Volunteer
COVID-19 Updates
We are now able to host a limited number of volunteers in roles supporting the Treehouse Store. We have one-time and ongoing shifts available for individuals or small groups. Please see a description of these roles below.
For more information on volunteering, please email volunteer@treehouseforkids.org.
Share Your Time and Talents with Treehouse
Volunteers are a critical part of how Treehouse supports youth in foster care. We welcome groups, individuals and families to join us.
Treehouse’s commitment to diversity and equity is central to our work with youth in foster care, and our volunteers are our partners in this work. Treehouse serves youth and caregivers of many races and ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities and religious beliefs. We seek volunteers who reflect that diversity. We know that everyone is at a different place in their learning about dismantling racism and other forms of oppression, but our expectation is that Treehouse volunteers bring a personal commitment to continued learning and action on these fronts.
Want to join us? Please view our volunteer opportunities below. We look forward to working with you.
Virtual Volunteer Tutoring
Our online tutoring program matches volunteers to work one-on-one with students by providing academic support using video conferencing software. Students request volunteers to help with homework, credit recovery support, senior projects and more. Tutors work in coordination with their assigned student, the student’s Education Specialist and Treehouse’s Academic and Career Volunteer Coordinator.
Volunteer tutors work with students from middle school to college level throughout the state. Most of our requests are from high school students.
It is valuable for youth in foster care to work with volunteers with whom they can identify. Volunteers who are fluent in Spanish/ French/Tigrinya and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
Minimum Age: 18
Location: Statewide (Tutors must be residents of Washington state)
Commitment: Standing weekly or twice-weekly virtual tutoring meeting, with a maximum of 2 hours of tutoring per student each week.
After they are trained and onboarded, volunteers are placed in our pool of tutors to wait for a student who is a good match for their skills and availability. New tutors may find a student match right away, or there may be a waiting period. We ask that new tutors remain available to be matched with students until at least Spring 2021.
One-Time / Short-Term Volunteers
One-Time Treehouse Store Shifts for Groups or Individuals
We have scheduled a limited number of shifts supporting our free store for youth in foster care, which is located in South Seattle. Store volunteers work together on projects like sorting and processing incoming donations and putting tags on clothing.
These shifts are open to individual volunteers, or groups of 12 or fewer. If you would like to request to reserve all or part of a shift for your group, please contact volunteer@treehouseforkids.org.
Volunteers will work at individual work stations that are set up at least 8 feet apart in the Treehouse building’s open air garage. The garage is covered, but outdoors, so please dress for the weather.
Masks and a health information attestation on the day of the event are required. In accordance with CDC guidelines, we encourage volunteers who belong to higher-risk groups to choose virtual volunteer roles rather than volunteering in-person. Please contact volunteer@treehouseforkids.org for more information on ways to support Treehouse youth virtually.
Minimum Age: 6
All youth under age 16 must be accompanied by adult chaperones, with a 1:1 ratio of child to adult.
How to Register:
Volunteers can find more information and sign up here:
Treehouse Store Support Shifts
Each volunteer must register separately at least 48 hours in advance of your shift. Volunteers who have not registered will be turned away.
Skills-Based Volunteers & Job Shadow Hosts
About Skills-Based Volunteers
Individuals or groups of professionals can help move our work forward by providing services such as consulting, pro-bono support, translation, trainings, grant writing, graphic design, tech support, retail merchandising consulting and more. We keep an eye out for upcoming needs that might make a good skills-based project for volunteers. This a great way to engage volunteers in a capacity that fully leverages their expertise. Our process is to identify projects and then match them with people from our pool of skills-based volunteers. If we have a project that looks like it is a good fit for you, we will reach out with project details to see if it is something you would like to work with us on.
About Job Shadow Hosts
One of the ways volunteers support youth in our Graduation Success program is by serving as job shadow hosts. When youth express an interest in a specific career, we can connect them with a volunteer in that field who is willing to host them for a job shadow experience. The student and their Treehouse Education Specialist will spend 2-3 hours at your workplace to learn more about what you do and what your career path looked like. The job shadow program is currently limited to King County, but we would love to start growing our list of prospective volunteers in Pierce, Spokane and Snohomish counties as well.
How to Register: Click here to complete our Skills-Based Volunteers & Job Shadow Host Form.
Ongoing Volunteers
The Application Process - Start Here
1. Apply: As a prospective ongoing volunteer, review our roles below and then CLICK HERE to complete our online interest form.
2. Standby: We will review applications on a weekly basis and a Treehouse representative will contact you to let you know the status of your application and next steps. Your interest form will remain active for six months. If we have an open position that looks like it is a good match for you, we will send you the details for our upcoming Volunteer Orientations.
3. Activate: Attend an orientation, pass a national background check and get started!
Treehouse Store Assistant
Each year, more than 2,000 youth shop for clothes, toys, school supplies and more from the Treehouse Store, a free store for youth in foster care. Volunteers help process items in our warehouse to make it possible for us to provide a high-quality shopping experience to youth and caregivers.
We have several ongoing in-person shifts in the Treehouse Store available for individual volunteers. Weekly shifts are scheduled from Monday – Thursday, with one shift from 9-12 AM and one from 12-3 PM.
In accordance with CDC guidelines, we encourage volunteers who belong to higher-risk groups to choose virtual volunteer roles rather than volunteering in-person. Please contact volunteer@treehouseforkids.org for more information on ways to support Treehouse youth virtually.
Minimum Age: 16+.
Location: Treehouse Office, 2100 24th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Virtual Volunteer Tutor
Our online tutoring program matches volunteers to work one-on-one with students by providing academic support using video conferencing software. Students request volunteers to help with homework, credit recovery support, senior projects, and more. Tutors work in coordination with their assigned student, the student’s Education Specialist, and Treehouse’s Academic and Career Volunteer Coordinator.
Volunteer tutors work with students from middle school to college level throughout the state. Most of our requests are from high school students.
It is valuable for youth in foster care to work with volunteers with whom they can identify. Volunteers who are fluent in Spanish/ French/Tigrinya and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
Minimum Age: 18
Location: Statewide (Tutors must be residents of Washington state)
Commitment: Standing weekly or twice-weekly virtual tutoring meeting, with a maximum of 2 hours of tutoring per student each week.
After they are trained and onboarded, volunteers are placed in our pool of tutors to wait for a student who is a good match for their skills and availability. New tutors may find a student match right away, or there may be a waiting period. We ask that new tutors remain available to be matched with students until at least Spring 2021.
Ambassador Board Member
TAB is comprised of community members who want to be of service, expand their network, and become an ambassador for philanthropy and systemic change. Members leverage their networks to level the playing field for youth experiencing foster care. As a member you will increase your knowledge about the foster care system, educational and racial equity, and fundraising while making friends, connections, and a positive impact on your community.
We encourage and welcome BIPOC, LGBTQAI and alumni of the foster care system to apply. We accept applications starting in May. To get on the list to be notified when recruitment opens, please email shaunessy@treehouseforkids.org.
If you are outside of King County, we are building virtual satellite Ambassador Board groups and would love to talk to you! Email shaunessy@treehouseforkids.org to find out more.
Minimum Age: 21
Location: Meetings take place virtually, using Zoom.
Commitment: TAB members are elected to a two-year term, the average commitment is 4-6 hours per month.
Social Media Ambassador
Rally support for Treehouse using your social networks. Through simple tasks on social media, you can amplify our mission to give youth in foster care a childhood and a future.
Minimum Age: 18
Commitment: 5-10 minutes per week, for at least six months.
