Volunteer Guidelines

Thank you for being willing to serve.

Love INC helps connect willing people with needs in our community. A need may involve a neighbor, church, nonprofit, community organization, business, disaster response, or another community situation.

Unless we specifically tell you otherwise, Love INC's role is to help make the connection. You decide whether you want to help and whether what is being requested is something you can safely and reasonably do.

About These Guidelines

These guidelines apply to individual church and community volunteers who independently choose whether to consider an opportunity that Love INC of Shelby County has shared or helped connect.

Sharing an opportunity or facilitating a connection does not make the individual a Love INC employee, agent, contractor, or Love INC volunteer and does not mean Love INC has assigned, authorized, approved, certified, or qualified the person to perform the requested work.

Love INC’s role is to facilitate the connection. Love INC does not direct, supervise, manage, control, inspect, or guarantee how the volunteer performs the work, and Love INC does not provide on-site management of church-volunteer activities.

Each volunteer is responsible for deciding whether to accept an opportunity and whether they have the skills, experience, tools, equipment, physical ability, insurance, licensing, or other qualifications they believe are necessary to perform the requested assistance safely and appropriately. A volunteer may decline, limit, pause, or stop

Use Good Judgment

Please only do work you believe you can safely and competently perform.

Do not take on work that requires a professional license, specialized training, or skills you do not have.

Use tools, ladders, vehicles, equipment, and appropriate safety equipment responsibly.

If driving is part of the help you provide, you are responsible for having a valid driver's license, appropriate vehicle insurance, and safely operating your vehicle.

If you arrive and find that the situation, property, requested work, equipment, or other circumstances are substantially different from what was discussed—or something appears unsafe—please stop and call Love INC at 463-277-3553 before continuing.

If there is an emergency, call 911 first when appropriate, and then call Love INC at 463-277-3553.

If a person's behavior or the situation itself makes you feel unsafe, threatened, harassed, pressured, or seriously uncomfortable, you do not need to continue. Step away or leave when it is safe to do so.

If there is an immediate danger, threat of harm, medical emergency, or other emergency situation, call 911 first.

For concerns that are not an emergency, stop or pause the activity when appropriate and call the Love INC Volunteer Line at 463-277-3553 before continuing. This may include threatening or aggressive behavior, harassment, sexually inappropriate conduct, unwanted physical contact, significant boundary concerns, suspected exploitation, or other behavior that reasonably raises a safety or conduct concern.

Please also let Love INC know if you observe something that you believe places another volunteer, neighbor, program participant, or other person at risk. You are not expected to investigate the situation yourself; tell us what you observed and allow Love INC and, when appropriate, the responsible organization or emergency authorities to determine the next step.

Some organizations, locations, or specific volunteer opportunities may have their own background check, screening, training, or orientation requirements. When Love INC is informed that a requirement applies, we will communicate that requirement before the volunteer participates.

Love INC does not represent that every person connected with a volunteer opportunity has completed a background check or other screening unless Love INC specifically states otherwise.

Respect Privacy and Boundaries

Please treat everyone involved with dignity and respect, recognizing each person for their abilities and contributions rather than defining them by a disability, diagnosis, circumstance, or need.

Keep personal information you learn while helping private. Do not unnecessarily share someone's circumstances, address, contact information, or other personal information.

This also applies to information you may learn about another volunteer, program participant, or person receiving services. Please do not share information about someone’s disability, medical condition, diagnosis, support needs, employment or vocational goals, or other personal circumstances unless sharing it is necessary for the help being provided and has been appropriately authorized.

Please allow each person and their supporting staff to decide what personal information they wish to share. You do not need to ask for a diagnosis or other private details in order to serve alongside someone. If you are unsure whether information should be shared, please ask Love INC or the organization supporting that person.

Please do not photograph, record, or post information about the people or situation on social media unless appropriate permission has been documented.

Use good judgment in your relationships with the people you meet while helping. The purpose of the connection is to address the need that was discussed.

Protecting Your Personal Contact Information

You do not have to give someone your personal phone number or email address in order to help.

