We have volunteer opportunities that fit any schedule, skillset, or interest, which are constantly changing. Most opportunities require attendance at a volunteer orientation before you sign up. Some opportunities may require additional training available online. Check out some of them below and sign up for the ones that excite you using our volunteer platform! You will need to have an account and be logged in to sign up. If you don’t have an account yet, click here to set up your profile. It only takes five minutes!

Potential opportunities include:

• Set up and support Candy Cane Lane, our on-campus, holiday shopping event
• Pick up and deliver donations available from generous local supporters
• Manage, sort, and organize donations
• Support annual large scale events such as Food Truck Face Off, Leader Luncheon, and more
• Join large, group community days of service supporting cross-campus needs
• Make membership renewal and fundraising calls 
• Support our kitchen and cafe during weekend meal service
• Complete campus maintenance and beautification projects
• Represent the work and mission of YWCA Utah by tabling at local markets, fairs, and events
• And so much more!

We offer ongoing opportunities to volunteers interested in building a long–term relationship with our organization. Ongoing opportunities available in each of our programs, allowing you to get involved in the facet of our work that you find most inspiring. You can click on the role titles below to read a full position description to see if the role is a good fit for you. All of these positions require attendance at a YWCA Utah volunteer orientation, a completed FBI background check, a commitment of at least 6 months, and may require a meeting with a program supervisor to ensure shared expectations. If you have further questions you can reach out to Phoebe Davenport pdavenport@ywcautah.org or call (801) 537-8601.

WIJ Shelter Support 

Position on hold due to COVID-19

Assist the shelter with daily needs including boutique maintenance, supply organization, and other duties as assigned.

Family Justice Center Welcome & Support

Position on hold due to COVID-19

Assist clients receiving services and support through the Salt Lake Area Family Justice Center. Duties include welcoming and directing incoming clients, keeping waiting lounges tidy and stocked, and other duties as assigned.

Lolie Eccles Early Education Center Support

Position on hold due to COVID-19

Support teachers and children (6 Weeks – Pre-K) attending the Lolie Eccles Early Education Center serving children. Duties include supervision and engagement with children, cleaning toys and spaces, and other duties as assigned.

YWCA Administrative Support

Position on hold due to COVID-19

Assist YWCA administrative staff with duties including telephone answering, office support and donation management, and other duties as assigned.

Drop-in Childcare Support 

Position on hold due to COVID-19

Support teachers and children (6 weeks – 6 years) in our shelter or transitional housing. Duties include supervision and engagement with children, cleaning toys and spaces, and other duties as assigned.

Afterschool/Summer Support

Position on hold due to COVID-19

Assist teachers and primary school-aged children in our shelter or transitional housing. Duties include supervision and engagement with children, homework help, and other duties as assigned.

Teen Program Support

Position on hold due to COVID-19

Support teachers and youth in middle and high school who utilize shelter or transitional housing. Duties include supervision and engagement with youth, homework help, and other duties as assigned.

YWCA Utah is proud that so many corporate, church, school, philanthropic, and personal groups choose to dedicate their time and talents to supporting the work of our organization. We are committed to continuing to foster our existing relationships in the community and excited for the opportunity to explore new partnerships. 

We have projects that can accommodate groups of any size. You can choose your own project by collaborating with YWCA Utah staff or support us in the capacity needed most with at the time of your service. Some ideas are listed below.

Staff Requested Projects

Campus Beautifications 

• Weather permitting we need help weeding and cleaning our flower beds, replacing mulch, tending the lawn, maintaining the fountain, and more. If groups are able to bring flowers in the spring we love the color you bring when you plant them.

Maintenance Projects

• Our excellent maintenance staff can always use support deep cleaning portions of the campus or help with minor repair projects from skilled volunteers.

Adopt-A-Closet

• Our campus is full of storage closets and they occasionally get a little out of control. Bring your small group to take ownership of getting one back into tip-top shape!

Boutique Merchandising

• YWCA Utah’s Betty’s Boutique is available to participants who need clothes and other supplies when they arrive and throughout the duration of their stay. This is a great opportunity for a retail cohort or another group of organization-savvy individuals to make the boutique beautiful!

Donation Management

• Our organization thrives in thanks to the donations from our community, but it’s a lot of work keeping those items organized and available to folks who need them. We always need volunteers to support us in this ongoing project.

Activity Nights for Residents

Create an experience the residents of our shelter and transitional housing can engage in together. Think about the things you most enjoy and bring your skills and passion to the group. If you’re looking for inspiration, a few successful past events are listed below. Please keep in mind that if you plan an event that caters to moms, we appreciate if you bring activities to engage with their kids also. Activities starting after dinner on weeknights, about 6:00 PM, usually have the highest participation rates. While we have space and furniture to accommodate most activities, all supplies must be provided by the volunteer(s).

Craft Nights

• Bring instructions and supplies for residents to create something to keep at the end of the event. If your project is celebrating a season or holiday, please keep in mind we welcome folks of all traditions and ask that all events refrain from any religious celebration.
  • Decorate pots and plant seeds or succulents
  • Teach and create simple macrame, crochet, or knit craft
  • Make scrapbooks pages or cards

Food Events

• What’s better than a craft you can keep? A craft you can eat!
  • Bake cookies/cupcakes and bring supplies for families to decorate their own sweet treats
  • Build your own sundae bar and ice cream social

Children’s Carnivals

• Games, activities, prizes, and carnival food in the outdoor green space, such as:
  • Kid-safe science experiments
  • Carnival-style yard games, prizes, and food

Movie Night

• Share your favorite film, bring a popcorn bar, a selection of soda, and/or snacks! We have a projector you can set up in our gym or the outdoor green space.

