Q: How do I sign up for a project?
Q: How many projects do I need to sign up for to be a part of YVC?
Q: What do I need to bring with me to the project?
Q: Who will be supervising the youth at the projects?
Q: I need verification for the community service hours I have completed. How do I get that verification form from your organization?
Q: Can parents volunteer at projects with their children?
Q: I am part of a school/church/youth group and we would like to volunteer together at a project. Can you take a group of volunteers at one of your projects or find a place for us to volunteer as a group?
Q: You mention "YAB" on your home page. What is YAB and how do I join?
Q: Is Youth Volunteer Corps part of a national program?
Q: How do I sign up for a project?
A: You can sign up for a project by calling 913-432-9822 x 305 or e-mailing yvc_kc@yvca.org . If you e-mail us, be sure to include your name, age, phone number, and preferred e-mail address. If there is space on the project, we will sign you up, and then call/e-mail you to remind you about the project a couple of days before the project starts.
Q: How many projects do I need to sign up for to be a part of YVC?
A: During the school year you are welcome to sign up for one project or 100 projects. For our after-school projects, we prefer youth come on a regular basis, but there is certainly no requirement to come more than once. During our eight -week summer program, you will need to commit to projects for the entire week we are at the agency, though there is no minimum number of weeks .
Q: What do I need to bring with me to the project?
A: If this is your first time volunteering with YVC since August 1 of this year, you need to download and complete the “YVCKC Volunteer Profile and Parent Waiver” and have a parent/guardian sign where indicated if you are under age 18. Bring th ese forms with you to your first project. Some projects will require you to bring additional items such as a sack lunch, an agency waiver, or special clothing (e.g., close-toed shoes for a construction project). Check out the project descriptions to see if your project has any additional requirements.
Q: Who will be supervising the youth at the projects?
A: All projects are led by one or more YVC AmeriCorps Team Leaders. All Team Leaders are F irst- Aid/CPR certified and have passed full background checks. In addition, all Team Leaders are trained in how to lead successful, educational, and fun service projects.
Q: I need verification for the community service hours I have completed. How do I get that verification form from your organization?
A: We are happy to give you an official YVC form stating the number of hours you have completed with us. We can also sign any forms that your school or organization requires. Typically, we give you these forms at the end of a project (just ask the Team Leader) or you can call/e-mail us for the form at a later date. If you are doing several projects with us, please feel free to wait until the end of your last project to ask for the verification form.
Q: Can parents volunteer at projects with their children?
A: For most YVC projects, we prefer parents drop off their children. One of our goals is to encourage our volunteers to branch out, meet new people and take responsibility for certain tasks. In our experience, having parents around tends to discourage this type of interaction.
We realize some of our projects are in areas which may feel less safe to parents and we are perfectly happy with you coming along to check out the situation, meet the Team Leaders, and get to know the agency your son or daughter is serving. We also realize family volunteering can be a wonderful experience, so we make sure to plan projects each year where the whole family is invited. These projects are designated as "family projects" in our project descriptions.
Q: I am part of a school/church/youth group and we would like to volunteer together at a project. Can you take a group of volunteers at one of your projects or find a place for us to volunteer as a group?
A: Whether or not we can take a group of volunteers will vary depending on the project. Our after-school projects and some Saturday projects are too small to accommodate groups, though group members are welcome to sign-up individually for these projects. However, we do have several large projects throughout the year where we need a lot of volunteers to help. We are happy to accommodate your group in these situations. Call us and we'll let you know on a project-by-project basis whether or not we can take your group.
If you want to volunteer during the week, we may be able to plan a special project for your group. Let us know the day(s) and time(s) you would like to serv e as well as how many people are in your group. If you have specific types of projects you are hoping to do, let us know about these preferences as well. Then we will contact you and let you know if we can help.
Finally, we often do "in-house" service projects where one of our Team Leaders will come to your organization and work with your group on a project that can be done during your meeting/class time. Contact us for more information.
Q: You mention "YAB" on your home page. What is YAB and how do I join?
A: "YAB" stands for Youth Advisory Board and it is a group of youth volunteers who work closely with the Team Leaders on different aspects of our projects. For instance, they give us feedback on the types of projects to do and help out with special events like our annual Battle of the Bands and Global Youth Service Day projects. Membership on YAB is by invitation only. At the end of each summer, the Team Leaders and YVC staff nominate youth to be on the board if they have shown a special dedication to service on YVC projects throughout the previous year.
Q: Is Youth Volunteer Corps part of a national program?
A: Yes. Youth Volunteer Corps of Greater Kansas City is one of more than 45 affiliates of the Youth Volunteer Corps of America . In fact, YVC was started here in KC! The goal of all affiliate programs is to engage youth in service and promote a lifelong ethic of service while meeting the needs of the community. To learn more about the national program, click here.