Sierra Club
Inner City Outings
Philadelphia
Dear potential volunteer,
...Thanks for your interest in the Philadelphia Chapter of Sierra Inner City Outings. I hope the following letter will answer most of your initial questions about our activities and volunteer opportunities.
...Inner City Outings is a specialized outreach program of the Sierra club providing outdoor and environmental educational experiences for youth and the disabled from the Philadelphia area. We are an all-volunteer organization funded by a combination of grants, donations and subsidy from the Sierra Club Foundation. We do much of our own fund raising and welcome volunteer efforts in this area!
...Our certified leaders and their assistants lead outings for groups from local schools and other social service agencies. At least one adult representing the school or agency attends each trip as well. Each group schedules an outing approximately once a month during the school year. Each outing is usually attended by six to 12 participants, an agency or school representative, one or 2 certified leaders and one or more assistant leaders.
...Most trips are one day hiking trips usually held on a Saturday. Most groups also schedule an overnight camping trip in the fall and/or spring as well. Transportation is provided by carpool or rental van and everyone meets at the school or agency before the trip. Carpool drivers receive reimbursement for mileage and gas.
...Our organization provides necessary equipment for both day trips and overnight camping trips. We provide daypacks, rain gear and first aid kits to each group, and groups share other equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear and stoves and backpacks. Funding is also available to rent equipment as needed. We also have access to rental equipment from Eastern Mountain Sports (national sporting goods chain) free of charge!
...Recent outings have included hiking at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and in the Wissahickon area of Fairmont Park, canoeing in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, cross-country skiing at Jim Thorpe in the Poconos, and trips to Seashore natural areas such as Island Beach State Park in New Jersey and Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland.
...Are you interested in becoming an assistant trip leader? It takes a commitment of about one Saturday a month during the school year. It is not necessary to own a car as long as you can get to the meeting place for each trip on time. Assistant leaders may be asked to pick up equipment or supplies for trips, participate in carpools, lead an activity or help in other ways before or during a trip.
...Steps to becoming an assistant leader include the initial screening interview, completion of four forms (Code of Ethics, Volunteer Agreement and Application, and a liability waiver) and enrollment in the Sierra Club. Some form of first-aid training is preferred but not required.
.. Your initial interview will be conducted over the telephone by yours truly and should take no more than 15 to 20 minutes. You will be asked to describe any previous experiences with volunteer organizations, working with youth and outdoor activities. We're also interested in why you would like to volunteer for our organization. Upon successfully completing your interview you will be given the password to the newsletter section of our web site. You will be able to download the forms mentioned above and have access to trip schedules and our newsletter.
...Once these four forms been completed and returned you will be qualified to assist on an outing. Certified leaders will be given your name and phone number and you may receive a call asking you to assist on a trip. Don't wait for a call though, if you see an outing listed that you'd like to attend call the leader and volunteer your assistance!
...We like new volunteers like to attend one of our monthly meetings before going on an outing. We usually meet at a leader's home for potluck or go to a local (center city) restaurant. It's a great way to meet some of the people involved in the program and enjoy some good food at the same time! We also schedule special events for volunteers during the year such as leader training sessions and wilderness first-aid courses. You will find details about meetings and training opportunities on the newsletter section of our web site.
...In order to enjoy being a volunteer for Inner City Outings the experience needs to be rewarding for you personally. It may take a few months to find out if this is the right program for you. If after a few months you decide to continue your commitment with us, advancement toward becoming a certified leader is the natural next step. This doesn't mean you'll be taking on a group of your own. That step comes when you're ready for it, and is always your own decision! Leader certification includes completion of first-aid training, PA State Criminal Background Check and Child Abuse Clearance. These forms are also available to download from our web site.
...Be sure to check out the rest of our award winning web site for lots of pictures and outing descriptions. The web site is our primary communications link and the only place that we publish our newsletter. The newsletter is updated weekly and is password protected to secure outing and leader information.
...If you have other questions or are ready to schedule an interview give me a call! I can be reached weekdays or evenings at the numbers listed below. Inner City Outings really is a wonderful organization to be involved in and our chapter volunteers are a great group of people to work with! Hope you decide to join us!
Sincerely,
Marcia Dohne, Volunteer Coordinator
Inner City Outings
Philadelphia Chapter
cell phone 484-888-0131
phillyico@yahoo.com
