Opportunities From: Volunteers United

Are you seeking an opportunity to transform your past experiences into a positive influence on the lives of young people? Did you have run-ins with law enforcement and the criminal justice system as a youth? Did you unintentionally or intentionally cause emotional, physical, financial, or mental harm to family or friends as a youth?  If so, we have a powerful opportunity for you to share your history, your experience, and the lessons you've learned with a group of teens who are in need of guidance.

Youth Empowerment and Accountability is a Waukesha County Program that provides comprehensive support to youth who have been referred by the criminal justice system. Our dedicated social workers work with these youth for over 6-7 weeks, teaching them accountability, victim empathy/ awareness, and empowerment to make better life choices.

One way we do this is by having volunteers who experienced a similar start to their lives as youth share their own stories. Volunteer Speakers play a crucial role in shaping the future of these youth by sharing their stories, including any time they spent with the criminal justice system, the consequences of their actions felt by themselves and others, the impact the decisions they made as a youth had on their lives, and the lessons they learned.

Volunteers are expected to commit to speaking 2-4 times per year. The group is led by Social Workers on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm. The speaking months for 2025 are January, April, July, and October, with some flexibility on the date the volunteer speaks within that month. Volunteers address a group of 3-10 youth for approximately 30 minutes.

Volunteer speakers should be prepared to answer questions about their experience, have a passion for working with and supporting positive change in youth, demonstrate maturity and dependability, and be comfortable effectively working with diverse populations.

Don't miss this chance to make a difference. Contact us today to learn how you can start sharing your story with the next generation.

Are you passionate about helping the next generation of youth? Have you ever experienced a situation where a youth or family member committed an offense against you or your family? The impact of that offense is likely still fresh on your mind- whether it led to physical, emotional, mental, financial, or more. Examples of this may include a teen who stole from you, a teen who drove drunk and hurt or possibly killed a loved one, or a teen who bullied you. If so, would you consider sharing your trauma and the impact that that teen had on you and may continue to have on you? Your story has the power to transform lives.

Youth Empowerment and Accountability is a Waukesha County Program that provides comprehensive support to youth referred by the criminal justice system. Our dedicated social workers work with these youth for over 6-7 weeks, teaching them accountability, victim empathy/ awareness, and empowerment to make better life choices. The goal is that these youth never interact with the criminal justice system again. Your role as a volunteer speaker is integral to this mission.

Youth in this program often need help connecting actions with consequences and recognizing the impact of their actions on real people. We have found that when these youth meet, listen to, and ask questions of people who have crimes committed against them, they understand accountability and personal responsibility much more.

Volunteers are asked to commit to speaking 2-4 times per year- sharing their experience, their story, their truth, and the impact it has had on their lives, both in the short-term and the long-term. Social Workers lead the group on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. The speaking months for 2025 are January, April, July, and October, with some flexibility on the date the volunteer speaks within that month. Volunteers address a group of 3-10 youth and their parents for approximately 30 minutes.

Volunteer speakers should be prepared to answer questions about their experience, have a passion for working with and supporting positive change in youth, demonstrate maturity and dependability, and be comfortable effectively working with diverse populations. Rest assured, we provide comprehensive support and guidance to all our volunteers, ensuring you feel confident in your role.

Take advantage of this chance to make a difference. Contact us today to learn how you can start sharing your story with the next generation.

Approximately 3-10 youth and their parents listen to your story and ask questions. This group is geared towards restorative justice and helping youth understand how their actions impact victims and themselves. Volunteer speakers are asked to speak quarterly, or four times per year. Speaking engagements take place weekday evenings, between 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Volunteers should have a passion and patience for helping youth understand their decisions. Volunteers should also be comfortable speaking and connecting with diverse populations and be able to present their story in an appropriate way that is suitable and for youth. All groups are faciliated by social workers.

Please connect with us for more information!

Supportive and experienced individuals are needed to facilitate alcohol and drug recovery groups. Volunteers are asked to share their experience, strength and hope with community members who are new to recovery or seeking assistance to show that recovery does work.

