YSS

Summer Enrichment is a 7-week program to prevent summer learning loss and ensure kids get a nutritional meal. Ages range from K-8th grades. We have four centers: STEM, PE, literacy, and theme.

Volunteer Shifts & Dates (2 hour minimum)
Ames 11:00AM - 3:00PM | June 13th - July 21st (Closed July 4)
Nevada 8:30AM - 12:30PM | June 13th - July 21st (Closed July 4)
Collins 8:30AM - 12:30PM | June 6th - July 14th (Closed July 4)

• Classroom assistant: Consistently be with one age group of youth, traveling with them to each center. Be an additional set of hands and eyes; support youth throughout the day.

• Center assistant: Consistently be stationed at one of the four centers to be able to assist within that center

Impact volunteers have a genuine interest working with youth, are patient and positive, engage in activities, and help youth develop positive peer and adult relationships by being a positive role model.

Shifts: MTR: 3:30pm-5:00pm | W: 1:30pm-5:00pm
Locations: Collins-Maxwell School and Colo-Nesco School

Impact Teen Club is a youth-driven program that promotes leadership opportunities, youth voice & choice, skill building activities, reflection, and relationships for 6th-8th graders in Collins-Maxwell and Colo-Nesco schools. A typical day starts after school with homework and snack, group game, and TOP lesson or Community Service Learning project. 

Volunteers at our donation center help organize apparel and shoes donations we receive. Put away new donations and rotate the old ones per season, helping us keep the space organized and better for our youth to access. 

Volunteer size: 1-10 volunteers
Volunteer hours: 2-4 hours (depending on need), mornings or afternoons

Get involved with our signature fundraiser: Reggie's Sleepout! Held at Drake Stadium in the fall, Reggie's Sleepout raises awareness for youth homelessness, and donations to provide programming to homeless youth. Reggie's Sleepout will be held in October 2025

Visit www.yss.org/rso to learn more.

Work alongside our Meal Program Manager to prepare and serve meals at our Youth Opportunity Center - 612 Locust in Des Moines. Meals are served at 12:00PM for lunch and 5:00PM for dinner. 

Volunteer hours (flexible): 10:30AM - 12:30 PM or 3:30PM - 5:30PM Monday - Friday
Volunteer group size: 1-4 volunteers

Be a professional role model working 1:1 with young adults in our programs at Iowa Homeless Youth Centers, a YSS organization in downtown Des Moines. 

These volunteers will go on a list and as a few of our larger events are being planned & held, or special projects that come up at YSS.  You will be contacted to see if you're available to help.  

This is an event held on a Saturday in July that requires different shifts of volunteers to assist with set-up at the store front (could be: WalMart/Fareway/Target/HyVee/Sam's Club), and then approaching customers as they enter the store and telling them we're with YSS and collecting much needed supply items for our many programs and would they help by purchasing something off our list- (a list is handed to them with the specific items)-and drop it off with us on their way out. Volunteers need to help with collecting the items, loading the items in vans, and bringing all the donations to the YSS Jacobson Building and unloading everything there. 

There are also hours available after the event to help sort and inventory all the supplies. 

This is an event held on a Saturday in June or July that requires different shifts of volunteers to assist with set-up at the store front (could be: WalMart/Fareway/Target/HyVee/Sam's Club), and then approaching customers as they enter the store and telling them we're with YSS and collecting much needed supply items for our many programs and would they help by purchasing something off our list- (a list is handed to them with the specific items)-and drop it off with us on their way out. Volunteers need to help with collecting the items, loading the items in vans, and bringing all the donations to the YSS location in Des Moines and unloading everything there. 

There are also hours available after the event to help sort and inventory all the supplies.