Volunteers Make it all Possible!
Jacob's Chance believes in the power of volunteerism, and that involving volunteers in our programs promotes disability acceptance and a more inclusive community. Young people can begin to volunteer independently at age 13, and new volunteers will be mentored by more experienced volunteers. Youth ages 10-12 are welcome to assist when accompanied by a parent who is a registered volunteer.​​
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Click HERE for more information about the Teen Board of Directors!
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Click HERE for more information on how to get started as a volunteer!
Current Volunteer
Opportunities
Fall Day Enrichment | 9/8 - 11/14
3G (Guys, Gals, and Games) | 9/10 - 11/12
Flag Football Season | 10/18 - 11/22
Pickleball Season | 11/7 - 12/19
Upcoming Volunteer
Opportunities
​Open Gym Basketball | 12/4 - 12/18
Basketball Season | 1/10 - 2/21
Baseball Season
Join us in supporting friends with disabilities on the ballfield for 6 weeks of baseball! Your role is to help the games run smoothly, make sure players feel supported, and help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction!
Dates: Saturdays, September 6th - October 11th
Event Time: 9:30-11:45am
Volunteer Commitment Time: 9:00-11:45am
Location: RF&P Park
(3400 Mountain Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23060)
Volunteer Ages: 12+
Tennis Season
Join us in supporting friends with disabilities on the court for 6 weeks of tennis! Your role is to help the games run smoothly, make sure players feel supported, and help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction!
Dates: Sundays, September 7th - October 12th
Event Time: 4:30-6:30pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 4:00-6:30pm
Location: Belmont Recreation Center, courts 1,2,3,8
(1600 Hilliard Rd, Richmond, VA 23228)
Volunteer Ages: 12+
Fall Day Enrichment Programs
These 10-week sessions of enrichment programs are for high school graduates through age 40, focused on exploring new interests and topics through hands-on activities and shared experiences with peers.
Your role is to help the program run smoothly, assisting the instructor and our participants as needed, making sure the participants feel supported, and help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction!
*Program descriptions can be found HERE!*
*Please know that Helping Hands & Wildcard Wednesdays are field trip based enrichment programs and each week will require you to meet at various locations around Richmond and the surrounding counties*
Dates: September 8th - November 14th (10 weeks)
Locations: Program Locations can be found HERE!
Volunteer Ages: 12+
Fall Schedule
Monday
1:30pm-2:30pm | Culinary Arts: Fun in the Kitchen ​
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Tuesday
10:30am-11:30am | Helping Hands
1:30pm-2:30pm | Improv with Bridge 9 Theater
2:45pm-3:45pm | Art from the Heart with Art on Wheels
Wednesday
10:30am-11:30am | Wildcard Wednesdays
3:45pm-4:45pm | Music with Andrew
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Thursday
1:30pm-2:30pm | Culinary Arts: Advanced Recipes & Practical Skills
3G - Guys, Gals, and Games
3G is a weekly social group focused on providing opportunities for socializing, relationship building, and disability acceptance. We come together each week to play card games, board games, build Legos, draw, color, or just hang out!
Volunteers will assist participants throughout the program as needed, providing opportunities for socializing, playing games and making sure they have the BEST time! Be sure to bring your game face!
Dates: Wednesdays, September 10th - November 12th
(10 weeks)
Event Time: 5-6pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 4:45-6:00pm
Location: Westover Hills United Methodist
(1705 Westover Hills Blvd, Richmond, VA 23225)​​
Volunteer Ages: 12+
Flag Football Season
Join us in supporting friends with disabilities on the field for 6 weeks of flag football! Your role is to help the games run smoothly, make sure players feel supported, and help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction! Thank you so much to Coach Mike and the Collegiate Cub Football Team for volunteering and partnering with us for the 2nd year in a row!
Dates: Saturday, October 18th - November 22nd
Event Time: 9:30-11:45am
Volunteer Commitment Time: 9:00-11:45am
Location: Collegiate School - Robin Campus
(400 Blair Rd, Richmond, VA 23238)
Volunteer Ages: 12+
October Teen Scene
Volunteer to support our friends with disabilities at our monthly social event! This October, join your teen friends for a spooktacular Halloween Party! This afternoon will be filled with themed crafts, snacks, games, and fun! You are welcome to wear a Halloween costume if you'd like!
Your role as a volunteer is to make sure participants feel supported throughout the event, help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction, and participate in activities alongside them. You may oversee a group, or be paired with a participant 1:1.
Date: Sunday, October 12th
Event Time: 4-5:30pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 3:30-5:45pm
Location: Belmont Rec Center
(1600 Hilliard Rd, Richmond, VA 23228)
Volunteer Ages: 12 through High School
Pickleball Season
Join us in supporting our friends with disabilities on the court for 6 weeks of pickleball in partnership with ASCV! Your role is to help the games run smoothly, make sure players feel supported, and help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction!
Dates: Fridays, November 7th - December 19th
*There will be no session 11/28*
Event Time: 5-7pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 4:30-7pm
Location: Cool Spring Baptist Church
(9283 Atlee Station Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 23116)
Volunteer Ages: 12+
November Teen Scene & Adult Hangout: Friendsgiving!
Get excited for a Teen Scene and Adult Hangout mashup! Celebrate the season of gratitude by joining us in a Friendsgiving, sharing a potluck meal with your Jacob's Chance friends. Join us for food, crafts, activities, and friendship!
