Dear Monthly Chick Leader,
Thank you so much for leading the New Life Chicks! We LOVE spending time with the New Life girls and truly appreciate you for making it possible. Without monthly leaders bringing their joy and passion to New Life, we truly believe this program would not be the wonderful blessing it is to so many!
Here are a few general guidelines for leading a Chicktime month at New Life:
Your Programs:
• You will need to provide approximately 30 minute programs. We recommend you invite 3 girlfriends to lead three of the programs and you lead the fourth. The programs need to be based on the passions and talents of the leaders. For example, if you love to bake, prepare a program that will allow the girls to decorate cookies or cupcakes. If your girlfriend loves yoga, she will prepare a 30 minute yoga class and teach the girls the basics... or your girlfriend may love basketball and she could teach a 30 minute basketball clinic. *A listing of program ideas is attached and available on our website under Program Ideas. We recommend that you incorporate either a snack station or a food item that would complement one of the programs because the girls love to eat!
• Once you decide what programs you will provide, call Jennifer Clarke (her contact info is below) and discuss your ideas with her. At that time, she will let you know if your activities are appropriate for New Life. All materials you bring to New Life must be approved so make sure you discuss those ahead of time.
• There are 80 resident girls of New Life. You must make preparations for all 80 to attend, providing enough materials for all to participate, but please understand that on any given Saturday, we cannot guarantee how many girls will be able to attend. Chicktime is a treat and the girls must earn the right to come and play. We typically have between 40-55 girls each Saturday, but again, we ALWAYS prepare for 80.
• The New Life girls are between the ages of 12-17 years old.
• You are responsible to fund all materials for your programs. If you need fundraising advice and support, please contact Jennifer Clarke.
• No idea is too big or too small for New Life. Please see the list below for past programs and our past newsletters on the www.chicktime.com website for more detailed information on past programs. You may also view the Chicktime calendar on the website for upcoming programs.
Your Volunteers:
• You are responsible to bring ALL volunteers needed to facilitate your programs.
• Additional volunteers will join us on any given Saturday, but they will serve as mentors and rotate through the stations enjoying time with the girls. You may bring additional volunteers to come and ‘play’ in addition to you program facilitators! Bringing your own volunteers to run the programs also opens the opportunity for new volunteers to experience Chicktime!
Invitations:
• Chicktime New Life will create an invitation for your event. It is important that you organize your programs as early as possible so that we get the invitation out to the general public. Ideally, we would like that information 2 months prior to your event. Jennifer will be in contact with you to get the specifics needed to create the invitation.
• Chicktime New Life will send out the invitation for you using our database to our regular volunteers. You are encouraged to send the invitation out to your circle of friends and family as well as print them off and distribute to your community if you desire.
What to wear:
• We typically wear jeans, capris/long shorts and Chicktime t-shirts. We will have shirts for sale prior to each Chicktime. T-shirts are available for $20 and help spread the word about Chicktime! 100% of the money goes to the New Life girls! This is how we raise money for special projects for the girls. If you are not planning to wear a Chicktime t-shirt, New Life asks that the volunteers wear modest tops that show no cleavage, and shirts that stay tucked in or do not ride up past the waistline of their pants. When volunteers do wear shorts they need to be long, to the knee if possible.
What NOT to wear:
• No short shorts will be allowed and volunteers will be asked to change before entering the facility. New Life also suggests that excessive jewelry and designer clothing is distracting for the New Life girls, it makes them feel ‘small’. Our goal is to blend in with the girls and make them feel a part of our community. Thank you for respecting the clothing boundaries.
Other things to consider:
• Because New Life is a locked down facility (one step before prison basically) there are several rules all volunteers must follow:
• We are asked to respect the privacy of the girls and not ask for last names (or give our last names). We are to be on a first name basis with the girls.
• We are also asked to leave large key chains, purses, pens, and other sharp objects in our cars or locked in Lisa’s office while we are in the facility.
• We are not to ask where the girls are from or share where we live.
• Cameras are allowed with special permission, NO pictures of the New Life girl’s faces are allowed to be taken at ANY TIME!!!
New Life allows Chicktime volunteers to bring underage (ages 12-17) daughters as long as they are accompanied by their mom, aunt, grandmother or close family friend.
• Anyone may volunteer ONE time at New Life without filling out a volunteer packet. Please pick up a packet when you sign in at New Life if you plan to come back and experience Chicktime again. We can email the packet to you if needed.
Contact Information:
• Chicktime New Life contact: Jennifer Clarke info@chicktime or
830-456-5334.
• New Life Volunteer Coordinator: Lisa Brown lisa.brown@lsss.org or
830-964-4390
• Address for New Life Children’s Treatment Center: 650 Scarborough, Canyon Lake, TX 78133
