, know that the organization cannot be held responsible for any potential misuse of that information.

In unique circumstances, independent arrangements may be made between a volunteer and a mom using the volunteer’s car. We cannot be held liable for any incidents that may occur in such cases. We only hold insurance on organizational vehicles driven by staff members named on our insurance policies. You will not be acting under the authority of the organization in this scenario.

To respect the mom as the primary caregiver of her child, please ask a mom before picking up her baby. Moms need to know they can care for their children and be the full decision maker for the child’s well-being.

In addition, please ask the pregnant woman before feeling her belly for the baby. This is a polite way of respecting a woman’s body. Some moms have had a history of personal space being violated and may be especially sensitive to someone touching their bodies.

If you need to enter a mom’s room for any reason, please knock and obtain permission before entering. These boundaries about respecting personal space are important for building trust between our moms and staff/volunteers.

We strive to be respectful of each mom’s background. We commit to using affirming language to create a supportive and encouraging atmosphere. We discourage language that may stereotype an individual due to race, religion, background, or history.

It is in our house rules not to use curse words or other inappropriate language. We expect staff and volunteers to adhere to the same rules. Inappropriate language includes being disrespectful or making references to things like drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. (While they may be innocent in nature, we would prefer that you did not say something like “margaritas are only $2 during happy hour” or “the wedding I’m going to this weekend will have an open bar” in front of the moms).

Although it may be a source of passion for some of our volunteers, we ask that volunteers not initiate a conversation about abortion with our moms. Many of our moms have had abortions in the past, and they need healing and love. At the appropriate time, a staff member may speak with a mom who has had a past abortion or is still considering having an abortion. If the topic of abortion arises, we ask volunteers to handle the situation with tactfulness and report the conversation to the staff.

Our organization is supportive of the adoption decision, and volunteers are expected to honor women making an adoption plan and avoid any comments that might be considered critical of adoption. These comments may be thought of as innocent (i.e., “I could never do that.” or “I saw a special on TV where a sociopath adopted a child.”). As a woman learns to advocate for her adoption decision, she will learn responses to these comments, but you may encounter a woman during an early phase of consideration. Be mindful of your words.

The organization maintains a strict policy prohibiting harassment based on sex, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, or any other factor that may be unlawful by law, ordinance, or regulation. This policy applies to all persons and prohibits such harassment by any staff member, guest, volunteer, or vendor/supplier.

Harassment is unwelcome, inappropriate behavior that has the effect of interfering unreasonably with others’ individual activities or which creates a hostile or offensive environment. Harassment in any form, including verbal, or physical conduct, visual conduct, threats, demands, and or retaliation is unlawful, and is prohibited, and will not be tolerated. Any volunteer who believes he or she has been the object of harassment should report the allegation immediately to the executive director. All complaints of harassment will be promptly investigated as confidentially as possible, protecting the rights of all concerned.

We welcome volunteers to work in comfortable clothes in which one would not mind cleaning and working on various tasks. We do not allow shirts with offensive language or drug/alcohol/sex references. We also ask the volunteers not to wear revealing clothes. Said bluntly, we have a “no butts, no breasts, no bellies” policy for the moms’ clothing and we ask the same of all staff, interns, and volunteers. We want to affirm the dignity of our bodies.

In normal circumstances, volunteers will not be asked to purchase items for the house using personal funds. However, if a volunteer offers to run an errand for the community, any out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed for the exact amount shown on a receipt.

Our organization has established a system of level 1 and level 2 volunteers. Level 1 volunteers are never alone with a mom or a baby outside of staff presence. Level 2 volunteers help with house coverage, infant care, tutoring outside the staff’s company, and supervision. We request background checks for all level 2 volunteers to protect the safety of the moms and babies.

• We are a drug and alcohol-free organization and strongly prohibit using any of these substances while volunteering. A volunteer will be asked to leave if found under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• All volunteers must disclose any criminal charges and convictions (either pending or final). The report must be made to the staff member responsible for your volunteer activities. At its sole discretion, the organization may determine whether such charges, convictions, or conduct are grounds for reassignment or removal from the organization.
• The organization reserves the right to reassign and remove any volunteer  whether there appears to be a justification for this action or not.

Call or e-mail the director to schedule a volunteer time that is convenient both for you and for the home. Our home welcomes volunteers Monday to Saturday. We strive to create a home-like atmosphere in our home. Therefore, Sundays are a day of rest for the moms and the staff.

Volunteers needing to track hours for communal service, school, employee matching programs, or other requirements are responsible for tracking their hours and providing the paperwork to be signed. Any staff member can sign off on tracked hours unless special circumstances exist.

If volunteers have complaints or problems with their volunteer experiences at the home, they should inform the house mother immediately. We are always open to your feedback and will seek to resolve conflicts as they arise. However, it is essential to consult a staff member with complaints or problems privately.