Volunteer

Come to our Volunteer Open House on Saturday, May 6th from 10am to 12pm, right here at The Barn!

Meet Barn staff, tour the property, say hi to all our animals, and learn about opportunities you can volunteer with us. Interested attendees must RSVP, here. Light snacks will be provided.

You can make a difference today!
The Barn at Spring Brook Farm depends on a strong base of volunteers to help serve our children and families. Many opportunities exist to assist children, care for animals and maintain The Barn and its grounds. From large scale group projects to recurring jobs, our volunteers make The Barn at Spring Brook Farm the incredible place that it is. Each year, over 300 volunteers dedicated more than 5,000 service hours to The Barn!

Volunteer Coordinator
The Barn at Spring Brook Farm is looking for a volunteer to dedicate their time as a Volunteer Coordinator! This volunteer role would require a commitment of a minimum six hours per week, preferably spread throughout Monday and Friday. This is a 50/50 remote and in-person volunteer position, with in-person volunteer hours required at different times throughout the year. As the Volunteer Coordinator, you would help recruit, onboard and place volunteers into appropriate positions at The Barn during specific recruitment and onboarding periods (January/February, May/June and August/September). You would also be responsible for ensuring required background checks are completed, filed and tracked, as well as assist in scheduling Barn Tours and necessary trainings. An in-person four hour training and orientation at The Barn would be required before your start date.

Other responsibilities include:

  • Communicates volunteer needs to pool of volunteers
  • Works with Barn staff to fill volunteer needs for programs and special events
  • Recruits and coordinates work of corporate/group volunteers with appropriate staff at The Barn
  • Thank individual volunteers and volunteer service groups for their work at the barn

Individual Volunteering
The Barn takes great care to ensure that our volunteers receive the proper training and orientation necessary to excel in the opportunity they choose. All volunteers are required to attend a Barn Tour, which take place various days/times after recruitment periods. *Please note, our recruitment periods for Individual Volunteer roles (below) take place in January, May and August of each year. Volunteer Roles Include: 

  • Administrative Volunteer / Social Media and Design Volunteer (waitlist)
  • Program Volunteer (Camp Geronimo, Family Barn Visits, Individual Programs, Socialization Events, Field Trips)
  • Special Events Volunteer (Spring or Fall fundraisers)
  • Barn Hand (Animal Husbandry-cleaning and setting up of stalls, grooming, walking and socializing) (waitlist; reserved for young adults with disabilities)
  • Garden Helpers (watering flowers, general landscaping and clean up)
  • Leadership (Board of Directors or committee service)

Camp Geronimo 2023
We are always looking for exceptional volunteers to participate in our summer day camp, Camp Geronimo.

  • June 19 – June 23
  • June 26 – June 30
  • July 17 – July 21
  • July 24 – July 28
  • July 31 – August 4
  • August 7 – August 11

Corporate or Group Volunteering
Group and Team volunteer projects build camaraderie and cooperation among participants as well as get a large scale job done in a short amount of time. There are a number of group activities that contribute greatly to The Barn’s mission including spring cleaning, gardening and administrative support. *Please note, our recruitment periods for Corporate or Group Volunteer roles take place in January, May and August of each year and depend on current need. 

If you wish to give your time and talents, please complete our 2023 VOLUNTEER APPLICATION. 

All volunteers and counselors ages 18 and older, are required to provide their PA Criminal History, PA Child Abuse, and FBI Criminal History Report* clearances. *If volunteers have lived in PA for 10+ years they can fill out an affidavit in lieu of the FBI Criminal History Report. If they haven’t lived in PA for 10+ years, they must get fingerprints. In addition, all volunteers must show proof of COVID vaccination.

In addition to completing the 2023 Volunteer Application, please check the MINOR VOLUNTEER-CHECKLIST or ADULT VOLUNTEER-CHECKLIST and return the following forms:

Completed forms can be emailed to [email protected] or dropped off/mailed to: The Barn at Spring Brook Farm, 360 Locust Grove Rd, West Chester, PA 19382. 

If you have any questions regarding the volunteer process or clearances, please  contact Kelsey Fraim at [email protected] or if you are a clinical student, please contact Raichel Barzilay at [email protected] or call The Barn at (610)793-1037.