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Volunteer Policies

All volunteers at Inspiration Corporation are expected to understand and adhere to our policies.

Scheduling

• For individuals, all volunteers will self-schedule for their shifts in our online portal
• Only individuals who have completed volunteer orientation, and have scheduled themselves using their online volunteer account, may volunteer at Inspiration Cafe
• Larger groups like school groups, religious congregations, fraternities and sororities, or just groups of family and friends, must have one group representative complete volunteer orientation, and must work directly with our staff to reserve a date for a group volunteer opportunity
• For groups, please contact our staff 6-8 weeks in advance of your desired date so that we can block off an entire shift
• If you need to cancel within 72 hours of your shift, contact our Volunteer Coordinator immediately
• If you need to cancel on the day of your shift due to illness or emergency, please call the kitchen
• Remember that you will be volunteering at a restaurant - if you get sick it is better to cancel than to come to your shift and risk spreading your illness to others

Age

• All volunteers 18 and under require a signature from a parent or guardian on their registration form
• We require that volunteers be 14 years of age or older to volunteer
• Volunteers 16 and 17 years of age can cook and serve unsupervised at Inspiration Cafe with signed permission
• Volunteers 14 and 15 years of age may serve at Inspiration Cafe if accompanied by an adult chaperone
• We make special exceptions for volunteers 12 or 13 years of age who are completing service hours for Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Eagle Scout, or other service projects
• There are no exceptions for volunteers under the age of 12 (this includes groups)

Dress Code

• Please use common sense when dressing for your shift
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes - you will be working for several hours and will be required to move quickly, pick things up, stock shelves, etc.
• Health codes require that all volunteers in the Cafe space wear closed-toe shoes, and you may be asked to wear a hairnet in the kitchen

Selfies

• Volunteers are encouraged to take pictures of themselves and other volunteers to share on social media
• Please do not take pictures where participants are in the frame, including in the background of your shots
• Be aware that many participants may not want their location to be known - they may be fleeing domestic violence situations, gang conflicts, etc.

Personal Safety and Harassment

• As a social service agency, we are serious about enforcing best practices that ensure that our participants are served in a safe, professional environment
• We do not allow volunteers and participants to share personal information with one another - cell phone numbers, social media accounts, etc.
• Volunteers may not accept or give gifts or personal favors to participants, including rides, financial support, etc.
• Your volunteering is service enough, and guests at the Cafe know that they are not to request additional favors or support from volunteers beyond their scheduled service
• We take allegations of sexual or other harassment extremely seriously - if anyone in the Cafe space ever makes you feel uncomfortable, inform a staff person immediately so that we can address the issue