Volunteer Opportunities
Parenting is Hard. You Can Help.
Join us in creating safe spaces where parents can share their experiences no matter where they are on their parenting journey.
Open Volunteer Positions
All volunteers must pass a CORI check.
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Empower parents and strengthen families by volunteering as a Parent Stress Line Counselor with Parents Helping Parents. Provide empathy, support, and referrals to caregivers in need, all from the comfort of your home. Join our dedicated team and make a difference in the lives of parents facing various challenges.
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Help empower parents and strengthen families by volunteering as a Virtual Parent Support Group Facilitator with Parents Helping Parents. Provide vital support and create a safe, confidential space for caregivers to share and connect. Make a meaningful impact from the comfort of your home.
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Make a meaningful impact by volunteering as a Parent Support Group Facilitator in various correctional facilities in the Greater Boston Area. Provide essential support and guidance to parents, helping them stay connected with their children.
What Our Volunteers Are Saying...
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“Being a Facilitator, even only for a short time, has really opened my heart up. I have a much greater understanding of and appreciation for others' resilience, empathy, and deep insight. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share an evening with such an unbelievably open and soulful group of people.”
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“Parents come to talk about some of the most personal and difficult problems a family can face. They all help one another and in the process also help themselves. My job as a Facilitator is to make the group a safe place to talk about anything and of course to listen.”
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“Volunteering as a Facilitator has given me the opportunity to watch parents grow and make positive changes in their lives and in the lives of their families. Parents quickly learn that they are not the 'only ones' with issues. Tears are often replaced by smiles and laughter and an inner peace replaces anger.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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No, while being a parent brings a particular kind of knowledge to the table, it is the passion for helping parents that makes a good volunteer.
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Parents Helping Parents asks new volunteers to make a 6-month commitment after completing training. Many of our volunteers choose to continue beyond that, serving with us for additional months or even years. For the Parent Stress Line, this means at least one 3 hour shift a week. For a group facilitator, it means facilitating at least one group a week. Groups are 1 hour commitment plus minimal additional time for consulting and processing with co-facilitator.
All volunteers are required to attend a 3 hour virtual orientation and a series of topic training that occur once a month for 3 hours.
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Strong communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills
An ability to listen more than talk
Empathic, supportive, and non-judgmental approach
Ability to employ a strength-based, parent empowerment model
Comfort with online databases
Comfort using technology (computers, tablets, cell phones)
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Volunteers should be comfortable with smartphone technology and have access to strong internet.
All volunteers must pass a CORI check.
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Our volunteer training consists of five hours of live virtual sessions, divided into two parts. Please note that this is not asynchronous—you’ll need to attend both sessions live.
The first session provides an introduction to Parents Helping Parents, including our history and our trauma-informed, mutual aid helping model—where members support one another through trust, validation, shared experience, and collective wisdom.
The second session focuses on your specific volunteer role, whether that’s serving on the Parent Stress Line or facilitating a support group.
After training, we provide ongoing support and supervision to ensure you always have guidance and resources throughout your volunteer experience.