Opportunities From: Treetops Collective

Sarafina will be running a 6-week session of Circles of Support and is in need of childcare support so mommas can participate. The first Circle will be on Thursday, March 12, 5-7p. Future Circle dates will be determined and added shortly!

Kala will be beginning a 6-week session of Circles of Support on Saturday, March 21, and will need childcare support to ensure that one of her participants is able to take part in this time of investing in her mental health and wellbeing. Circles will run from 11:30am to 1:30pm at Treetops. Sign up for one shift, all 6 shifts, or anything in between - thank you for your support!

Eliana will be running a 6-week session of Circles of Support and is in need of childcare support so mommas can participate. Circles will be on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00p. Sign up for one week, all six, or anything in between - thank you! 

Community members will be invited to a Mental Health Workshop at Treetops on Saturday, April 4, from 2:00 to 4:00pm. We could use help with transportation to ensure that women who would like to attend are able to do so! 

Pick-ups will be 1:00-2:00p, and drop-offs will be 4:00-5:00p. If you're able to do roundtrip transportation, please sign up for both shifts; you're welcome to stay at Treetops and enjoy the workshop, stay at Treetops and find a cozy corner to do your own thing, or leave and come back - whichever feels best to you!

Community members will be invited to a Mental Health Workshop on Saturday, April 4, 2-4p at Treetops. Having childcare volunteers onsite would enable women to come to the workshop, so we would greatly appreciate your help in that!

Concentric Graduation is right around the corner, and we are in need of transportation volunteers for that day!! We welcome you to attend the graduation (it is SUCH a special celebration of the program members) if you're able to provide both pick-ups and drop-offs. That being said, if you're only able to offer one-way transportation, we will happily accept your help!

Pick-ups will need to happen between 2:00 and 3:00 - the event starts at 3:00.

Drop-offs will be between 6:00 and 7:00!

Concentric Graduation is coming up (Saturday, April 18, 3:00-6:00p at Treetops), and we'll need several childcare volunteers to keep kids engaged so their mommas can focus on celebrating their accomplishments during their year in the Concentric program!

We will have older kids (ages 9 and up) in the Circles Room, and younger kids in the playroom. Please let me know if you have a strong preference for which room you're placed in, otherwise we'll make those decisions the day of the event when we see how many kids are in each room!

Marla, Drivers' Training and Special Projects Manager, will be hosting three orientations for new participants in our drivers' training program this year. We will need childcare volunteers to ensure that women are able to attend and learn valuable information, expectations, and guidelines for their time in the program! Sign up for one, two, or all three dates!

Marla, Drivers' Training and Special Projects Manager, will be hosting three orientations for new participants in our drivers' training program this year. We will need transportation volunteers to ensure that women are able to attend and learn valuable information, expectations, and guidelines for their time in the program!

Shifts will be split into pick-ups and drop-offs. Please register for both shifts if you can provide transportation both ways! The orientations will be 3 hours long, so if you are able to provide round-trip transportation, you are welcome to stick around Treetops or go do whatever you'd like to do during that time. 

Orientation dates: March 25, 5-8p; June 4, 5-8p; June 13, 10a-1p. Please note that pick-up and drop-off shifts are scheduled for the hour before the orientation and the hour after. 

Concentric Graduation is a beautiful celebration of the 56 newcomer women who have completed a year in the Concentric program, and we need your help to make the event a success! 

We need the following shifts filled:

Gift packaging volunteers (assemble gift packages for program members): Tuesday, April 14, 1:30-3:30p

Set-up volunteers: Friday, April 17, 10:30a-1:30p

Food prep volunteers (put food out on trays ahead of event): Saturday, April 18, 12:30-1:30p

There are separate volunteer opportunities for childcare during the event and transportation to/from the event. Please take a peek and register for those as you are able - they're a big need, as well!

Work a shift (or regular shifts!) in Treetops’ retail space at 906 Division. Help out with tasks like folding, organizing, putting new products out, processing sales, and more. No experience needed, just a willingness to jump in and have fun!

Tuesdays 9-12 and 12-3

Wednesdays 9-12 and 12-3

Thursdays 9-12 and 12-3

Sign up for one shift or both shifts on any given day, depending on your availability. 

Please note that we ask that volunteers not bring children for these shifts. The sewing equipment in the shop area can be an unsafe environment for curious littles! 

