You can make a difference!

Fortress Youth Development Center relies heavily on volunteers to implement its programs and help raise awareness and money for its mission. There are opportunities for groups and individuals, and for single events, projects, or ongoing work.

Whether your prefer to work with kids or behind the scenes, you too can ignite hope in the lives of urban youth!

Contact our Volunteer Coordinator for scheduling or questions. Dani@fwydc.org

Volunteers Sheri and Victoria share their
scrapbooking expertise with JJ and U'Nique.

A one-time gift or a recurring donation...every little bit helps. Our kids count on Fortress. Fortress counts on you.

Click here to download the Volunteer Manual.
Click here to download a Volunteer Application.
Click here to download a background check form.
Click here to download a Release and Waiver of Liability
Volunteers must be 16 years of age unless accompanied by a parent who is also volunteering.

Completed applications and forms should be emailed to dani@fwydc.org or delivered to
Fortress YDC
712 E Stella St
Fort Worth, TX  76104

Upon completion and return of these forms, you will be contacted for an interview. We’ll give you a tour of the building, explain the needs of each of our programs, and help you decide which volunteer opportunities will bless you and benefit Fortress. We’re looking forward to meeting you!

SCHOOL-YEAR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Provide or Serve Dinner
Monday - Thursday, Fortress offers a home-cooked dinner for our students before they go home for the evening. Dinner is served at 5:45. Provide and serve meal for students weekly, monthly, or quarterly.

Provide Groceries
Run a donation drive for groceries for our dinners and after-school snacks. (Our needs list is here.)

Teach or Assist in preschool classroom
Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30 - 12:30.

Reading Lab
Monday - Thursday, 3:30 - 5:30 - Read with and to beginning readers.

Homework Help & Tutoring
Monday - Thursday, 3:30 - 4:10 - Help elementary students complete their homework and tutor as needed.

Be a Mentor
Monday - Thursday, 3:30 - 5:45 - Spend one hour per week establishing and cultivating a meaningful, encouraging relationship with a student. Requires a weekly commitment for the duration of the school year. Visit our IGNITE page for  details about the mentoring program.

Scrapbooking Ministry
Teach basic or advanced scrapbooking techniques, or just open our scrapbooking room to the moms of our students. Mondays or Wednesdays between 9:30 and 2:00. Weekly or monthly commitment required. (All supplies are provided.)

SUMMER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Be a SICK Teacher!
Tuesdays 1:00 - 2:00. Special Interest Clubs for Kids take place during our summer program. Past clubs have included Chess, Scrapbooking, Science, Rocketry, Fashion, and Cooking. What hobby or skills do you enjoy that you could share with 6-8 students at Fortress? Three- or six-week commitment required.

Feed Our Adult Volunteers
Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday, 11:30 - 12:30. Fortress kids enjoy a city-sponsored lunch each afternoon, but it's limited to children and youth under the age of 18. Our 20-25 adult staff and volunteers need to eat, too!

Rewards Store
Thursdays, 12:30- 2:30. Students have the opportunity to spend hard-earned Behavior Bucks each Thursday during the summer. Help stock and run our Rewards Store and help kids spend wisely or encourage them to save for bigger rewards.

YEAR-ROUND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Receptionist
Answer the phones and the front door during our high-traffic times - drop-off and pick-up of students, and arrival/departures of volunteers. During the school year, our biggest need is Monday - Thursday between 2:30 and 6:30. During the summer, our biggest need is Monday - Thursday from 12:30 - 2:30.

IT/Computer Help
As needs arise - networking new computers, troubleshooting IT issues, advising us on other network and website needs.

Maintenence Work
As needs arise - light maintenence of plumbing, electrical, and lawn.

Minor Construction Projects
As needs arise - small construction projects such as wall repair, painting, shelving, etc.

Birthday Parties
Monthly - provide birthday cake and small gifts for students with birthdays that month.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Fall for Fortress Annual Auction and Dinner (October 29, 2011)
    Serve on Procurement Committee and help secure donations of items to be auctioned
    Serve on Sponsorship Committee and help secure corporate and individual sponsorships
    Serve on Involvement Committee and be the liaison for your church/group's involvement
    Volunteer Coordinator - oversee Event Day volunteer crews
    Volunteer Crews - day of event - set-up, decoration, dinner prep, clean-up, check-in/check-out
    
GROUP VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Summer JAM mission groups
(please see our Summer JAM page for information)

Fun Fridays
Host dinner and games (or other activity) for our elementary and middle school kids on a Friday afternoon/evening at Fortress. We schedule a Fun Friday once per month - you choose the month and the day that works best for your group.

Work Weekend
Tackle a project such as reorganiing our library, deep-cleaning our building, creating decorations for an upcoming event, painting classrooms, organizing closets, cleaning neighborhood lots - there is always plenty of work to be done!

Fortress Counts!
Organize a donation drive for Fortress. We always need after-school snacks and juice boxes, paper products, copy paper, dinner groceries, baby wipes, etc.

Prayer Drive
Let us take your group or family on a tour of the Fortress neighborhood. We'll share the area's rich history and the current struggles it faces. We'll stop twice to focus on our most pressing concerns: at Evans Plaza, we'll pray for the economic redevelopment of this community, and at Hillside Park, we'll pray for the children and families who live here. We'll also drive through the Butler housing projects and Homeless Row before returning to Fortress. The Prayer Drive is always a powerful testimony to the work God is doing through Fortress YDC, and is often an eye-opening and heart-awakening experience. To schedule or to ask questions about the Prayer Drive, contact stacy@fwydc.org or call the office at 817.335.1007.

Our Greatest Need - commitment
It takes money to keep our programs running, and individual donors are our greatest need. Please consider helping us continue to make a difference in the lives of urban youth.  Click here to donate once, or to set up a recurring donation plan.
 

 49 Ways You Can Make A Difference