Volunteer Opportunities

There are multiple avenues to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with others who desire to see victims of human trafficking become thriving survivors. We take volunteering seriously so to ensure you are set up for success and your safety, certain opportunities require one or more of the following:

• Completion of a training class (see a full list of our training classes)
• Completion of a background check
• Signed waiver and confidentiality documents
• Volunteer application

Requirements are listed with each volunteer opportunity.

Our volunteer opportunities need a variety of skills and talents, so look through the list below and see which ones fit your desires. If you have any questions or need help matching yourself with Poiema’s needs, please contact us at: volunteer@poiemafoundation.org

Questions about volunteering?

Volunteer Documents:

• Waiver of Liability (pdf)
• Confidentiality Agreement (pdf)
• Nondisclosure Agreement (pdf)
• Background check (pdf)
• Volunteer Application
• Volunteer Hours Log (pdf)

Prayer Team

This ministry exists to present the praises and petitions of the Poiema Foundation and its community before the Lord. Prayer lays the foundation for everything and the power of prayer is undeniable.  Nothing is too trivial or too big to pray for.  Our prayer warriors receive prayer requests and praises via email from our prayer team leader as they arise.

Prerequisites:
None

Documents Required:
Confidentiality Agreement

Court Presence

Victim Witness Waiting Room Support
Each month Poiema supplies individually packaged snacks for the Victim’s Room at the Frank Crowley Courthouse in Dallas.  This room provides a comfortable place to wait, sometimes for hours, for victims and their family members who are called to testify against their perpetrators.  We add the personal touch so they know they have support from people who care.   Our volunteers seek donations, gather them, and deliver them to the room once a month

Prerequisites:
None

Documents Required:
None

Silent Court Advocacy
The Poiema Foundation collaborates with the Dallas Community High Risk Victims Task Force to recruit and train volunteers to be silent advocates for youth that have been victimized by sexual exploitation or abuse while they testify in a court case. When requested by the task force,  Poiema volunteers attend the trials of perpetrators as part of the public gallery to quietly pray for the children as they give their testimonies. Defendants sometimes incorporate intimidation tactics by filling the courtroom gallery with their supporters.  Because family members are often called to testify as well, they cannot be present during the child’s appearance; our presence on the child’s behalf is often the only visible support they have while they face their perpetrator.  The silence of our prayer warriors can speak volumes.

Prerequisites:

• Human Trafficking 101
• Silent Court Advocacy Training

Documents Required:

• Waiver of Liability
• Confidentiality Agreement

Community Awareness

Outreach
Educating the public about human trafficking is essential to ending modern day slavery. Each month multiple teams of trained volunteers distribute posters of missing minors known or suspected of being in the area to hotels, bus stations, first responders, and local businesses in high risk locations throughout Dallas and the surrounding cities. Each team consists of at least one of the following: an experienced team leader, a driver, a data collector, and a prayer warrior.
We currently have community outreach teams in Rockwall, Denton, Frisco and Mesquite.

Prerequisites:

• Human Trafficking 101
• Community Awareness Outreach Training

Documents Required:
Waiver of Liability

Intel

Data Entry
These volunteers enter information, such as vehicle makes and models, that is gathered by the data collectors during our Saturday outreaches. Information like this is used to help private investigators and detectives track perpetrators and find their victims. These tasks can be performed from home at a volunteer’s convenience.

Prerequisites:

• Intel Training
• Community Awareness Outreach Training

Documents Required:
Background check

Internet Surveillance (females only)
The Poiema Foundation closely partners with 4theONE Foundation in internet surveillance.  Information that is collected on outreach and entered by our data entry team is used by volunteers trained by 4theOne to perform in-depth data collecting using internet searches and social media.  4theOne staff conducts information searches using the latest technology to further the group’s efforts in locating missing individuals that are suspected to or are known to have been lured into the sex industry.  This team also uses data given to 4theOne by referrals, concerned family members, and/or the public.  All information gathered during any participation in this ministry is given by 4theOne to police detectives and/or private investigators to aid in missing person and criminal investigations.

Prerequisites:

• Human Trafficking 101
• Community Awareness Outreach Training
• Intel Training
• Internet Surveillance Training

Documents Required:

• Waiver of Liability
• Confidentiality Agreement
• Background Check

Direct Care

Safe House Support
The success of our safe house programs and services is largely dependent on support provided by caring volunteers. This ministry offers both long and short term opportunities for service in areas such as home maintenance, life skills, mentoring programs, educational opportunities, and Bible studies.

Prerequisites:

• Human Trafficking 101
• Survivor Care Training
• Realities of Aftercare Training
• 6 months of prior volunteer service with Poiema

Documents Required:

• Waiver of Liability
• Confidentiality Agreement
• Nondisclosure Agreement
• Background check
• Volunteer Application

Pen Pal
Survivors of trafficking need plenty of encouragement and recognition of progress. Letters filled with truth, comfort, scriptures and unconditional love can mean the world to those who are trying to rebuild their lives.

Prerequisites:
None

Documents Required:
Confidentiality Agreement

Call Center (females only)
The call center is a ministry to people who are actively being advertised for sexual services in the local area.  Members call advertisements posted on the internet in hopes of building a relationship with the person on the other end of the phone line.  Prayer, referral to resources to help their current situation, and encouragement to seek healing in a long-term restorative program are a few examples of conversations you may have.  This ministry does not discriminate against any person whether man, woman, minor, LGBTQ, rich, poor, exploited, or exploiter.

Prerequisites:

• Human Trafficking 101
• Community Awareness Outreach Training
• Survivor Care Training
• Call Center Training

Documents Required:

• Waiver of Liability
• Confidentiality Agreement
• Background check
• Volunteer Application 

Operations

Administrative and Event
Volunteers assist in a wide variety of technical, IT, clerical and customer service duties such as the production of marketing materials, general office tasks, and data maintenance.  Volunteers can also be of great service for speaking presentations by providing speaker companionship and transportation, onsite IT collaboration, information table management, and/or answering ministry-related questions from people in attendance.

Prerequisites:
Human Trafficking 101

Documents Required:
Confidentiality Agreement

Fundraising
Fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and providing an opportunity for other people to participate with us in our mission. This team of volunteers is gifted and passionate about raising money to help us sustain our Safe House and Victim Care ministries.

Prerequisites:

None

Documents Required:

• Waiver of Liability
• Confidentiality Agreement