Cafe hosts needed! On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, we will need volunteer support to do a short opening checklist, ensure that customers are welcomed warmly and introduced to how payment works, and do a short closing checklist. Volunteers are welcome to bring homework, their own remote work, a book to read, or a craft to do... anything to fill your time between customers! Shifts are from 9:00 to 12:00 for the morning, and 12:00 to 3:00 for the afternoon. 

We would like to prioritize volunteers who are here on a regular basis. If possible, please sign up for at least 2 shifts each month.

We will do a training with you on your first shift, and there will always be Treetops staff in the shop (and often throughout the building!) while you are there. 

Concentric Club (Treetops' teen program) will be gathering on the campus of Aquinas College for their final Cross-Cultural Community event of the year on Saturday, March 28, 3:30-5:30p. We anticipate needing transportation volunteers to help bring girls to/from the event. You are more than welcome to attend the event itself if you are able to provide round-trip transportation - it's always a beautiful time of connection and fun! One-way transportation help is also greatly appreciated if you aren't able to provide round-trip.

Perris will be kicking off another 10-week Teen Social Enterprise Internship, this time with teens from Union High School, and will need help with transportation! You will be asked to pick the teens up at Union (dismissal is around 2:20p) and bring them to Treetops, and/or bring them home from Treetops at 4:30. If you're able to offer transportation both ways, please register for both shifts. Thank you!

Debbie will be starting a 6-week session of Circles of Support for the Kinyarwanda-speaking community on Tuesday, March 10, and will need childcare volunteers to ensure that women are able to attend. Please sign up if you're able to help, whether for one day or for all six. 

We invite you to attend an in-person information and training session before signing up to volunteer with Treetops Collective. After attending, you will be able to sign up for Treetops Volunteer Opportunities and Cross-Cultural Partnership. This training is required for anyone interested in becoming a Cross-Cultural Partner. During the training, we will talk about Treetops' mission, the volunteer experience, and information on the principles of mutuality, trauma, and cultural exchange.

This training is in-person at 906 Division Ave South Grand Rapids MI 49507, parking is located on the street or side lot.

Only one orientation is required, you may sign up for an in-person or virtual session, whichever fits your availability best.

Any questions or concerns? Please email maryanne@treetopscollective.org

We invite you to attend a virtual information and training session before signing up to volunteer with Treetops Collective. After attending, you will be able to sign up for Treetops Volunteer Opportunities and Cross-Cultural Partnership. This virtual training is required for anyone interested in becoming a Cross-Cultural Partner. During the training, we will talk about Treetops' mission, the volunteer experience, and information on the principles of mutuality, trauma, and cultural exchange.

You will receive the Zoom link for this virtual training the week of.  Please use that link to log into the session.

Only one orientation is required; you may sign up for an in-person or virtual session, whichever fits your availability best. 

Any questions or concerns? Please email maryanne@treetopscollective.org

A new cohort of women are beginning their 15 months as Concentric Leaders! The first 12 weeks consist of 8 hours/week of intensive orientation: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30a-1:30p, at Treetops. One of the leaders is in need of help with childcare for her toddler girl during those times.

If you are able to help but can't stay for the full 4 hours, feel free to sign up, but please shoot me an email to  let me know what timeframe you can help (volunteer@treetopscollective.org). 

Join us for three Cross-Cultural Community Events this school year! With our shift into a school-based model for the teen program, these events will take the place of what were previously 1:1 partnerships with teens. To that end, we will give preference to volunteers who can commit to 2-3 of the events so the teens and volunteers can get to know each other through consistent events with one another. 

Events will be curated to maximize connection through shared food, fun, and activities! Volunteers will be asked to help with transportation if possible (though we will not exclude you from participating in the events if you're unable to help in that way), but the volunteers' main mission will be to connect with the teens!

October and January events will be held at Treetops; the March event may be held at Aquinas College. Stay tuned for details as the dates get closer!

The Treetops Drivers' Training program is in need of volunteers who would be willing to share their vehicle and their time with members of the program as they do their practice driving hours. Volunteers can be men or women (we will take the members' comfort into account and require a 3rd passenger, as desired), and must be at least 21 years old.