Volunteers are not required to, but are welcome to bring a dish. After registering, you can sign up to bring a dish HERE!
Your role as a volunteer is to make sure participants feel supported throughout the event, help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction, and participate in activities alongside them. You may oversee a group, or be paired with a participant 1:1.
Date: Sunday, November 16th
Event Time: 12:00-2:00pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 11:30am-2:30pm
Location: Westover Hills United Methodist
(1705 Westover Hills Blvd, Richmond, VA 23225)
Volunteer Ages: 13+
A Chance to Shine
Join us in volunteering for the 3rd annual A Chance to Shine, a talent showcase fundraiser focusing on abilities, not disabilities! The event will showcase a variety of talents, including singing, dancing, magic, stand-up comedy, and so much more!
Event Date: November 23, 2025
Show Time: 3pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: Various (see below)
Location: St. Christopher's School - Ryan Recital Hall
(711 St Christopher's Rd, Richmond, VA 23226)
Dress Rehearsal:
Wednesday, November 19th (5-8pm)
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Dress Rehearsal Location:
St. Christopher's School - Ryan Recital Hall
(711 St Christopher's Rd, Richmond, VA 23226)
*Volunteers encouraged to attend dress rehearsal to assist as needed, and appear as a "test audience" for our performers!*
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN ALL AREAS:
Backstage & holding room support (2:00-6:00pm - including dress rehearsal)
Ushers (2:15 - 6:00pm)
Ticket table (2:00 - 3:30pm)
Raffles (1:00 - 6:00pm)
Decorations/Set up (12:00 - 3:00pm)
Merry Mall 2025
Help our participants knock out all of their holiday shopping in one stop! Volunteers can register as an "elf" buddy to help participants shop and enjoy the event, or help run one of our stations! This is how the event will work:
1) Volunteers dressed as elves will escort shoppers through Santa's workshop and help them select a gift for each of the loved ones on their list! Other volunteers will be at various stations assisting the event. Station assignments will be sent as we get closer to the event!
2) The gifts they choose will be collected and delivered to the gift wrapping station.
3) While the gifts are being wrapped, elf buddies will guide participants through the event with a visit to the Reindeer cafe for pizza and other tasty treats, help them complete a Christmas craft, and sing along as you both listen to festive music! We might even get a visit from a few special guests!
*In order to prepare volunteers to have a great time, starting this year we will be requiring an online Volunteer Training to be completed prior to attending Merry Mall 2025. The virtual training will be sent out Monday, November 10th and the competency check for the training will be due Monday, December 1st.
Any volunteers who do not complete the training will not be able to attend Merry Mall in 2025.
Date: Saturday, December 13th
Event Time: 2-4pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 1-4:30pm
Location: J.R. Tucker High School
(2910 N Parham Rd, Henrico, VA 23294)
Volunteer Ages: 13+
2025-2026 Teen Board of Directors
Inclusivity | Advocacy | Friendship
Benefits of Membership
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Learn how a nonprofit operates
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Build inclusive friendships
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Gain leadership experience
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Acquire volunteer hours
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The Teen Board is an inclusive group of 18 area high school students that meet once a month to plan events for their peers with disabilities. The events are called The Teen Scene. Teen Board of Directors serve as peer buddies at monthly Teen Scene Events. Members learn the basics of how to run a nonprofit board. One term follows the school calendar, beginning in August and ending the following May. The Teen Board’s focus is inclusivity, advocacy, and friendship.
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Commitment and Expectations
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Represent Jacob’s Chance and advocate for the mission
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Attend and actively participate in 1 board meeting per month from August through May (usually 2nd Sunday from 4-5pm at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Glen Allen, unless otherwise noted)
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Attend and actively participate in 1 social event per month (usually another Sunday from 4-5:30pm)
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Monthly time commitment: 4-5 hours
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No more than 2 unexcused and 3 excused absences for the year
Application for 2025-2026 School Year Closed
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Application Process​
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Fill out an application through Google Forms between April 1st - April 30th
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Applicants will be contacted by Brooke Hsieh (Program Director) to schedule a virtual interview with Program Director and Teen Executive Board Members
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Applicants will notified of acceptances to the Board in May​​​
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Inclusive Club
Space is VERY limited on the Teen Board! Any teen NOT on the Teen Board, but who wishes to remain committed to volunteering for teen events, are invited to join the Inclusive Club. When volunteer needs arise throughout the year, Inclusive Club members will be directly invited to serve as "buddies". Members are always welcome to volunteer for monthly Teen Scene events, as well as other events throughout the year.
Describe your image
Describe your image
How To Get Started as a Volunteer
Safety | Support | Socialization
Ages 13-17​
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1) Register for the program/event you are interested in
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2) Review the information in the program welcome email sent the week before the program/event
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3) Show up ready to have fun and make a difference!
If you are 18 or older and new to volunteering with Jacob's Chance, you must have a completed background check before volunteering!
Ages 18+​
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1) Register for the program/event you are interested in
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2) Contact us at programs@jacobschance.org to get started with your background check.
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3) Complete the background check and wait for clearance from Jacob's Chance staff before attending a program. If you don't receive clearance 2 days before the program/event, you are not approved to attend the program
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4) Once you are clear to attend, review the information in the program welcome email sent the week before the program/event
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5) Show up ready to have fun and make a difference!
