Participating Guidelines
Participation Guidelines
Certain practices are in place to ensure positive and safe volunteering experiences at CCA.
- Drug Free Policy: The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of a controlled substance is not allowed in CCA program sites. Additionally, volunteers may not be impaired by any substance while serving. Such action may result in your immediate dismissal from thevolunteer position.
- Non-Smoking Policy: Smoking or vaping by our employees, volunteers, clients, or vendors in any interior offices or spaces of any building occupied by CCA is not allowed. There is also no smoking permitted within 20 feet of any entryway, vent, or doorway to interior buildings.
- Time & Attendance: Volunteers are responsible for showing up for their scheduled shift. If you will be absent the day you are scheduled to volunteer, you must notify the site supervisor and cancel your reservation in the volunteer system at least 24 business hours in advance to allow another volunteer to take that spot. After three cancellations less than 24 hours in advance or three no call/no show in a 90-day period, your account will be suspended for 30 days.
- Dress Code: As a volunteer, you are responsible for presenting a positive image to clients and to the community as a representative of CCA. You should dress appropriately for the conditions and performance of your duties. No short shorts (shorts need to be no more than 4 inches above the knee), and closed shoes are required when working in the Food Pantry and warehouse.
- Property Policy: As a volunteer at CCA, you will respect the property of CCA and the personal property of other volunteers and staff.
- Driving Policies: Volunteers are not permitted to use powered pallet jacks, forklifts, or any other powered equipment at CCA. Please ask permission to use manual pallet jacks after receiving operating instructions. Volunteer drivers are required to complete a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) background check.
- Safety: CCA is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for staff and volunteers as well as persons and families served. Each program will provide volunteers with information on facility safety plans and safety protocols related to the assigned volunteer position.
- Liability and Insurance: In May of 1997,Congress approved legislation that shields volunteers for nonprofit organizations from liability lawsuits. HR911 limits the occasions when volunteers, as well as directors, officers, and trustees, may be sued in connection with their actions on behalf of a nonprofit. While the legislation removes a volunteer(but not the nonprofit) from liability if an individual commits negligent acts or omissions while acting within the scope of his or her responsibility, it does not protect the person if such acts were caused by willful or criminal misconduct or gross negligence.
- Confidentiality Policy: CCA recognizes confidentiality as a living principle based on the sanctity and dignity of the human person. Therefore, the agency will respect the privacy of personal information of those it serves or employs. You are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of all information to which you are exposed while serving as a volunteer, whether this information involves staff members, volunteers, clients, or other people or involves overall program or agency business. Failure to maintain confidentiality may result in termination or other corrective action.
- Harassment Policy: CCA is committed to a work environment that is professional and harassment-free for all employees and volunteers. Harassment includes, without limitations, verbal, physical, visual, and innuendo. It also includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical contact and other verbal or physical conduct, or visual forms of harassment of sexual nature when submission to such conduct is either explicitly or implicitly made a term or condition of employment or is used as the basis for unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment for employees and volunteers.
Volunteers should report any issues to their supervisor.
- Personal Involvement with Clients: If your volunteer position involves working directly with clients, it is important to maintain boundaries with them and to keep your relationship professional, not personal.
Ending Volunteer Service Resignation & Leave of Absence Your volunteer position may conclude at the end of a particular project, event, or set-time period, but you are also free to end your volunteer service with CCA at any time. Because volunteers are so important to the programs and agency, however, we request that you provide advance notice of your departure and a reason for your decision.
- Termination: You may be terminated from your position as a volunteer for a variety of reasons. Some of these include gross misconduct, or insubordination, being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, theft or property or misuse of agency equipment and materials, abuse or mistreatment of clients or coworkers, failure to abide by agency policies and procedures, failure to meet physical or mental standards of performance, and failure to satisfactory perform assigned duties.
- Exit Surveys: When you leave your position, you will be given an opportunity to fill out an exit survey detailing why you are ending your service. The exit survey is also a great place to give us any further comments about your experience and to provide any potential ideas for improvements.
We appreciate your willingness to volunteer with CCA! For questions or more information about this handbook, please contact Laurie Moran, Volunteer Coordinator at 972-219-4311 or laurie.moran@ccahelps.org.
