Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us as an adult! We would not be able to accomplish what we do without the dedicated adult volunteers we have been fortunate to work with.
We encourage adults of any experience level to come on our trips. Whether you are a contractor by trade or have never held a power tool before, feel free apply to be an Adult Team Lead!
On the trips, students are broken up into small teams (no more than six team members). Each team will have a Core Team Student Leader (CTL), an Adult Team Lead (ATL), and up to five student volunteers. The CTL will be the team “captain,” and the ATL will be the “coach.” It is expected that the CTL and ATL work together to lead their team through the week and ensure that everyone’s experience, including their own, is a rewarding and memorable one.
Benefits
The adult volunteers have the unique opportunity to work alongside students who are dedicated to service while also experiencing New Orleans’s rich culture and history.
Close Relationship with Students: Throughout the week, adult volunteers will spend a majority of their time with the student volunteers on the trip, sharing the experience with them. This allows for strong relationships to form between students and their adult volunteer, a relationship that allows everyone to grow together and learn from each other.
New Skills: While on the work site our building partners’ Site Supervisors will teach both student and adult volunteers construction skills. You could learn anything from putting up drywall to how to properly lay tile, returning home with the ability to do some home improvement projects of your own!
Rewarding Experiences: On the trips, there are many reminders of the direct impact our volunteers are having on the New Orleans community. From homeowners visiting the work site to speakers who engage with the volunteers, it is clear that every minute you spend working on a house brings another family one minute closer to being able to move home.
New Adventure: The New Orleans community and the experience offered there are both very different from anything offered in the Pacific Northwest. The chances to engage with the lively community along with the activities made possible by SAA are a unique opportunity for a new kind of volunteer experience.
Expectations
Adult volunteers will either be assigned as Adult Team Leads or Roamers. ATLs will be assigned a specific team of students to work with throughout the week.
Ensure Safety of Self and Student Volunteers: It is important we do all we can to bring the people of New Orleans home. However, it is also important we do all we can to ensure the safety of our trip participants both on and off the work site.
All of our trips are dry trips. Safety is our primary concern and it is against our policy for any trip volunteer to consume alcoholic beverages or any other prohibited substance while traveling with Shirts Across America.
Transport: Adult volunteers will be responsible for transport to and from the work site every work day, along with any additional transport for planned events or activities during free time. There is no need to make vehicle arrangements yourself—SAA will take care of any rental coordination.
Lead by Example: As an adult volunteer, you are expected to be a model for the students by displaying appropriate behavior at all times and adhering to SAA’s Code of Conduct.
