Volunteer
We're glad you're here
When you volunteer with Outright, your impact is life-changing! Plus, you will join a community of passionate supporters who believe in the power of love, joy, and glitter! Check out available volunteer roles below.
When you volunteer with Outright, you will receive orientation and staff support to make sure you have what you need to succeed and feel seen, appreciated, and celebrated along the way! Please note some volunteer opportunities require an interview and background checks to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ youth, staff, and supporters. Also, some volunteer opportunities require affinity identities.
WAYS TO VOLUNTEER
Facilitate youth & adult groups
We offer LGBTQ+ youth space to be who they are without fear, and model healthy behaviors to ensure that the group space is safe and supportive for everyone.
Youth groups are social, and you might find yourself playing cards, doing crafts, or hanging out with other youth in the space. Groups are facilitated by individuals with prior experience working with youth. We ask that facilitators have fun while the group space is safe and supportive for everyone.
Facilitator Requirements
- Be at least 21 years old
- Self-identify as queer/LGBTQ+
- Complete an interview
- Complete background and reference checks
- Attend a new facilitator training (offered four times a year)
- Commit to engaging in facilitator meetings actively
- Commit to a year as a facilitator
A licensed mental health provider facilitates the Trans Parent Group.
Time Commitment: We estimate approximately two hours when you facilitate a group, and the number of groups you facilitate is up to you. Plus, volunteer facilitators need to factor in their travel time.
Event volunteer
We love queer joy, so we love events that unite our community! Your support ensures that all events are smooth, fun, and fantastic. Throughout the year - and even every month - we need volunteers to assist with a range of tasks, including:
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Setting up and breaking down venues
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Helping with registration
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Taking photos
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Greeting supporters
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And more
Your volunteer time at events is a HUGE help to ensure there's lots of queer joy to go around!
Time Commitment: Depends on the event and needs, so look for special requests. Also, we will work with your availability!
Advocacy
If you're willing to write a letter to the editor, contact your legislators, provide testimony, or attend rallies and advocacy days, let us know. We’ll be sure to keep you informed about advocacy opportunities.
Time Commitment: We can't put a time commitment on this one. However, we can promise that we will only ask for your action if we feel that it will have an impact!
Office admin volunteer
Whoever said filing and data entry isn't fun hasn't hung out with our amazing crew at the office! We always appreciate when volunteers provide administrative support regularly or when we put a call out for special projects.
As an admin volunteer, you help keep the operations running efficiently so we can keep our focus on LGBTQ+ youth!
Time Commitment: We hope for a consistent schedule for planning purposes, but we're nimble and can work with your availability!
Beautifiers and earth lovers
We love the planet and our office space that welcomes LGBTQ+ youth, staff, and supporters daily! Both are good to us, so we must nurture the land we rest on and ensure that our space supports our physical and mental health.
When you pitch in as a beautifier and earth lover, you're helping us demonstrate to the world that we know we are worthy of peaceful and joyful spaces while contributing to Burlington's vibrancy.
Time Commitment: To keep things feeling good daily, we can work with your schedule, so there's no specific time commitment. We will send a call out for larger projects, but rest assured that you'll likely hear from us annually during the spring and fall months.
Photography, videography and design
As storytellers, we know compelling images, engaging videos, and great design can help our message reach LGBTQ+ youth and other audiences everywhere. We welcome your support if you're a creator and passionate about our mission.
Time Commitment: Approximately two hours a week. We have ongoing layout and design needs. Additionally, photography and videography are event specific and average approximately 3-5 hrs an event.
Camp Outright
Volunteers at Camp hold a special place in our hearts! It is one of the best opportunities to be in nature, engage with LGBTQ+ youth, and be surrounded by LGBTQ+ adults and allies who revel in queer joy. From acting as a camp counselor to preparing meals for campers, there's always a place for volunteers because the lift is mighty!
Oh, we really need kitchen volunteers for Camp Outright! Kids can eat!
Go to Camp Outright for more information.
Outright On Land: Sunrise Work Parties
Join us at Sunrise to work in nature and make a space for youth to grow and thrive on this land! As a member of the Outright On Land Crew, you’ll:
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Learn about introduced plants, natural building, and queer joy in nature
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Build sustainable structure for queer joy on the land, moving woodchips, building natural fences, clearing out introduced species, and more.
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Build community with each other, the land, and our Benson neighbors.
If you can make it to only part of the day, that’s okay, too! Once you sign up, we will email you the details to be part of the work parties.
What makes a great member of Outright on Land Crew?
LGBTQ+ or allied folks, aged 13+, who are
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Willing to get their hands dirty for queer joy
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Interested in outdoor, physical work like shoveling woodchips, planting, raking, and pulling out weeds
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Excited to learn and work on land to support Outright’s vision at Sunrise
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Willing and ready to complete a background check (if you are 18+)
Accessibility info:
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Sunrise is not wheelchair accessible at this time due to loose and uneven terrain.
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The majority of the work is physical: think shoveling woodchips, moving wheelbarrows, raking, clipping back plants, pulling out roots of invasive plants, and planting acorns in disturbed soil.
If you want to be part of the Outright On Land volunteer crew, we want to help you make it happen! If you have any questions about accessibility or accommodations we could offer, email courage@outrightvt.org.
Queer Cheer Pride Crew
Are you ready to spread queer joy, spark powerful conversations, and hand out lots and lots of stickers? Then we want YOU to join The Queer Cheer PRIDE Crew!
More on Pride Tabling:
We want to make sure we reach as many LGBTQ+ and allied youth this June so that they know we have their backs, and you can help! As a member of the tabling team of The Queer Cheer PRIDE Crew, you’ll:
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Share resources and information about Outright’s programs for LGBTQ+ youth, families, and caregivers
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Hand out stickers, bubbles, and heaps of queer joy
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Host fun games like giant Jenga and flamingo ring toss
Who makes a great Queer Cheer PRIDE Crew member?
LGBTQ+ or allied adults, aged 18+ who are
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Enthusiastic, friendly, and excited to celebrate LGBTQ+ youth
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Comfortable chatting with folks of all ages
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Willing and ready to complete a background check
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Able to attend an online training session