Volunteers are one of our community’s greatest resources.
People like you, who give their time, energy, and talents - to walk alongside newcomers on their path to stability, self-sufficiency, and belonging - are essential to our ability to deliver quality services.
How To Apply To Volunteer
Step 1: Review Volunteer Handbook
Download our 2022 Volunteer Handbook to learn more about our volunteer program including:
• Welcoming Volunteer opportunities
• Good Neighbor Volunteer opportunities
• Welcome Kits
• Community Sponsorships
• Code of Conduct Pledge
• Volunteer Policies & Procedures
Opening Doors offers two levels of volunteering:
Welcoming Volunteer opportunities only require you to create a volunteer profile.
Good Neighbor Volunteers support a family’s successful integration into our local community and includes direct interaction with clients and their families. Those wishing to become Good Neighbor Volunteers must complete the background check process.
Step 2: Apply to serve
To sign up for any volunteer opportunity, the first step is to create a volunteer profile, which also serves as an application to serve.
By creating a profile, you’ll also enter your contact information, volunteer interests, language skills, and other essential information such as your California Driver’s License number and expiration date plus your auto insurance carrier and policy number. This information is required for all volunteers, as most activities require use of your personal vehicles throughout your volunteer service.
As you complete your online profile, make sure to answer ‘yes’ to the background check question to be fully vetted as a Good Neighbor Volunteer. We‘ll send you an email with a link to authorize and pay for a background and criminal records check. The cost of the background check, approximately $16, is payable directly to the records check company and may be tax-deductible.
Step 3: Attend Volunteer Orientation
If you’re interested in Welcoming Volunteer opportunities, (like collecting Welcome Kits or setting up an apartment), you should self-register for the next weekly virtual volunteer orientation once you complete your online profile and you’re ready to go!
For those who want to be fully vetted as a Good Neighbor Volunteer, you can self-register for the next online volunteer orientation while we await your background check results. Once results are in, we’ll update your profile, check that you’ve completed the volunteer orientation and let you know you’re ready to self-register for any available volunteer opportunity.