Volunteers must be 18 years or older and must attend our facilitator training (with course fee) offered yearly. Completion of training is not a guarantee you will be accepted as a facilitator.
The training is followed by an individual placement interview. Placements will be made after considering schedules and the volunteer needs in the groups. After the training and if you are selected to be a facilitator, please note that a background check will be done before you begin volunteering.
For more information, please contact us at kelsey@imaginenj.org or 908-264-3100.
April Training
April 1-3, 2023
9am-5pm | Each day
Ages: 18 years and above
June Training
June 2-4, 2023
9am-5pm | Each day
Ages: 18 years and above
Not necessarily. While 99% of those who take the training go on to become active volunteers, occasionally it turns out that trainees are not a good fit for our program. The training is a time for the staff and trainees to evaluate this fit. Don’t worry, training is not a *test,* but it is a great time to see if our model is one that you are comfortable with. We also do a criminal background check that needs to be cleared before you can volunteer.
Groups meet once a week, every other week from 6-9:30 p.m. Groups take approximately an eight week break between early July and early September. We also do not meet during spring break or the two weeks of the end of year holidays.
The groups are split into three parts: an hour long pre-meeting for volunteers and the staff Coordinator, 1.5 hour long session for the children & families, and then an hour long post-meeting for volunteers and staff.
While we understand that life happens and occasionally volunteers need to miss due to illness, vacation, work, etc. we ask that when you agree to a group time/day/location, it is one you a) can make a regular commitment to, and b) will make it a priority to attend on a consistent basis. If more than three sessions are missed in the course of a year, Imagine staff will talk with you about finding another day/time/location that works better with your schedule or finding another volunteer position at Imagine. Your consistency and attendance is critical to the effectives of the program.
“You hear about how the training is life transforming, but until you experience it you don’t really get it. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.”
– Board Member and Facilitator
Call Us At 908.264.3100 Or Contact Us
