How We Serve
Dear Monthly Chick Leader,
Thank you so much for leading the Charleston Chicks! We are so happy to spend time with the Jenkins Institute children and truly appreciate you for making it possible. Without monthly leaders bringing their joy and passion to TJI we truly believe this program would not be the wonderful blessing it is to so many!
Chicktime Charleston meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 6:30-8:30p
Here are a few general guidelines for leading a Chicktime month at The Jenkins Institute:
Your Programs:
– You will need to provide a 1 and ½ hour activity. We recommend you invite a girlfriend to help you lead the workshop. Workshops need to be based on the passions and talents of the leaders. For example, if you love to bake, prepare a workshop 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 families the basics… or your girlfriend may love basketball and she could teach a 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 families love to eat!
-Once you decide what your workshop will be, contact your Leader Co-Host (which will be assigned to you when you sign up) and discuss your ideas with her. At that time, she will let you know if your activities are appropriate for The Jenkins Institute. All materials you bring to TJI must be approved so make sure you discuss those ahead of time.
-The Jenkins Institute houses girls in need for a variety of reasons. Because each situation is unique, the number of girls at TJI can change often. Please prepare for an average of 10-12 girls at any event. Your Leader Co-Host will contact TJI a week before the event to get a firmer number of attendees. Please provide enough materials for all to participate, but please understand that on any given Tuesday, we cannot guarantee how many kids will be able to attend. Consider the Chicktime chicks that will be in attendance as well but you do not need to provide extras for us. We are there to help you and to serve the kids!
-You are responsible to fund all materials for your programs. If you need fundraising advice and support, please contact Megan Swatt.
-TJI is home to children ages 12-21 years old and is an all-girl facility.
-No idea is too big or too small for TJI. 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 Charleston 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. We will be in contact with you to get the specifics needed to create the invitation.
– Chicktime Charleston 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. On that note, please encourage your friends to fill out our web form and sign up to join Chicktime Charleston. Simply click the subscribe button at the bottom of every page to open the web form. Make sure to select Chicktime Charleston from the drop down menu. You are welcome to send a link the web form to your friends, post it on your Facebook page, and even include it as part of your email signature!
What to wear:
-We wear jeans, capris/long shorts and Chicktime t-shirts. We will have Chicktime shirts available prior to each Chicktime. T-shirts are available with $20 donation… we encourage you all to get one because it helps spread the word about Chicktime! 100% of the money goes to the TJI kids! This is how we raise money for special projects for the kids. If you are not planning to wear a Chicktime t-shirt, TJI 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. Chicktime Charleston also suggests that excessive jewelry and designer clothing is distracting for the TJI 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:
– Please check with Leader-Co Host about any food allergies the girls may have (this constantly changes)
– Please respect the privacy of the kids by not asking for last names (or give our last names). We are to be on a first name basis with the kids.
– Please leave large key chains, purses, pens, and other sharp objects in our cars or locked in the office while we are in the facility.
– Phones should be put away and on silent. It is imperative that we are spending every second of Chicktime with the kids and not on our phones!
– Please do not ask where the kids are from or share where we live.
– Please do not use camera’s unless you are given permission.
– TJI allows Chicktime volunteers to bring underage (ages 9 and older) daughters as long as they are accompanied by their mom, aunt, grandmother or close family friend
