Volunteer through Youth Rise

Youth Rise of Circle Faith Future is a group of like-minded individuals and community members that seek to provide quality, innovative, and stable programming and services to court-involved youth. Our motto is “listen, listen, love, love” which supports our core values of listening, cultivating community, anti-racism awareness, and practices of peacemaking. Please consider joining as a mentor or religious service providers (chaplains, group study, worship, prayer).

Volunteer mentors and religious service providers provide the backbone of leading youth to successful outcomes. Research shows that if youth have just one reliable adult in their life, their outcomes are much more successful. Additionally, research shows that incarcerated folks have significantly better recidivism rates if they have contact with mentors and volunteers that equal up to 4 programming hours. 

Our volunteers are asked to commit to regular schedules and time spent with youth, and participate in trainings including, trauma informed care, racial justice, intercultural development, mentoring incarcerated youth, and self-care. The efforts of our volunteers can make a tremendous difference in the life of a young person.

We are currently looking for volunteers to offer services as mentors, LGBTQIA+ group leaders, or as religious service providers as facilities are beginning to open up. Any who volunteer will need to pass a state-issued background check and it is required that folks are fully COVID vaccinated! Incarceration settings are high-risk environments for transmitting viruses, so safety and self-care is important along with protecting our vulnerable youth.

Programs run by Youth Rise include but are not limited to: mentoring, peacemaking (restorative justice), chaplaincy, religious volunteers, supporting cultural groups, group leadership for the LGBTQIA+ youth at Echo Glen, supporting an inter-faith and ecumenical environment, grants to incarcerated youth on the outs, local community involvement, engaging speakers, and workshops that focus on creating environments and communities that can support our youth who return home.

If you are interested in supporting this effort as a mentor or through community support, please contact Rev. Terri Stewart or Jo Jo Bromfield.

FYI - to those who come to us through other organizations, there is an opportunity during the sign-up process to note that. We are happy to partner with the many organizations around us such as Seattle University, King County Youth Chaplaincy, Bellevue College, Friends of Echo, and more!