Program Volunteers

The Children’s Room wouldn’t exist without volunteers. We currently have more than 87 volunteer group facilitators (”program” volunteers) whose time and energy makes a lasting difference in the lives of grieving children, teens and adults. Volunteer facilitators’ caring presence and willingness to be with the children and families in the midst of their grief is the cornerstone of the support we offer at The Children’s Room. With the guidance and supervision of our professional staff, volunteer facilitators work together to help create a safe and caring environment of mutual encouragement and support for children, teens, and adults grieving a death.

Time Commitment

Our support groups take place in our house in Arlington.  Families and volunteers are assigned to a specific group. Groups meet every other week on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday evenings or Sunday afternoons. We ask that volunteers make a one-year commitment of 3.5 hours (5:30 to 9:00 pm or 2:00 to 5:30 pm) every other week. Groups do not meet during the summer.

A 32-hour training program (with course fee) is required of everyone considering being a volunteer facilitator. Completion of training is not a guarantee that you will be accepted as a facilitator. The training is followed by an individual placement interview. Sending in an application does not guarantee a spot in the training. Placements will be made after considering schedules and the volunteer needs in the groups.

Our next training for volunteer facilitators will take place in August/September 2011.
The 32 hour training will be held on the following dates:

Saturday, August 27th  9:00-5:00
Sunday, August 28th  1:00 – 7:00
Thursday, September 1st  5:30 – 9:00
Saturday, September 10th  9:30 – 5:00
Sunday, September 11th  1:00 – 7:00

Note: For volunteers interested in facilitating a group, attendance at each of the training sessions is mandatory.

All training takes place at The Children’s Room in Arlington.
Please carefully consider the following points before applying for the training:

• Our Volunteer Facilitator Training is for those volunteers who intend to be a support group facilitator at The Children’s Room for at least one year.
• If you have experienced the death of a significant person in your life within the last year, we ask you to discuss this with us before applying, since this training can be an intense experience for newly bereaved persons.
• You will need to attend all 32 hours (all five sessions) of the training.
• Before working in a group, you will need to complete a Massachusetts “Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)” form.
• There is a $75 fee for the training; a $25 non-refundable deposit is required with your completed application to confirm registration.

To apply, complete the attached “Facilitator Training Application” form and mail with your $25 non-refundable deposit to:

The Children’s Room, 1210 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

If you have questions, please click here to contact the program director.