Organize a Donation Drive

If you’re excited to get involved as a group but don’t have the bandwidth or schedule that allows you to volunteer in person as a group, a donation drive is an excellent option to make an impact and foster community. Donations are a huge part of what allows us to give much-needed supplies to individuals and families staying with us. Please remember we are only able to take new items as part of our donation policy. You can find out more about in-kind donations here.

If you are part of Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or another service organization working towards your Gold Award, Eagle Scout Project, or parallel project through another service organization, church, school, or group we would love to work with you as a beneficiary of your project. Please reach out directly to collaborate on an idea that meets our current needs by emailing Phoebe Davenport pdavenport@ywcautah.org or by calling (801) 537-8601. If you’re looking for inspiration check out some of the ideas and past projects listed below.

Organize a Donation Drive

Donations are a huge part of what allows us to give much-needed supplies to individuals and families staying with us. We know that a donation drive is a logistical project in and of itself. Thank you for considering taking on a task that benefits so many folks. Please remember we are only able to take new items as part of our donation policy. You can find out more about in-kind donations here.

Host an Activity

Create an experience the residents of our shelter and transitional housing can engage in together. Think about the things you most enjoy and bring your skills and passion to the group. If you’re looking for inspiration, a few successful past events are listed below. Please keep in mind that if you plan an event that caters to moms. we appreciate it if you bring activities to engage with their kids also. Activities starting after dinner on weeknights, about 6:00 PM, usually have the highest participation rates. While we have space and furniture to accommodate most activities, all supplies must be provided by the volunteer(s).

Craft Nights

• Bring instructions and supplies for residents to create something to keep at the end of the event. If your project is celebrating a season or holiday please keep in mind we welcome folks of all traditions and ask that all events refrain from any religious celebration.
  • Decorate pots and plant seeds or succulents
  • Teach and create simple macrame, crochet or knit craft
  • Make scrapbooks pages or cards

Food Events

• What’s better than a craft you can keep? A craft you can eat!
  • Bake cookies/cupcakes and bring supplies for families to decorate their own sweet treats
  • Build your own sundae bar and ice cream social

Children’s Carnivals

• Games, activities, prizes, and carnival food in the outdoor green space, such as:
  • Kid-safe science experiments
  • Carnival-style yard games, prizes, and food

Movie Night

• Share your favorite film, bring a popcorn bar, a selection of soda, and/or snacks! We have a projector you can set up in our gym or the outdoor green space.

Donations are a huge part of what allows us to give much-needed supplies to individuals and families staying with us. We know that a donation drive is a logistical project in and of itself. Thank you for considering taking on a task that benefits so many folks. Please remember we are only able to take new items as part of our donation policy. You can find out more about in-kind donations here.

Outfit a transitional housing unit

• We have 24 fully-furnished apartments occupied by participants with families who have recently left a situation involving domestic violence. These units come equipped with all the items a family needs to set up a home including linens, cleaning supplies, cookware, and other supplies. If you’re looking for suggested items check out this list!

Lead a fundraiser OR sponsor an outing

• The children in our after-school or summer programs are always excited about a field trip. Consider conducting a fundraiser and set up passes for a movie night, arcade, bowling alley, visit to a local museum, or other fun adventure.

Host a baby shower or birthday party

• Everyone loves a party! Consider hosting your own on behalf of the moms-to-be before they welcome the newest member of their families. You can also recreate your favorite birthday party and send clothes, books, and games to the kids, teens, or adults staying with us.

RUN A School Supply Drive

• There are 100+ kids in our programs. Going back to school can be a stressful and expensive time of year, so we invite you to consider hosting a donation drive for the coolest school supplies and cutest clothes so that kids here can head back to school feeling comfortable and confident.

HELP US MEET Urgent NeedS

• We constantly update our Amazon Wishlist with the items we are asked for most frequently and/or are getting close to running out of. If you want to make a huge, immediate impact consider hosting a drive of our most urgently needed items. Our Amazon Wishlist is always up-to-date to reflect our most current needs.

RUN General Fundraiser

• Cash is a wonderful gift that allows us to get items that don’t fit perfectly on a list or theme but enable us to continue our daily essential work. If you have a fun and creative project in mind to manage the donation of funds that is another excellent service project opportunity!

YWCA Utah is happy to receive volunteer support from individuals with a Court-Mandated Community Service requirement. However, not all volunteer opportunities on our campus are a perfect fit for these hours. If the expectations below meet yours, please reach out directly to set up your volunteer opportunity via email at pdavenport@ywcautah.org or by calling (801) 537-8601.

• Only individuals with non-violent misdemeanors will be approved to complete court-mandated hours with us.
• Current or recent (past 3 years) program participants are not eligible to complete court-mandated community service hours with us.
• Volunteers with court-mandated service will be required to complete a confidentiality agreement and photo release in accordance with our general volunteer policy.
• Volunteer hours may be assigned to collaborate with other volunteers at their time of service, though no court-mandated hours may be completed in direct client service. 
• All hours will be completed on campus, under staff supervision, in our administrative building. 
• Volunteer duties are likely to include standing or walking for the duration of your shift, lifting of up to 25lbs, working outside (as weather permits), and working in our donation storage spaces that are only accessible via a flight of 15 steps.
• Upon completion of your hours, our Volunteer Coordinator will provide a timesheet, letter, and follow up contact information as needed.