It is often a hardship for program members to find someone to ride along for their practice drives, so we would love to have a long line-up of volunteers who can commit to a minimum of 2 hours per week for 10 weeks at a time. This would be the same 2 hours each week, for consistency and ease of scheduling.

You will receive a short training and ongoing support and communication from both Marla (Driver's Training Program Manager) and Andrew (head of Cox-McKenzie Driving School). The program will begin again in April/May.

Feel free to reach out to me (maryanne@treetopscollective.org) if you have any questions before registering to volunteer in this capacity!

Please respond to this opportunity if you are interested in receiving emails as childcare needs arise. These needs are typically quite sporadic, and having a list of interested volunteers helps us know where to start when the need does come up!

Please respond to this opportunity if you are interested in receiving emails as transportation needs arise. These needs are typically quite sporadic, and having a list of interested volunteers helps us know where to start when the need does come up! 

Do you (or anyone you know) have expertise in solving internet connectivity issues? We could use your (or their) help at The 906! Please respond to this opportunity or simply reach out by email to MaryAnne (maryanne@treetopscollective.org)! 

Last year, during our first year of Concentric Club in four area high schools, we received some requests from Club members (refugee/immigrant teen girls) who were looking for academic support. We looked into already-existing tutoring services in the area, and we found that those services were not always accessible to the girls who needed them (not through any fault of those offering the tutoring services, but due to full rosters/scheduling/transportation needs/other obligations). To that end, we are offering academic support/mentorship to any Concentric Club members who request that for the current school year.

As an academic support mentor, you will be paired 1:1 with a teen and will meet once a week for 60-90 minutes in her home, at her school, virtually, or at Treetops. This time will consist of relationship-building time, homework help, and English worksheets if applicable (provided by Treetops). We will provide loose "plans" for your time together, in the hopes that you will allow the teen to have agency and choice over how you spend the time. 

You do not have to be an expert in reading, writing, or math... you just have to be willing to show up and be a consistent presence in the teen's life... and be ready and willing to learn from her, as well!

If you've been to Treetops, you know that we have a beautiful and welcoming space. We would love your help to ensure that the building remains safe and lovely for all of the people who enter our doors. If you enjoy working in any of the following areas, please sign up! There is not a specific time commitment, given the nature of the tasks; we will follow up with you directly when you sign up and determine what you are willing and able to help with, then will communicate with you as those types of needs come up!

If these areas are not your forte, but you're thinking of someone who might be excited about this type of volunteering, please share this opportunity with them and/or connect them directly with me via email: maryanne@treetopscollective.org. Thank you!!

General Building Maintenance

Basic repairs (patching holes, tightening loose fixtures, replacing light bulbs, adjusting doors/hinges, fixing squeaky or sticking locks)

Painting touch-ups and wall maintenance

Small carpentry projects (building or repairing shelving, etc.)

Checking and restocking supplies (toilet paper, paper towels, soap, trash bags)

Safety & Systems

Hanging smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and exit lights

Assisting with emergency preparedness tasks (marking exits, signage, etc.)

Minor plumbing fixes (unclogging drains, tightening faucets, replacing toilet parts)

Basic electrical help (changing outlets/switch covers, thermostats, replacing ceiling lights)

Cleaning & Organizing

Deep cleaning projects (kitchen appliances, baseboards, windows, carpets, childcare room, tables/chairs)

Organizing storage rooms, closets, and supplies

Outdoor & Groundskeeping

Gardening/weeding and seasonal planting

Snow shoveling/plowing/salting in winter

Power washing sidewalks or exterior walls

Exterior touch-ups (painting railings, clearing gutters)

Installing outdoor flood lights

Special Projects

Helping with furniture assembly or disassembly

Installing signage, shelving, etc.

Seasonal décor setup/takedown

9-12 month commitment, 4 hours a month

Cross-Cultural Partners walk alongside New American women as friends and allies for 9-12 months, learning from one another and growing together. You will experience life together, meet in each other’s homes and other local places, meet family members, attend Treetops’ gatherings, share meals, practice English, and go on excursions around Grand Rapids.

In order to become a Cross-Cultural Partner, you must first attend the Cross-Cultural Partner training. Please sign up for that in the opportunities section now! 

What gifts and abilities would you like to share with the Treetops Collective community? We would love for you to get involved! Respond to this opportunity, and we will connect with you.