HOW TO HELP:

How to Help:
Volunteer
Criteria (LINKS TO RESOURCES/FORMS)
A volunteer can choose how much they want to help out and do not have to attend meetings. You can clean cat cages, help with the annual garage sale, help coordinate a fundraiser, pick up donations, help transport animals to adoption events, help schedule cat room cages, or many other options available. Check out the Volunteer Agreement.

Socializer
What is a cat socializer?

Our cat socializers are caring people that we train to spend time with the felines we have up at PetSmart awaiting adoption. The first time cat that comes into this scenario will typically be shy and withdrawn. The first time kittens more than likely will be a tad aggressive. We have people to spend time with these animals outside of the cage they are kept in and they interact with them in a safe, secure environment be it brushing them, playing with toys, or just getting near them and talking to them. The object is to help these cats and kittens adjust to their environment and show the best side of themselves to their potential families.

Fostering
A foster family is a temporary family for an animal under JCHS care. The time can vary from one week to over a year depending on how easy it is to place the animal, how much socialization the foster family gives the animal and many other considerations. On becoming a foster parent you will sign a legally binding agreement which can be seen under our “Forms” tab. You have to be over 18 yrs of age, meet all the fostering requirements, pass the pre-foster home visit, have your references verified, etc. Becoming a foster parent is not a step to be taken lightly. You have to be able to give your love to the animal and be prepared to surrender the animal to its new permanent owners. Many foster families find they become too attached and want to adopt the animal.

VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT:

Volunteer Agreement and Code of Conduct

These are our detailed policies regarding volunteers with Johnson County Humane Society (JCHS); most of these are not included in your orientation. These policies cover the definition of a volunteer, confidentiality, safety, communications, ending your role as a volunteer with JCHS and dismissal of a volunteer.

Purpose of Volunteer Policies
These policies are written to provide overall guidance and direction to volunteers engaged in volunteer involvement. These policies do not constitute, either implicitly or explicitly, a binding contractual or personnel agreement. JCHS reserves the exclusive right to change any of these policies at any time and to expect adherence to the changed policy.

Definition of “Volunteer”
A “volunteer” is anyone who, without compensation or expectation of compensation beyond pre-approved reimbursement, performs a task at the direction of and on behalf of JCHS. A “volunteer” must be officially accepted and enrolled by JCHS prior to performance of the task. JCSH will require your full name, address, phone number and email address.

Service at the Discretion of JCHS
JCHS accepts the service of all volunteers with the understanding that such service is at the sole discretion of JCHS. You agree that JCHS may at any time, for whatever reason, decide to terminate your relationship with JCHS. You will retain ownership of any and all pre-existing products, materials, and tools unless you have donated them to JCHS. You may at any time, for whatever reason, decide to sever your relationship with JCHS. Notice of such a decision should be communicated as soon as possible to the Volunteer Coordinator. You will return any and all materials, documents, or other properties provided by JCHS.

Confidentiality
You, as a volunteer, are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all proprietary or privileged information to which they are exposed while serving as a volunteer, whether this information involves a single staff, volunteer, associate, or other person or involves overall JCHS business. Failure to maintain confidentiality may result in termination of your relationship with JCHS or other corrective action.

Safety
The safety of our volunteers is important to us. To that end, JCHS will not release a volunteer’s phone number, age, contact information (including email addresses) or other personal information to anyone outside of our organization or to other volunteers without that volunteer’s written permission to do so.

Ending Your Volunteer Role
You can cease volunteering with JCHS upon the completion of any volunteer assignment, or when you are not currently engaged in an assignment. It is understood that you will send us an e-mail to let us know that you will no longer be volunteering with us and the reason why.

Dismissal of a Volunteer
Volunteers who do not adhere to the rules and procedures of JCHS or who fail to satisfactorily perform their volunteer assignment are subject to dismissal. No volunteer will be terminated until the volunteer has had an opportunity to discuss the reasons for possible dismissal with the Volunteer Coordinator. Possible grounds for dismissal may include, but are not limited to, the following: gross misconduct or insubordination, theft of property or misuse of JCHS materials, abuse or
mistreatment of animals, associates or other volunteers, failure to abide by JCHS policies and procedures, and failure to satisfactorily perform assigned duties.
Johnson County Humane Society Volunteer
By: ____________________________ By: ________________________________________
Date: __________________________ Date: ______________________________________

Address:
__________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Phone: ____________________________________________
Email: _____________________________________________