Volunteers visit sites throughout Waukesha County (Health and Human Services, Jail, Huber, Mental Health Center, and more) with a partner to provide support for community members who have alcohol, drug dependency and other addictions. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and experiences. Annually our volunteers lead over 500 recovery groups. Each group is one hour in length and we ask volunteers to minimally assist with one group per month. Groups are currently run weekdays, weekends, and weeknights.

Interested volunteers must have personally experienced their own addiction and be active in a recovery program and must have minimum one year of sobriety. Please watch our information video or contact us today for more information!

Your role as a Volunteer Driver with Waukesha Co Health and Human Services is not just a role, it's a vital part of our community. By connecting people in our community with vital wellness appointments, you are making a significant difference in their lives.

As a Volunteer Driver, you have the power to set your schedule. Whether you prefer a few shifts a week or one or two per month, you can choose the days, times, and locations that suit you best. Most rides are Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the majority during the day. Don't worry if you're unsure about driving certain individuals. We are here to provide comprehensive training and all the necessary resources to equip you for the role. You can rest assured that you'll be well-prepared and supported every step of the way.

We welcome partners, spouses, or friends to volunteer for this together! Mileage reimbursement, flexible scheduling, ongoing training and support, and client gratitude are all perks of this position.

This is the perfect opportunity to make a difference in another person's life in a way that works with your busy schedule.

An Emergency Reception Center, also called a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC), screens and organizes volunteers during a disaster (tornado response) or emergency (missing person). They are a critical component to managing volunteer workforce in emergency response and recovery.

Waukesha County is building a team of volunteers to help manage and run our VRC in times of emergency. Volunteers will assist with organizing volunteers by registering, assigning shifts, screening and providing safety training. Shift lengths will vary depending on the disaster or emergency. The location of the VRC will also be dependent on these factors but will be in Waukesha County.

All those interested should contact us for more information and to sign up for one of our ongoing trainings. 

For more information please view this video: VRC Informational Video

Waukesha County operates a Teen Court- an alternate justice program for youth offenders based on the restorative justice model. In this court, teens who have committed offenses plead guilty, and then present their case to a jury of their peers. Other teens take on the role of prosecutor, defender, clerk of courts, jury foreman, and jury. The jury decides the consequences. We have been operating this program for over 10 years with a lot of success. The teens themselves are less likely to reoffend, they have a great opportunity for education, and they learn about the consequences of their actions.

We are seeking teen volunteers to be part of our jury. Teens will listen to testimony and, along with the entire jury, help determine the consequence.

All courts are held Thursdays evenings, typically the second and fourth of every month, or only the second Thursday of the month in June, July and August. Volunteer jurors are asked to commit to 1-2 shifts per month.

This is a great way for teens to learn about the justice system, promote positive change in their community, and meet like-minded people. Contact us today for more information!

Are you looking for an opportunity to assist others in need?
Are are you looking for an opportunity to make connections with other people in the community?
Are you looking for an opportunity to have impact on others and your community?
Are you looking for a flexible opportunity that works with your busy schedule?

If you answered yes to any of the above this might be the right option for you!
Our Volunteer Transportation Program connects adults and children in the community with vital health or well being appointments. These people living in your neighborhoods have no transportation options or resources and need help getting to appointments. All riders of the program are working with Health and Human Services in some capacity with a known need for transportation assistance.

Our drivers play a vital role in making these appointments happen.
Drivers have a very flexible schedule and can choose which days and rides work best for you and your schedule. Most rides are Monday-Friday from 7am-7pm, with the bulk during the day. You can choose to drive the same individual to weekly appointments, or drive new people each week.
We provide training for all types of individuals you might drive and provide you the resources necessary to drive them safely..

We welcome partners, spouses, or friends to volunteer for this together.

Mileage reimbursement, flexible scheduling, ongoing training and support, and lots of gratitude from clients are all perks of this position.

This is the perfect opportunity to truly make a difference in another person’s life and have fun doing it!