If you are comfortable communicating directly from your personal phone or email, you are welcome to do so. Please understand that when you call, text, or email someone from a personal account, your contact information may become visible to that person.

If you would rather keep your personal contact information private, just let us know. There are other ways we can help you communicate.

Depending on the situation, you may choose to:

• use an appropriate church phone number, with your church's permission;

• come to Love INC and use our Volunteer Line;

• or ask Love INC to help make the initial connection by phone using our Volunteer Line at 463-277-3553, including setting up a conference call when appropriate.

Our goal is to make it possible for you to communicate with the person or organization you are helping without requiring you to share your personal contact information.

Love INC will not intentionally give your personal phone number or email address to another person without your permission.

Once you are comfortable communicating directly, you and the other person may decide how you would like to stay in touch and coordinate the help. Love INC does not need to remain involved in routine scheduling or communication unless you would like our help or a concern arises.

Personal Purchases and Expenses

You are free to purchase reasonable groceries, supplies, materials, or other items with your own money if you personally choose to do so.

Please do not make loans, enter into financial agreements, or make commitments on behalf of Love INC.

Please also do not tell someone that Love INC will pay for an item, service, repair, or expense unless Love INC has specifically approved it.

Love INC will reimburse an expense only when reimbursement has been approved by Love INC in advance.

Helping Is Your Choice

Your help is voluntary and unpaid.

You are always free to decline a need that does not feel right for you.

Talking with Love INC about a need does not commit you to help.

Even after learning more about a situation, you may decide that the need is not a good fit for you. Please let us know if that happens so we can determine whether another option may be available.

Understanding the Risks

Volunteer activities can involve ordinary risks depending on the type of help being provided.

These may include things such as:

• driving or traveling;

• lifting or moving items;

• using tools or equipment;

• climbing steps or ladders;

• working indoors or outdoors;

• entering another person's home or property;

• working around animals;

• weather conditions;

• interacting with other people;

• or other circumstances related to the particular need.

Love INC will make reasonable efforts to share information we know about that could materially affect your decision to help or your safety.

However, Love INC cannot guarantee that every condition or circumstance will be known in advance.

If something is materially different from what was discussed or you become uncomfortable with the situation, please stop and call 463-277-3553.

Love INC's Role

Unless Love INC specifically tells you otherwise for a particular situation, Love INC is facilitating the connection.

Love INC does not direct or continuously supervise the work you choose to perform.

Love INC does not guarantee:

• the condition of a home, property, vehicle, equipment, or work area;

• the actions or behavior of another person;

• that every requested task can or should be completed;

• or the outcome or quality of work voluntarily provided.

If questions, concerns, misunderstandings, or safety issues arise, please contact Love INC rather than feeling that you must resolve the situation on your own.

When You Choose to Help

When you choose “I can help” on a Love INC Volunteer Opportunity form, you are confirming that you have read these Volunteer Guidelines and agree to follow them.

You understand that your decision to help is voluntary.

You understand that volunteer activities may involve risks of injury, illness, property damage, financial loss, or other harm depending on the activity, and you accept the ordinary risks reasonably associated with the help you choose to provide.

You agree to perform only work that you reasonably believe you can safely and competently perform.

If conditions appear unsafe or are materially different from what was discussed, you agree to stop and contact Love INC at 463-277-3553 before continuing.

Unless Love INC expressly tells you otherwise, you understand that Love INC's role is to facilitate the connection rather than direct or continuously supervise the work.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree that Love INC of Shelby County and its directors, officers, employees, agents, and representatives will not be responsible for claims, losses, damages, costs, or expenses arising from the ordinary risks of your voluntary participation, except to the extent that responsibility cannot legally be waived.

By choosing to help, you agree to follow these Volunteer Guidelines.

Questions or Concerns

If you have a question about a volunteer opportunity, encounter something unexpected, or need help deciding how to handle a situation, please call the Love INC Volunteer Line:

463-277-3553

If there is an emergency, call 911 first when appropriate.