Volunteer/Facilitator
Volunteers are truly the heart of Erin's House. You can make a difference, no matter how small or large your time commitment may be.
"When I first started my volunteer work with Erin's House, it was to "give back" some of the truly wonderful things given to my family when we attended Erin's House. Now, nearly five years later, I volunteer because I know how much Erin's House families need someone to just listen, sit with them, cry with them or simply to just be there for them. I wonder how much better the world can be if I can ease just one person's grief by giving only a few hours a month." — Michele
"I volunteer at Erin's House because I enjoy sharing feelings and being with groups of people who are on a journey of grieving together and reaching similar goals and results. I will add this; the staff during the time I have been at Erin's House has always been top notch. What a great place to grieve." — John
"I believe that children are our future, you should teach them well, but you should also let them lead the way!" — Facilitator, Ben Dinken
"I think volunteering for Erin's House helps me acknowledge the community of people who cared about me along the way. Through their acts of kindness, I was taught that we are all responsible for one another in this world. I strongly believe that our acts of kindness will be acknowledged in the next generation's willingness to serve their community." — Rita Bennett Sheirbon
"Chris and I know that we are blessed with many gifts and we wanted to share our gifts with others. We are thankful everyday for our family and the opportunity to work in professions that we love. We feel like being facilitators at Erin's House is a great way to help others and share the gifts that we have. Because we work with kids everyday and have small children of our own, we know how tremendous the need is for facilitators and that is why we do it. We can and know we should." — Kari E. George
"To know that I am touching someone's life, to be able to hear others' stories and possibly be one of the few who does know it because they trust us." — Jennyfer Schaefer
Volunteer Facilitator:
For more information, please contact or e-mail Kathleen Benson-Chaney, Volunteer Services Director, at 260-423-2466 or volunteer@erinshouse.org.
House Parent
Responsibilities
- Our House Parents assist with set-up and clean-up of our facility and serve pizza to us and our families.
Time Commitment
Only six times a year from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Training
Just come in and observe for a couple of nights! It's really that easy.
Who can volunteer?
Many people believe they need to have had a loved one die before they can volunteer to work with the children, teens and adults of Erin's House. We believe people who are compassionate, caring and committed to helping children and their families can volunteer. Experiencing the death of a loved one is not a prerequisite. The following qualities are:
A belief in the four principles of Erin's House
- Grief is a natural reaction to death of a loved one.
- Within each individual is the natural capacity to heal oneself.
- The duration and intensity of grief is different for everyone.
- Caring and acceptance assist in the healing process.
The ability to accompany a person on his or her grief journey
- We allow the children, teens and adults to lead us through their grief work.
- We offer a safe place for them, physically and emotionally, to express their thoughts and feelings about their loved one.
The ability to leave our own needs and grief issues "at the door"
- We are able to recognize our own issues of grief and loss.
- We support all our co-facilitators by giving each other an opportunity to express personal issues before and after group time.
The ability to make a commitment to attend all eighteen hours of facilitator training, an integrative learning experience
The ability to make a commitment to consistently attend program night twice a month for four hours each, on a set schedule, for at least one year
- We know death throws a person's life into chaos. Regular attendance is one critical piece to establishing consistency in a chaotic life.
- We provide an opportunity for the same group of facilitators and families to meet each time to help build trust and familiarity.
If you choose to participate in our training and become an Erin's House facilitator, we guarantee one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences. The skills you learn will help you the rest of your life. The children and their families will remember their experience at Erin's House and the commitment you made to be there for them.
All of the Erin's House volunteers go through a national criminal background check.
What to Expect
- Commit to one year of service
- Be at least 16 years old
- Sign a confidentiality statement
- Continuing Education Unit Credits for Bereavement Training
- A criminal background check
- Professional Bereavement Training
Contact info
Volunteering Info
Kathleen Benson-Chaney
volunteer@erinshouse.org
Parkwest Program & Administrative Offices
3811 Illinois Road, Suite 205
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
Tel: 260-423-2466