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Volunteering Eligibility • Trainings • Academic Credit • FAQ


Dear Prospective Volunteer:

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center (a.k.a. Walnut Avenue)! We have several programs which offer both individual and group volunteering opportunities. Different programs offer a mix of remote, in-person, and hybrid opportunities.

Eligibility Requirements
for All Volunteer & Intern Positions

1.

At least two years must have passed since the last date of receiving services from Walnut Avenue on your own behalf.

2.

Be physically living in California at least 50% of the time (citizenship not required).

3.

Pass a criminal background check
(more info on background checks).

4.

Be aged 18+
(minors aged 14-17 are eligible to participate in two programs: our Early Education Center classrooms and the Youth Advisory Board).

We welcome volunteers of all genders in all of our volunteer programs!


Trainings

Walnut Avenue offers two trainings:

Most of our volunteer programs require one of these two trainings. You can see which opportunities require which training by checking out the overview of our programs and by attending one of our volunteer orientations.


Academic Credit

Walnut Avenue collaborates with a number of colleges, universities, and other academic institutions so that students in a variety of different programs can gain practical knowledge and experience as part of their academic learning.

Below is more information about academic credit internships which are specific to some of our local institutions:

If you’re a student of an academic institution looking for ways to get involved in crisis intervention and prevention regarding gendered violence, peer counseling, housing/food insecurity, early childhood education, and/or nonprofit administration, or if you’re a faculty member looking for those opportunities for your students, please contact the community engagement coordinator for more information at mcoffey@wafwc.org.

Please note we will do our best to work with the guidelines established by an academic program. It is the student’s responsibility to receive permission from their institution to earn academic credit with us and to inform their supervisor at Walnut Avenue of their program’s requirements before beginning their internship.

Clinical Practicum

Walnut Avenue no longer provides a site or supervision for graduate students seeking their MSW, MFT, or LCSW licensing. We now partner with our local Family Services Agency, providing training about domestic violence to their clinical interns in return for referring our program participants to their services for collaborative care.


There are other ways to support our work beyond direct volunteering!

  • Follow us on social media! Like, share, and comment, and participate in our hashtags and awareness campaigns.

  • Gather together a group of people interested in hosting a free virtual workshop from us (more info at “Education & Workshops”)

  • Talk to your coworkers and supervisors to see if your place of work would like to participate in our awareness campaigns, which can be as simple as having a ribbon jar beside the register or as visible as your workplace has the capacity for (more info under “Awareness Months”)

  • Consider reaching out to our local mutual aid groups to see what’s needed and see how you can get involved. Healthier people, families, and communities start with building relationships of mutual support and collaboration, and that’s the fundamental work we aim for.

Still have questions?

Staff Contact for Volunteering

Marjorie Coffey (he/they)
Advocate for Survivors of DV
mcoffey@wafwc.org


Important Links

For faculty, staff, or providers looking for volunteer opportunities for their students or clients:

services for survivors of domestic violence

services for survivors of domestic violence

kids club

kids club

family support services

family support services

graduating class of new advocates

graduating class of new advocates


Funding for this program provided by:

  • CalOES

  • Appleton Foundation


It is the policy of Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center to provide equal employment, volunteer opportunities and services (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.