Volunteer Group Application

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Thank you for your interest in sharing your group's time and talents with Community Action Network (CAN)! There are many ways groups support CAN's mission. This application will help us match your group's interests and availability with the volunteer opportunities needed in the CAN communities. 

Let's get started! 
Step 1: CAN Group Volunteer Opportunities
To learn more about our available opportunities, please select the box next to each Group Volunteer Opportunity below.

At the bottom of each description is a check-box to select if your group is interested in participating in that type of opportunity.

Donating Items
Providing High Need Items
Each of our sites work with unique communities that have ever-changing needs. See what items are most needed at each site by clicking on this 'ways to give' page and consider purchasing something from a wishlist to be shipped directly to a site. 
Providing Meals for After School Program
Access to food is a basic need and an important aspect of our After School Programs (ASP). Each day, kids are provided nutritious, fun snacks and meals to help them grow and learn. Are you interested in helping to provide a meal?

Host a Drive for CAN Communities
Do you have a network of folks who are looking to support under-resourced families but aren't sure where to start? Consider hosting a drive for items CAN families often request and we don't always have on hand. Helpful drives include things like gift cards, food, diapers, and personal care items. 

Providing Food for Summer Camp
CAN hosts 6 weeks of educational summer camps for kids in CAN communities who are in rising 1st-6th grade. Campers are fed multiple times during these day-long camps. Most sites provide 2-3 meals and multiple snacks each day. It takes a lot of planning and support for CAN to provide this amount of food.

Is your group interested in helping provide food for summer camp? There are opportunities for your group to:
- cook meals and deliver them to a camp for the kids 
- purchase non-perishable food for camp staff to prepare for the kids
- donate financially for CAN to purchase food to prepare for the kids

Providing School Supplies
CAN provides all of the children in our programs the supplies they need to have a successful school year. We typically distribute these backpacks and supplies in August. Donations are gathered over the summer. 

Working with Children & Youth in CAN's Educational Programs
Opportunity 1 of 2- Enrichment Groups: These small groups attend a portion of the After School Program and/or Summer Camps to provide lessons and activities that enrich the robust curriculum already provided to children in CAN’s educational programs.

Successful enrichment groups typically: 

  • Have a clear team leader who invests time in learning a community center and the kids who attend the educational programs. This can include meetings with site directors and site visits. 

  • Create an intentional plan and share curriculum with site leader and Director of Education ahead of time for approval 

  • Come prepared with materials needed

  • Adjust to the needs of the unique sites and children's needs 

  • Know how to engage children in an age appropriate way 

  • Are able to come on a consistent basis (monthly, bi-weekly, etc.) 

  • Have training and/or experience and knowledge in IDEA


Enrichment groups provide at least 2 of the following.

  • Fun (e.g. crafts, board games, sports)

  • Education (nutrition, sexual health, science, cultural, mindfulness, reading, tutoring, gardening, goal setting, financial planning) 

  • Social-Emotional/Relational Benefits (consistently engaging with kids, providing empathy and encouragement, connecting with children during recreational time) 


Enrichment group commitments will vary (one-time vs. regularly). CAN After School Programs typically operate Monday-Thursday, 3-6pm. CAN Summer Camps usually welcome enrichment groups from 1 to 1.5 hours in the morning or afternoon Mondays-Thursdays during camp dates.

Group expectations to consider:
  • All group members (18 years and older) are required to complete a background check and online training before volunteering.


Opportunity 2 of 2- Mentor Groups: These groups attend the full After School Program to join into the daily curriculum and schedule. During Summer Camp, mentors typically attend from 10-Noon or 1-3 pm. They don't develop their own lesson plans. The group's goals are to build meaningful, supportive relationships with the children, help implement CAN's educational curriculum, encourage children's healthy social-emotional skill development, provide academic/homework support, and cultivate an environment honoring inclusion, flexibility, and collaboration.

Mentor groups attend regularly (typically once a week or twice a month) for a semester. CAN After School Programs typically operate Monday-Thursday, 3-6pm. CAN Summer Camps typically welcome mentor groups Mondays-Thursdays from 10-Noon or 1-3 pm.

Group expectations to consider:
  • All group members (18 years and older) are required to complete a background check and online training before volunteering.


Working with Family Stabilization in CAN's Food Distributions and Pantries 
These groups join our food distributions on a consistent, ongoing basis; which can be once a week, twice a month, or once a month for a semester or more. Group members help with unloading the food truck, inspecting and organization food, making bags of food, distributing food to community members, and with breaking down boxes. 
 
Group expectations to consider:
  • All group members are provided online training before volunteering.

Working on General Community Project Opportunities
Our community projects occur on a sporadic schedule. These projects are determined by community needs and group availability. Here are some examples of general projects that group have helped with in the past: 

General Community Projects:

  • Trash pick up and community clean-ups

  • Organizing and deep cleaning community centers 

  • Painting community center walls (touch-ups or repainting entire rooms) 

  • Working in community gardens and landscaping

  • Donating to community events: donating food, decorations, 

  • Volunteering at community events: set up, tear down, hosting games, serving food

  • Providing food, materials, and/or setting up a table to provide information/resources to the community during community events 

  • Supportive/Educational groups or events for adults

  • Health focused events (providing information to community members during food distributions, vision and hearing screenings for kids, dental exams) 

  • Helping to organize donated items (this could include backpacks and school supplies, holiday presents, food, etc)


Step 2: Volunteer Group Availability & Site Preference
Based on the programs you have indicated you are interested in above, please select your group's availability and site preferences.
Map of CAN Community Centers

Please select your group's location preference:
Arrowwood Hills Brick Bryant Creekside Court Green Baxter Court Hikone
Please select your group's availability by day. During the school year, availability would need to be somewhere between 3-6 pm. During the summer, availability would need to be somewhere between 10-Noon or 1-3 pm.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Please indicate what food program opportunity your group prefers based on your availability:
Arrowwood Hills:
2nd Friday 8:30-Noon
 Brick:
Every Thurs 9-11
 Bryant
OPTION 1: 
Mon, Wed, or Thurs 9-12
 Bryant
OPTION 2:
Mon, Wed, or Thurs 11-2
 Creekside Court:
2nd, 4th, & 5th Wed 1-3
 Green Baxter Court: Every other Wed 12:30-2:30 Hikone: Every other Wed 12:30-3

Please provide your general availability to participate in these projects below: 
Weekday Morning Weekday Afternoon Weekday Evening Weekend Morning Weekend Afternoon



Step 3: Volunteer Group Information




Select multiple avenues by holding Ctrl or Command.






Include Suite or Unit Number separated by a comma









Once this form is submitted, CAN's Director of Volunteers will be in touch to discuss the details of how your group can get involved with Community Action Network's programs and services.
Step 1a: COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
At Community Action Network (CAN), our mission is to partner with under-resourced families so they can thrive. A large component of this is ensuring we are doing everything in within our power to protect the vulnerable populations who are the most susceptible to the devastating effects of this virus.

For staff, interns, and volunteers who partner with CAN and CAN's families, the COVID-19 vaccine & eligible boosters are required. 

Please review CAN's COVID-19 Response Plan and contact dmiller@canwashtenaw.org if you have any questions.

CAN Vaccination Definitions: 
  • Fully Vaccinated = Completed initial vaccine series + current eligible boosters

  • Partially Vaccinated = Some amount of vaccine completion, but not current eligible boosters

  • Not Vaccinated = Has not completed the initial vaccine series nor the boosters

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