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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If you know you’ll miss more than half of the sessions for a weekly program, we kindly ask that you do not sign up to volunteer for that particular program, but instead find another one that works for your schedule!
Click HERE for more information on how to get started as a volunteer!
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Click HERE for more information about the Teen Board of Directors!
Current Volunteer
Opportunities
Pickleball Season | 11/7 - 12/19
​Open Gym Basketball | 12/4 - 12/18
December Teen Scene | 12/8
Merry Mall 2025 | 12/13
December Adult Hangout | 12/18
Basketball Season | 1/10 - 2/21
Upcoming Volunteer
Opportunities
Coming Soon!
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 (6 weeks)
*There will be no session 11/28*
Event Time: 5:00-7:00pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 4:30-7:00pm
Location: Cool Spring Baptist Church
(9283 Atlee Station Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 23116)
Volunteer Ages: 13+
Open Gym Basketball
Join us in supporting friends with disabilities on the court for 3 weeks of Open Gym Basketball! Your role is to help drills and games run smoothly, make sure players feel supported, and help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction!
It’s a great chance to get out on the court and have a blast all before our basketball season starts in January, registration for basketball season coming soon.
Dates: Thursdays, December 4th - December 18th (3 weeks)
Event Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 6:00-7:30pm
Location: Henrico Sports & Events Center
(1 All Star Boulevard, Glen Allen, VA 23059)
Volunteer Ages: 13+
December Teen Scene:
Holiday Party
Volunteer to support our friends with disabilities at our monthly social event! This December, join your teen friends for a Holiday Party! Celebrate the season with an afternoon full of holiday crafts, karaoke, cookie decorating, and hot cocoa! Come spread some cheer and make memories with your teen friends!
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, December 7th
Event Time: 4:00-5:30pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 3:30-5:45pm
Location: St. James Armenian Church
(834 Pepper Ave, Richmond, VA 23226)
Volunteer Ages: 13 through high school
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 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: 2:00-4:00pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 1:00-4:30pm
Location: J.R. Tucker High School
(2910 N Parham Rd, Henrico, VA 23294)
Volunteer Ages: 13+
December Adult Hangout:
Tacky Light Tour
Join your friends in celebrating the holiday season with a tacky light tour of Richmond! We are so grateful to our friends at RVA Paddlesports for chauffeuring us around our community's tacky sites as we enjoy the holiday spirit!
New this year is an additional bus that is wheelchair accessible! The group will be split between two buses and we will enjoy the sights and sounds as we travel around together.
Hot chocolate and cookies will be provided, but no meal will be served, so we strongly recommend eating ahead of time. Gluten-free cookies will be provided as well.
Your role is to sit amongst participants on the bus to make sure everyone feels supported throughout the event, help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction, and help oversee the group if we get off the bus to look at lights!
Date: Thursday, December 18th
Event Time: 5:45-8:30pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 5:45-8:30pm
Meeting Location: SCOR
(1365 Overbrook Rd, Richmond, VA 23220)
Volunteer Ages: High school grads and up
Basketball Season
Join us in supporting friends with disabilities on the courts for 7 weeks of basketball! Your role is to help the games run smoothly, make sure players feel supported, and help facilitate conversations and fun social interaction! You may oversee the team, or be paired with a buddy 1:1.
Optional: Feel free to stay to cheer on our competitive league during their game time 12:00-1:00pm!
Dates: Saturdays, January 10th - February 21st (7 weeks)
Volunteer Commitment Time: 9:00-11:45am
Athlete Game Times:
9:30-10:30am (Non-competitive; athletes ages 5-16)
10:45-11:45am (Non-competitive; athletes ages 17-40)
12:00-1:00pm (Competitive; athletes ages 17-40)
Location: St. Christopher's School - Lower Gymnasiums
(699 Pepper Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226)
Volunteer Ages: 13+
Winter Day Enrichment Programs
These 8-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: January 12th - March 6th (8 weeks)
Locations: Program Locations can be found HERE!
Volunteer Ages: 12+
Winter Schedule
Monday
1:30-2:30pm | Culinary Arts: Fun in the Kitchen ​
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Tuesday
10:30-11:30am | Helping Hands
1:30-2:30pm | Art from the Heart with Art on Wheels
2:45-3:45pm | Improv with Bridge 9 Theater
Wednesday
10:30-11:30am | Wildcard Wednesdays
3:45-4:45pm | Music with Andrew
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Thursday
1:30-2:30pm | Culinary Arts: Advanced Recipes & Practical Skills
3:00-4:00pm | 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, January 14th - March 4th (8 weeks)
Event Time: 5:00-6:00pm
Volunteer Commitment Time: 4:45-6:15pm
Location: Westover Hills United Methodist
(1705 Westover Hills Blvd, Richmond, VA 23225)​​
Volunteer Ages: 16+
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) Complete the mandatory virtual General Volunteer Training (valid for 2 years).
*Some programs may require additional trainings!
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3) Once you have completed the General Volunteer Training, you will receive confirmation that you are clear to attend. 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) 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!
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) Two items must be completed before volunteering:
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a) Background check (valid for 2 years). Contact us at programs@jacobschance.org to start the process.
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b) Mandatory virtual General Volunteer Training (valid for 2 years). You can find this in the confirmation email of your registration.
*Some programs may require additional trainings!
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3) Once you have completed the background check and General Volunteer Training, you will receive confirmation that you are clear to attend. If you don't receive clearance 2 days before the program/event, you are not approved to attend the program.
4) 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!
