Volunteer

The HEART of our Mission
At the YMCA, volunteers are the heart of our mission – George Williams, the founder of the YMCA in 1844, was a community volunteer who saw a need and created the YMCA to fill it.  Today, there are over 1,200 volunteers that are involved in all aspects of our organization; giving our programs value and demonstrating how much character counts.

At the South Sound YMCA, your time and talent go a long way. Every hour you spend as a YMCA volunteer translates into the caring attention a child or teen needs to grow up healthy and resilient; support for families so they can be successful and strong; healthier lives for people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and incomes, and a safer, more viable community that is a good place to live and work.

As a YMCA volunteer, you can lead an exercise class, read to a preschool class, coach a basketball team, cook for a bake sale, design a program brochure, greet people at the front desk, find items for an auction, serve as a role model for young people, help out in the office or at a special event, or be part of a group or committee working on a neighborhood problem. No matter how you help, you will make a big difference as you work with others to create a feeling of connectedness in your community. The basic definition of a YMCA volunteer is "anyone who willingly gives time to help the YMCA accomplish its mission without getting paid by the YMCA." In the Y movement, we have five categories of volunteers:

• Policy volunteers serve on YMCA boards and committees
• Program volunteers provide services and assist in YMCA programs
• Fundraising vVolunteers provide leadership and legwork for successful fundraising
• Managerial volunteers help manage and administer YMCA operations and programs (i.e. a pro-bono accountant or public relation specialist)
• Support volunteers provide office and facility support

Please note that young people can serve in all of the above capacities as long as, like adults, they have the proper skills, training, and supervision.

To solve the problems closest to home - or better yet, prevent them - the YMCA needs more people like you. Do something good. Volunteer at the YMCA.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, contact the Briggs Community YMCA at (360) 753-6576 or the Olympia Downtown YMCA at (360) 357-6609.