There are both outdoor and indoor opportunities to assist our Facilities Manager with maintaining the grounds and facility of the YWCA. Tasks available include:

• Removal of invasive species of plants and weeds
• Parking lot and playground clean up
• Mowing & raking
• Dusting & sweeping
• Window washing
• Mopping, vacuuming, and scrubbing floors
• Painting the inside of the building

Internships are available to enrolled college students seeking hands-on experience in non-profit management and program coordination, grant writing, marketing, communications, or related professional fields.

Credits are available to eligible students.

The YWCA’s childcare programs are happy to offer volunteer opportunities year-round. Interested individuals must pass a criminal background check and TB test in order to be eligible for the program.

• Bus Drivers are needed 15 hours a week to assist with school pickups and routes to the YWCA After School program. Drivers must have a CDL class license with passenger endorsement, enjoy working with kids, and most of all, have fun!
• Volunteer Teacher assistants and Tutors are needed to help our teachers in the classroom and program participants with homework, snack and other activities. We encourage volunteers to participate in planned activities for the children, whether it be arts and crafts, sports or educational games.
• Summer Camp runs throughout the New Hanover County summer break. Volunteers lead activities, games, chaperone field trips,  read stories, and more!

GSN is a support group for grandparents who are providing full-time care to their grandchildren. At group, caregivers are given needed respite and share strengths, challenges and resources with one another, with guidance from a professional facilitator. Guest speakers provide education on relevant topics. Children meet with mentors for academic and social support and are grouped by age to participate in social and emotional skill building groups and physical activities.

We are always looking for volunteers to mentor and provide enriching activities, and tutor children, as well as share relevant information and assistance to our participating grandparents. Volunteer training is held in August of each year, but volunteers are accepted year-round.

“What’s Wrong With Different?” is a YWCA USA Hallmark program for students in New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender County Schools. The program was developed by the YWCA Lower Cape Fear as a hands-on approach to teach students to value, appreciate and respect the differences between people, rather than to view a person who is different as inferior.

Volunteers are trained on the curriculum and facilitate the program in local classrooms throughout the school year.

Reach is an empowerment program for elementary and middle school-aged girls designed to help them discover, develop, and use their own voices to cope with challenges and celebrate their achievements. The purpose of the Reach program is to offer resources, education, and experiences that foster healthy development to underrepresented communities, to break down social prejudices, and reinvent education about minority students using more accurate racial representation.

Volunteers are needed to facilitate Girls’ Circle groups, built on a research-based model proven to increase girls’ self-efficacy, body image, and social support. Facilitators must enjoy working with adolescent girls and follow the Girls’ Circle required models.

YWCA Board Members are responsible for setting the overall policies of the organization to be certain they reflect our commitment to the YWCA’s mission of empowering women and eliminating racism. The Board also helps raise funds to support the work of the agency and manages all YWCA assets.

According to the national and association YWCA by-laws, only women can serve on the Board of Directors. Board Members attend approximately 10 board meetings each year and work on at least one committee or sub-committee.

Interested in joining us on our mission? Fill out the application below. Submissions are accepted year-round.

The Board delegates many responsibilities to committees, including the following listed below:

• Community Outreach & Advocacy
• Marketing & Fund Development
• Women of Achievement Committee
• Purple Purse Committee

Committees generally meet monthly, with specific tasks requiring additional time.  On average, committee involvement takes 2-4 hours per month. Committees usually include a mixture of Board Members and community volunteers.

Committee volunteers typically have personal or professional experience related to the responsibilities of the committee, though this is not always required.

The YWCA hosts many events throughout the year that support our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

• Women of Achievement: The Women of Achievement Awards is the YWCA’s annual signature fundraising event. Over 600 community leaders gather to honor women and young leaders in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender counties. Volunteers help with preparing decorations & arrangements, invitations, and other activities as related to event planning. Individuals are also encouraged to be Women of Achievement Committee Members, this committee plans all aspects of the celebration from the nominee selection process, to the dinner, to contacting sponsors.  Planning begins in the winter and committees meet monthly until the event in spring.
• Stand Against Racism: The Stand Against Racism is a signature campaign of YWCA USA to build community among those who work for racial justice and to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in our communities. The event encompasses a number of partner events leading up to the nation-wide Stand Against Racism. Committee members and volunteers are asked to assist with sponsorships, planning, and promotion of the event. Planning begins in the winter and committees meet monthly until the event at the end of April.
• Potluck for Peace: These quarterly-held potlucks are an effort to impact peaceful change in the community through food, fellowship, and enriching dialogue. By combining a wide variety of community members, we hope to create a powerful conversation about change, acceptance, and awareness. Volunteers assist in the planning and setup of the events.
• Week Without Violence: Every year during the third week of October, YWCAs from all over the world promote and encourage a Week without Violence – a week-long series of community events promoting diverse approaches to creating a world free of violence. Planning begins in the summer and committees meet monthly until the event in the fall.