Volunteer with Freedom for Youth
Live out God’s word as you teach, lead, and encourage Iowa youth. We have a volunteer opportunity just for YOU.
Freedom for Youth Ministries empowers and equips people as they are called to impact the lives of youth across Iowa. If you are interested in Freedom for Youth and would like a tour to better consider the possibilities, please email info@freedomforyouth.org or call 515-282-4822.
Interested in volunteering with youth:
Review our core ministry values and statement of faith. If you have questions, please call 515-282-4822, ext. 1024.
Complete and submit a volunteer application! The application will ask for permission to do a background check. When the application has been completed, you will receive an email acknowledging the successful submission. If you do not receive this, please email info@freedomforyouth.org or call 515-282-4822.
When background checks are approved, you will be contacted to schedule a volunteer orientation and talk about volunteer opportunities.
Program volunteers must be at least high school age but we encourage younger students to volunteer with adults serving meals or in a workgroup. For high schoolers seeking “Silver Cord” hours, please email info@freeomdforyouth.org or call 515-282-4822.
Interested in providing and/or serving a meal:
Interested in scheduling a workgroup for service at the Des Moines campus:
Call 515-282-4822 to schedule a service opportunity.
Learn more about specific volunteer opportunities below, or click the button below to learn about specific Summer 2024 volunteer opportunities. For more information or questions, email info@freedomforyouth.org, or call 515-282-4822.
If you like getting silly, having fun and answering unfiltered questions from K-5th grade students, Whiz-Kidz is the spot for you! In this program, our students are introduced to Jesus Christ — often for the very first time — and learn of his love through the love of volunteers focused on helping them build confidence in academics and growing as young leaders. Volunteers see students thrive as they gain healthy friendships, grow in their knowledge and confidence, and develop their personal faith in Jesus Christ through song, craft, small group lessons, and more!
Volunteer opportunities include:
Craft Leader - Help provide a craft for K-5th to help engage in their lesson or verse for the week. This could be as a station during free time or in small groups.
Guest Speaker - Come share a fun, engaging activity that will help our younger students grow in knowledge, explore something new, and have fun!
Meal Ministry - Provide a meal or help ensure food and supplies are in place for program. Help recruit others to share a meal.
Music Leader - Share your gift and talents with our elementary group by bringing or presenting music to help engage students with songs to help memorize their verses, drive a Bible story home, or simply to have fun!
Reading Buddies Assistant - Engage one-on-one or in small groups with students during weekly program to progress through Freedom’s reading program materials.
Small Group Leader/Assistant - Help lead a small group through the Bible curriculum and activities such as an object lesson, skit, memory verse, game, and more, ensuring the Gospel is presented at every program opportunity.
Summer Field Trip Assistant - Join us to help on fund field trips in the area. This is a great way to meet and encourage students.
Things get serious — but not TOO serious — in our Discovery program, where 6th-8th graders begin to learn more about who they are and why God made them. Volunteers get to walk alongside students, helping them explore God’s unique purpose for their lives. Discovery volunteers support students as they grow in their faith, prepare for the future, and become young leaders in their families, communities, and schools.
Volunteer opportunities include:
Educational Support - Help a student with their homework or provide other tutoring as needed for specific topics and classes. What is your expertise?
Guest Speaker - Share about a profession, a life skill, testimony, or devotion on your heart to students eager to hear from you as you help them discover career opportunities, new opportunities and skills while meeting new people!
Life Skills Instructors/Assistants - Share your God-given talents, hobbies, or skills with students giving them opportunities to discover new things in a weekly class or bt hosting a workshop.
Meal Ministry - Provide a meal or help ensure food and supplies are in place for program. Help recruit others to share a meal.
Music Leader - Share your gifts and talents with our middle-school group by presenting or performing music during worship.
Small Group Leader/Assistant - Help lead a small group through the Bible curriculum and activities provided, engaging each student, sharing the hope of the Gospel, and providing a time of prayer.
Summer Field Trip Assistant - Join us to help on fund field trips in the area. This is a great way to meet and encourage students.
Volunteers in Journey are there at another critical moment in the lives of our 9th -12th grade youth, often acting as a safe source of information and support when they’re beginning to build a solid foundation for a bright future of purposeful employment and financial stability. Volunteers help Journey students graduate with a plan by working through MY Achievement Plans that point them to Jesus while establishing future goals and dreams.
Volunteer opportunities include:
Educational Support - Help assist with homework or provide other tutoring as needed for specific topics and classes. Help students study for ACTs, driver’s licenses, and more! What is your expertise?
Guest Speaker - Share about a profession, a life skill, testimony, or devotion on your heart to students eager to hear from you as you help equip high schoolers for the next step in their life.
Life Skills Instructor/Assistant - Share your God-given talents, hobbies, or skills with students finding direction and focusing more on their own unique purpose and gifting. Take students to the next level to help master a skill or form of art through a weekly class or workshops.
Meal Ministry Teams - Provide a meal or help ensure food and supplies are in place for program, and may help recruit individuals or groups to provide meals.
Mentor - Walk through students’ My Achievement Plans to ensure each student has a plan when they graduate, and identify any roadblocks that may be keeping them from reaching their goals. Build meaningful relationships through communication; invite them to your worship services; and encourage them in their spiritual development.
Small Group Leader/Assistant - Help lead a small group through the Bible curriculum and activities provided, engaging each student, sharing the hope of the Gospel, and providing a time of prayer.
Elevate is a personal and professional development program that equips young adults to confidently step into their futures. Volunteers intentionally encourage and empower young adults to discover their worth in Christ and become better equipped to step into their future with confidence and hope.
Volunteers are needed to teach and model soft and hard skills to young adults as the participate in the environment of Freedom Blend Coffee or Freedom Construction Services.
Soft Skills Guest Speaker - Help lead young adults through development of a soft skill that you are passionate about in a classroom training setting.
Teacher/Assistant with Construction Experience - Share your professional construction trade with youg adults in the training facility.
Life skills are a key component of every program, no matter the age of the students because we want our young people to explore their God-given talents and expand their interests in hobbies and dreams. By offering different volunteer-led hard and soft skills classes and workshops, students uncover their value and discover new skills that may last a lifetime.
Volunteers lead a variety of skills classes that fall into the following five: categories: construction & trades, fine arts, home & hobby, health & fitness, and business.
Other Opportunities (one time or ongoing)
If you’re looking to volunteer for one-time, group, or ongoing projects we still have a place for you! Our other opportunities include community outreach efforts, administrative tasks, work groups, or maintenance teams. Just let us know how you’d like to serve!
Advocate and Community Connection - Help spread the word about Freedom at any event with your church and help develop relationships and connections with potential community partners.
Freedom Quest Outreach - Come along with staff and interns as we travel to communities around the state sharing the good news of Jesus through games, crafts, food, and fun at Freedom Quest summer park outreach events.
Prayer Partners - Lift up and intercede on behalf of the ministry students and young adults in our programs, staff, and volunteers.
Administrative Teams - Keep communications, behind-the-scene tasks, records, and supplies organized, processed, updated, and inventoried. From logging attendance to organizing books.
Cleaning and Sanitizing - Help maintain safe and clean meeting spaces for our students with routine cleaning and periodic deep cleaning of program meeting locations.
Maintenance and Work Groups - Youth groups, Bible study groups, families, school groups, coworkers, etc. help with one-time, monthly, or quarterly small projects that could include but are not limited to painting, weeding, yard work, cleaning, etc.