Positions

B-More Bags Volunteers design, make and hand-finish a line of unique and stylish fabric bags: totes, hand bags, market bags, dressy bags, wine bottle bags, and more. Working out of a shop at the House Of Ruth's administrative building, volunteers sew using machines and by hand. Shop sessions are one or two evenings each week and once or twice a month on Saturday. Volunteers should know how to sew by hand or machine (limited experience needed). Proceeds from the sale of B-More Bags support and sustain the House Of Ruth's Emergency Transportation Fund for battered women and their children.

Child Care Assistants work in our shelter providing childcare to infants, toddlers, preschool & school age children. They supervise structured activities, supervise field trips or special events, and assist with light paperwork. This position requires a criminal background check and fingerprinting.

Family Group Assistants will work with the House Of Ruth Maryland's Adelante Familia at our Eastern Avenue Office. The assistant will help the office prepare for family group counseling and assist in serving dinner to the families. This position does require volunteers who speak fluent Spanish & English.

Legal Interns & Advocates provide legal information and referrals to victims of domestic violence. They conduct interviews with victims by telephone or in person. Interns also assist attorneys with trial preparation by subpoenaing documents and witnesses, drafting motions and letters, interviewing victims and other witnesses in order to prepare them to testify in civil and criminal proceedings.

The Legal Clinic has an immediate opportunity for Spanish-speaking volunteers.  Volunteers are needed to conduct confidential over-the-phone surveys with Spanish-speaking clients. 
Hours and Time Commitment
One hour a week, on evenings or weekends. Volunteers are expected to complete the provided paperwork on each call, and enter the survey responses into HRM's online database or fax/mail them to the Supervising Legal Advocate in a timely manner.
Skills and Requirements
Must be at least 18 years of age.
Must be able to speak Spanish fluently.
Must have good telephone and communication skills.
Must be sensitive to domestic violence issues. 
Must be able to listen objectively and take good notes.
Must attend training.
To ensure victim safety, only women are accepted for this position.
May require a reference check.

Gateway Project Assisants work in our Abuser's Intervention program. They call victims of Gateway Project's program participants to inform of House Of Ruth services and do basic safety planning (This is NOT a counseling position). Answer phone calls in Gateway Project (predominantly talking with men court ordered to attend Gateway Project), enter information into database, and distribute participant status letters and other clerical duties as assigned.

The House Of Ruth Maryland is working on evaluating their Gateway Project. The goal is to determine whether their program is effective in terms of reducing different aspects violent behavior, increasing knowledge related to IPV, and reducing any repeat offenses (recidivism) from occurring after the abuser has completed the program.
Will perform either of the following: enter data from completed questionnaires into an electronic spreadsheet file; extract data from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search database and enter information into an electronic spreadsheet file
Learn more about this opportunity.

Operations/Administrative Assistants work in our shelter or in our administrative office. They assist with sorting, moving and stacking of donations and light clerical activities. They also provide coverage for the front office, departmental offices and other duties as assigned.

Ruth’s Closet Associates.   Ruth’s Closet Associates are involved in every aspect of the operation of Ruth’s Closet, the House Of Ruth’s Maryland’s first social enterprise, featuring fashionable, gently used and new women’s clothing and accessories.  Supported by our Store Manager, Associates provide retail sales assistance to customers, help with stock room operations, assist donors in moving boxes and bags of donations into the shop, help with donation pick up from drop off sites, help to plan and implement promotional and sales events, and set up and take down merchandise displays.  Ruth’s Closet Associates are asked to commit to a minimum of 2, 3-4 hour shifts a month.

Donation Center Volunteers.  The House Of Ruth Maryland Donation Center is operated exclusively by volunteers who receive, sort, process, and distribute donated items that are dropped off on a daily basis.  Donations are given to women living in our Emergency Shelter, other House Of Ruth clients, or are sent to Ruth’s Closet for resale.  Training is provided for properly assessing items and sorting for various programs. Volunteers are also needed to pickup donations from drop-off locations and events sponsoring Ruth’s Closet and to drop off donations to other non-profit organizations.  Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 2, 3-4 hour shifts a month.

Clothes Closet “Personal Shoppers”.  The Clothes Closet, opened in September 2010, is located at the House Of Ruth’s Emergency Shelter.  The Clothes Closet is available to women who are receiving services from the House Of Ruth Maryland, including but not limited to women residing in shelter.   Staffed entirely by volunteers who create a “personalized shopping” experience for clients, volunteers keep the Clothes Closet organized and stocked with clothing, plan and staff special activities and events, and create a calm and welcoming environment for clients.  Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 2, 2-4 hour shifts a month.   

Mwenzake Project Volunteers.  This program seeks to broaden helping relationships that women are exposed to while in shelter, based on our belief that this will translated into an easier, more productive stay in shelter and a better transition upon leaving shelter. The Mwenzake Project (pronounced m-when-zah-key, Mwenzake is Swahilii for her companion), seeks to enrich the shelter environment by integrating into daily shelter life a cadre of volunteers whose job is to spend time in shelter and create opportunities to interact with shelter residents in positive and helpful ways.  Opportunities for social interaction will be generated through the Clothes Closet.

Mwenzake volunteers will be selected for their maturity, wisdom, compassion, and perspective. Every effort will be made to ensure that Mwenzake volunteers mirror the diversity of the shelter community. We are looking for individuals who have an engaging personality, attitude of non-judgement, and abiding desire to make a difference in the lives of battered women and their children.

Each Mwenzake volunteer will be assigned a staff “coach”. Volunteers will schedule themselves to come to the shelter during the day or evening, on weekends or during the week, a minimum of one 2-hour session every 2 weeks. Volunteers and staff will meet as a group to process the experience of being a Mwenzake volunteer, to learn from one another, and to inform further development of the project. 

Speakers' Bureau Members act as agency representatives at community fairs by providing general information about the House Of Ruth Maryland and domestic violence. This opportunity is only available to volunteers that are active volunteers in another area program at the same time. For more information please email Kayla Newton.

Advocate Through Art Art-making provides an outlet through which domestic violence survivors can heal and re-find their identity. The shelter based art workshops at House Of Ruth Maryland, ranging from jewelry making to storytelling, are meant to provide that outlet at the same time as generating awareness about domestic abuse. Our events are designed to raise awareness about healthy relationships and instigate dialogue about violence.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of jobs:
1. General operating
Organize donations and volunteer at events
2. Photographers
Document workshops or jewelry for online sale
3. Workshop facilitator
Co-facilitate existing workshops
Propose and lead your own workshop in shelter Summer 2010

Pro Bono Attorneys provide free legal assistance in civil protective order hearings, and custody and divorce cases. The legal clinic conducts domestic violence and family law training regularly. Legal clinic staff attorneys serve as mentors and assist in monitoring open cases. Pro bono attorneys are needed throughout all jurisdictions in Maryland. Participants are requested to represent one client per year.