Start your career in social justice with our volunteer program!
Good Shepherd Volunteers offers year-long opportunities to serve women, teens, and children in a variety of social service agencies. Volunteers live in community with other volunteers, receive housing, health insurance, a small stipend, mentorship, and learn about the 4 Tenets of GSV: social justice, community, spirituality, and simplicity.
Service Activities
All placements share in common the Good Shepherd Mission to minister to women, children, and adolescents in situations of poverty, violence, and neglect. Within that overall mission, GSV site placements have a wide variety of working environments, service opportunities, and populations served in domestic violence, public policy, advocacy, youth counseling, after-school programs, and education.
Community Need Addressed
We have positions serving in advocacy, domestic violence, education, juvenile justice, nonprofit support, public policy, and youth counseling. Our volunteers work side-by-side with experienced social workers, counselors, and educators, gaining a tremendous foundation for their future careers.
Position Outcomes
Volunteers work to in organizations that advocate with and for marginalized populations in our society. They work to increase capacity building at non profits, assist with access to education and ensure that women and children have access to basic rights & needs.
Benefits
Health coverage, Housing, Living allowance, Relocation allowance (if applicable), Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Supportive Community
Each volunteer is backed by a community composed of:
- Fellow volunteers, who create a close-knit bond built through shared experiences
- Accessible staff, who support the volunteers’ professional and personal growth throughout the year
- GSV alumni and supporters, who stay involved with the program in various ways
Training & Development
Challenge yourself within a safe and supportive environment. Begin with a week-long orientation to meet your cohort, gain a deeper understanding of the mission and tenets that will serve as the foundation for your experience, and transition into community life. Development continues across four weekend retreats throughout the year. In day-to-day work, each placement site offers professional supervision and training to support you in your role. Additionally, you'll gain access to varied opportunities, such as training on trauma-informed practice, substitute teaching certification, United Nations Commission on the status of women, and many more.
Personal Growth
Get to know yourself and understand your impact on those around you. You will emerge from this challenging journey a better roommate, friend, family member, partner, and employee.
Skills you will gain
The GSV experience does more than just help you get to know the realities of women and children in need; it helps you get to know yourself and understand your impact on those around you. You will emerge from this challenging journey with skills in communication, interpersonal, time management, leadership, conflict resolution, and many more.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them
Tools
Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment