Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Volunteering with A Wider Circle
I want to volunteer! How do I sign up?
Register for an account on our site. If you have been an active volunteer since January 2023, you may already have an account with us if you were registered as a volunteer with us via Signup.com. Please see our welcome page for instructions and how to get help registering.
Once registered, you can sign up online for our volunteer opportunities here.
If you are a new volunteer, or it has been a while since you have served with us, you will be asked to complete an orientation before you begin volunteering with us.
How do I sign up for an opportunity?
Search for opportunities through the opportunities page or based on the program you're interested in. You can also view opportunities by date, using the Calendar.
Individual volunteers: Click the "RESPOND" button and select your shift(s), or scroll down to the shift listing and click the "RESPOND INDIVIDUALLY" next to the shift(s) for which you want to sign up. You will need to create an account if you do not already have one.
Groups (5+ people): We would love to work with you to host your group for a volunteer event! Visit this page to put in your request and we will get back to you in two business days.
What are 'Qualifications'?
Some of our volunteer opportunities require additional qualifications, such as position-specific training. You will be notified when a qualification is required to respond to an opportunity. You can go to your Qualifications, to submit any of your qualifications.
How do I sign my volunteer waiver?
All volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Waiver prior to volunteering. For directions on how to sign your volunteer waiver, follow this link. If you are still having issues signing your waiver, please email (volunteer@awidercircle.org) or call (301-608-3504) the volunteer office for assistance.
Can I just show up? Why not?
To create a safe and enjoyable volunteer experience, every volunteer needs to register in advance and sign up for an opportunity that has available slots in a shift. This helps our staff prepare for volunteers and ensures we don’t have too many people on-site at one time.
if you'd like to volunteer with a friend or a family member, please either register individually or take separate slots in the shifts. Please don't write in the notes section that you're bringing along a friend or relative.
How do I cancel my shift?
Log-in to your volunteer account and visit your opportunity responses to either edit your response or unregister from your shift.
To cancel a Group response: If you need to cancel your group's response, visit the My Teams page to edit your team's response or unregister your team from that opportunity.
If you're not able to use the site to cancel or reschedule, please call us at 301-608-3504 or email volunteer@awidercirle.org.
How do I check in / check out of shifts?
Visit the Volunteer Kiosk, at the front desk and the front of the warehouse, at the start and end of your shift.
Volunteers can also use the Volunteer App. You can download this on Apple or Google Play to check in & out of your shifts!
How do I use the Volunteer App?
The Volunteer App is available on Apple or Google Play. With the App, you can:
- See your schedule
- Get alerts, including location-based notifications when you arrive at your volunteer site
- Check in & out of your volunteer shifts
Where can I access my volunteer information?
In the top black menu bar, you will see a circle with your initials. Click on the circle with your initials and you will see a drop-down menu and one of the choices will be to "view profile". Click on "view profile" to see your volunteer information.
How do I check my volunteer schedule?
The top black menu bar has a "Calendar" tab. Clicking this will take you to a calendar view of all the shifts you are signed up for. You can also click your profile icon (a circle with your initials) in the top black menu bar. The dropdown menu will include a volunteer schedule option that will take you to a similar calendar view of your shifts.
I'm not getting email notifications about my shift. How do I fix this?
This most likely means that our notification emails are getting sent to Spam. To undo this: Go to your Spam folder > find & open an email from us > and select Not Spam. This should allow the messages to go straight to your Inbox instead!
Can you sign my form showing that I completed volunteer hours?
Yes. We can sign paper forms or digital forms. Please bring your form with you to your volunteer shift and present it to a Volunteer Team staff member after your shift is complete. If you are a Montgomery County Public School student, we sign SSL forms once per quarter.
Do you accept court-ordered community service volunteers?
Yes we do. Court-ordered community service volunteers should visit our Court Ordered Community Service page and fill out the form on the page. A member of the Volunteer Team will be in contact within 2 business days to determine if you meet our qualifications and you will then be able to schedule your hours.
How old do I have to be to volunteer?
All volunteers who are 7-13 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers that are 14 or older can serve on their own.
What do I wear?
In order to serve our clients with dignity and respect, we ask all volunteers to dress in a professional manner.
Professional attire includes:
-Family-friendly and non-political messaging on clothing
-Jeans, t-shirts (shoulders covered), or shorts
-Sneakers or other comfortable footwear that is closed-toed
Attire that is not considered professional includes:
-Tank-tops or mid-rise shirts
-Shorts that are too short, leggings worn as pants, sweatpants/pants that are too baggy to stay up
-Clothes with excessive holes
-Non-family-friendly messaging or political messaging on clothing
Unfortunately, if a volunteer is not dressed professionally, we may have to ask them to return at a later time/date with appropriate attire.
What precautions are taken to protect volunteers and staff from COVID-19?
We care about the health of all in our shared space and therefore require anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home and reschedule their volunteer service for another time. Per CDC guidelines, if you have recently recovered from or were exposed to COVID-19, please wear a mask when volunteering. Otherwise, the practice of mask-wearing is encouraged but optional. Masks are readily available at A Wider Circle for anyone who needs one.
As of May 12, 2023, in accordance with the end of the federal public health emergency, we have suspended our policy requiring volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This policy may be reinstated if we deem it necessary to do so (e.g., due to a spike in COVID cases in the region).
