Volunteer With The Relatives
The Relatives relies on volunteers to help serve the youth and young adults who come to the Crisis Center and the On Ramp Resource Center. There are so many ways you can be Relative to youth in crisis.
The health, wellness, and safety of the youth we serve is our top priority. Please review our Health and Safety Guidelines
Volunteer Orientation
To ensure you have a meaningful volunteer experience, we kindly ask you to attend a virtual volunteer orientation.
Volunteer at Youth Crisis Center
Provide a Meal
Volunteers are needed to provide meals for the youth staying at the Crisis Center.
Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Dinner: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Homemade, Store-Bought or Uber Eats – we appreciate you nourishing our youth!
Prepare a Meal
Volunteers are needed to prepare a meal with the youth staying at the Crisis Center – a great family activity!
Host an Activity
Volunteers are needed to provide on-site or virtual activities evenings and weekends.
In-Kind Donation Attendant
Volunteers are needed to help The Relatives receive in-kind donations as well as inspecting, sorting, and organizing them. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to assist Crisis Center residents as they shop for items in the donation area. This opportunity can accommodate 2 to 6 volunteers* per shift.
*Minimum age without parental supervision for this opportunity is 15. Minimum age with parental supervision is 7.
Volunteer at On Ramp Resource Center
Provide a meal
Volunteers are needed to provide meals for the young adults who visit the On Ramp Resource Center, Monday through Friday.
Breakfast: 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Homemade, Store-Bought, or Uber Eats – we appreciate you nourishing our youth!
In-Kind Donation Attendant
Volunteers are needed to help The Relatives receive in-kind donations as well as inspecting, sorting, and organizing them. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to assist Resource Center participants as they shop for items in the donation area. This opportunity can accommodate 2 to 6 volunteers* per shift.
*Minimum age for this opportunity is 18 unless accompanied by a parent.
Host A Cooking Class
Not a professional chef? No worries – neither are we! Volunteers are needed to cook alongside our young adults. Cooking classes can range from eating healthy on a budget to how to make cupcakes.
Host a workshop
Volunteers are needed to teach workshops for the young adults at the On Ramp Resource Center.
Workshop examples include resume building, budgeting, interview skills, yoga, and customer service. Share your hobbies and interests with our young adults.
Tutor a teen or young adult*
Volunteer tutors are needed to assist our teens and young adults enrolled in GED tutoring classes, Monday through Friday anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Mentor a teen or young adult*
Volunteers are needed to serve as mentors* and offer guidance to the young adults who visit On Ramp seeking a stable future for themselves.
Click Here for the 90 Minute Mentor – Mentor Training Manual
Click Here for the GED Program Volunteer Guide
*Background screening is required.
Host a Lunch and Learn
Lunch and Learns are a great way for companies, organizations or groups to teach new skills to the young adults at On Ramp Resource Center, Monday through Friday.
Hours: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Maintenance Projects
The Relatives has maintenance projects available. Please contact Volunteer Engagement Officer Redia Baxter at rbaxter@therelatives.org to learn more.
Make Snack Packs or Hygiene Kits
Making snack packs ensures the young adults served by the On Ramp Resource Center have something to eat when they leave for the day. Hygiene kits can help our young adults feel clean until they’re able to access the showers at the Resource Center. Snack packs should include non-perishable items and a bottled water while hygiene kits should include travel-sized toiletries.
Do you have additional questions about volunteering with The Relatives?
Please contact Redia Baxter at 704-501-8258 or rbaxter@therelatives.org
Meet Our Volunteers
Jiya Williams
Jiya is the Information and Education Coordinator for Mecklenburg County, and through their Love Speaks Out program, she hosts educational workshops for the kids staying at our Crisis Center, teaching them about healthy relationships. Jiya is passionate about identifying pieces to the puzzle and striving for excellence. Her passion has led her to play a vital role in helping the next generation stop the cycle of domestic violence. She enjoys educating teens, strengthening community partnership, and planning events. Thank you for all you do for our kids Jiya!
Ulunda Baker
Ulunda Baker has supported the Relatives through volunteering for over 3 years. She first began supporting through her Corporate Employee Resource groups. In 2020, her and her family launched Serve Unity, an outreach organization out of Union County, NC. Through Serve Unity, she provides meals and fun virtual activities for the kids at our Crisis Center.
Meghan Jupiter – Slalom
Meghan Jupiter is a Sales Executive at Slalom Consulting. Meghan has been hosting workshops at On Ramp since 2018, and enjoys taking the time for the young adults to stretch their creatives minds with cookie decorating, making their own household cleaning supplies, and ornament painting to name a few of her popular workshops. Since joining Slalom Consulting in Charlotte she has involved her co-workers by involving them in the annual Christmas Gift Drive and most recently making over 180 snack-packs for the young adults. She is looking forward to being back in person soon to continue her workshops in-person!
Ted Northrup and Steve Hindman
“Seeing the pure joy when a client passes a test, learns to drive, or gets their driver’s license gives me an ‘ROI’ like nothing I ever experienced in my 40-year working career.” – Steve
“I have been volunteering with The Relatives for four years and have recently helped implement a standard of curriculum for all tutors and created a procedure to incentivize, encourage, and celebrate clients studying for their Ged tests.” – Ted Northrup
Mary Quinn
Mary Quinn is the Director of Financial Education at Common Wealth Charlotte (CWCLT). Mary has been hosting financial literacy workshops for the young adults at On Ramp since 2018. She is always ready to help - she makes sure everyone has access to this important material (her workshop is offered 4 times a week!), and takes the time to work one-on-one with some of our young adults who need extra guidance with their financials. She even helps our young adults set up their own bank account. Thank you for giving your time and talents to the young people at The Relatives! Check out Mary's awesome workshop here.
Shweta Mishra
Shweta has been such a great addition to our team of eight volunteer GED tutors! She spends an hour every week tutoring our young adults to prepare them for their GED exam, and she does a wonderful job at it! Having a GED is so important, and we really appreciate our volunteers who take the time to go over each practice test with our young adults.
Leigh Edwards
Leigh and her family been volunteering with The Relatives for over 14 years. They provide meals regularly for the young adults at our On Ramp Resource Center. Leigh's family enjoys supporting the Charlotte community with their philanthropic efforts in the areas of health, education, food, and shelter.
Alston & Bird
The staff at Alston & Bird LLP do so much for the youth at The Relatives! In addition to providing meals, hosting workshops and mock interviews, they have also worked with our young adults on learning more about how to get criminal records expunged. The attorneys at Alston & Bird have seen firsthand how a small infraction on a young adults' record can hold them back from getting a job or housing, and they have stepped in and provided services that are normally out of budget. Alston & Bird has also supported The Relatives by sponsoring our Breakfast with The Relatives fundraiser since 2009. We are so grateful for all the ways you support our mission!
Campbell Stack
The Relatives appealed to me because of the opportunity to make an impact on a lot of kids in a short time. With The Relatives I get to meet different kids every time I visit.
The best part of working with The Relatives is seeing so much potential!
