Group Volunteers

Thank you for your interest in having your group volunteer with the Humane Society of West Michigan! Volunteers play a crucial role in caring for the animals and maintaining the shelter. Please review our group volunteer opportunities and policies below.  
 
Important Notes 
 
  • Dog walking and cat/small animal enrichment is ONLY available for our regularly scheduled individual volunteers. Please visit our “Regularly Scheduled Volunteer” page for more information: https://www.hswestmi.org/volunteer.html  
 
Group Volunteer Opportunities 
  •  Event Volunteers: HSWM is looking for volunteers to help with our signature events. These events include: Birthday Party & Carnival (June), Humane Hustle 5K (November), Paws Claws and Corks Gala (March). Event volunteer tasks can include: set up, tear down, registration, running an activity, assisting with silent auction, and other needed support. 
    • ​Time: The timing of event volunteer opportunities is dependent on the event. Typically, multiple shifts are available throughout the duration of the event.  
    • Size: Groups of all sizes are welcome (subject to change)
    • Cost: There is no minimum required donation for event volunteer groups. 
    • Sign up: Please email [email protected] to sign your group up for event volunteering.  
 
  • Shelter Volunteers: HSWM appreciates the support our group volunteers can provide at the animal shelter. Potential volunteer tasks can include: raking dog runs, tidying up the dog park, pulling weeds along the dog walking trail, sorting pet food, sorting cat items, organizing various areas, and other needed support. 
    • Time: Date and time options are listed in the sign up. Unfortunately, we cannot make any exceptions to changing dates/times for these sessions. 
    • Size: Groups can have a maximum of 10 people who are 18 and older. If you have more than 10 people in your party, please sign up for two separate volunteer sessions. 
    • Cost: Due to the preparation and time our shelter staff take to ensure your group has an excellent experience, we require groups to contribute a $150 donation to sign up for a volunteer slot. Please see details below for what is included:
      • Volunteer Duties 
      • Tour of HSWM shelter facility. 
      • 30 Minutes of playtime with animal(s) 
 
Group Volunteer FAQs 
 
Why does the HSWM require a minimum donation for groups to volunteer at the shelter? 
  • HSWM is a 100% donor funded organization. We rely on the generosity of our supporters to care for our shelter animals and community. Our dedicated team takes time to coordinate, process your groups waivers, prepare for, set up, and lead your group through your assigned volunteer activity. The $150 donation covers the cost of staff time and materials needed to make your group experience as exceptional as possible. Thank you for your understanding! 
    • Note: If the required donation is a financial barrier to your group, please contact [email protected] and we will do our best to work with you!  
 
How can my group volunteer if we are unable to pay the minimum required donation? 
  • Event Volunteering: Our event volunteer opportunities are always free and have a lot of need! Please see the “Event Volunteer” paragraph near the top of this page for details.  
  • Dogs Day Out: HSWM is always looking for people to participate in our “Dogs Day Out” program. This program allows you to take a dog out of the shelter for a 1-2 hour field trip and capture tons of pictures and videos to share! Adults only. Dog seat belts will be provided. Visit https://www.hswestmi.org/dogsdayout.html for more information and to sign up. 
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