Volunteer Women’s Reentry Support Representative

This is an unpaid volunteer leadership opportunity with Waypoint Outreach Initiative.

About Waypoint Forward

Waypoint Forward is a women’s reentry support project within Waypoint Outreach Initiative. The project is being developed to support women returning to Ypsilanti and surrounding Washtenaw County communities after incarceration.

Our goal is to provide consistent peer support, practical resource navigation, and dependable follow-up during the transition back into the community. We believe successful reentry begins with dignity, realistic planning, trusted relationships, and access to community resources.

Position Overview

Waypoint Outreach Initiative is seeking a dependable, compassionate, and motivated volunteer to serve as the Women’s Reentry Project Lead for Waypoint Forward.

The Project Lead will work directly with the Founder of Waypoint Outreach Initiative to help develop, organize, and operate the Waypoint Forward project. This role combines program development, participant support, volunteer coordination, resource navigation, community outreach, and partnership building.

This is an opportunity for someone who wants to take meaningful ownership of a growing community project and help build a supportive reentry program from the ground up.

This is not a clinical, therapy, legal, probation, corrections, or professional case-management position.

Responsibilities

• Help lead the continued development and coordination of the Waypoint Forward project.
• Work directly with Waypoint leadership to establish project goals, procedures, and participant-support practices.
• Provide respectful and nonjudgmental support to women returning from incarceration.
• Help participants identify immediate needs, personal goals, and realistic next steps.
• Connect participants with housing, employment, healthcare, recovery, food, benefits, education, transportation, legal, and family-support resources.
• Conduct appropriate follow-up through approved phone, text, virtual, or in-person communication.
• Help create reentry plans, resource materials, participant forms, workshops, and program procedures.
• Assist with recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and supporting future Waypoint Forward volunteers.
• Coordinate volunteer assignments and communicate project needs to Waypoint leadership.
• Help plan and lead reentry support groups, workshops, community presentations, and resource-navigation sessions.
• Build relationships with reentry organizations, corrections contacts, courts, service providers, and community partners.
• Represent Waypoint Outreach Initiative and Waypoint Forward at community meetings and outreach events.
• Maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries, accurate communication, and basic participant documentation.
• Provide regular project updates and help identify challenges, service gaps, and opportunities for growth.
• Report urgent concerns or safety issues to Waypoint leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong leadership, communication, listening, and relationship-building skills.
• Dependable and able to follow through on commitments.
• Comfortable helping develop a new program with guidance from Waypoint leadership.
• Patient, organized, compassionate, and able to take initiative.
• Able to remain calm and respectful during difficult or emotional situations.
• Comfortable supporting individuals affected by incarceration, homelessness, substance use, trauma, poverty, or family separation.
• Experience in reentry, peer support, recovery services, social services, corrections, housing, employment support, mentoring, advocacy, nonprofit work, or community outreach is welcomed.
• Familiarity with Ypsilanti or Washtenaw County resources is helpful but not required.
• Lived experience with reentry or other significant barriers is valued but never required to be disclosed.
• Basic ability to use email, phone, shared documents, online applications, and community-resource directories.
• Peer-support or recovery-related certification is welcomed but not required.

Applicants of all backgrounds are welcome. This project specifically serves women returning to the community after incarceration.

Training and Support

The selected volunteer will receive orientation, ongoing guidance, and direct support from Waypoint Outreach Initiative leadership.

Training may include:

• Reentry resource navigation
• Trauma-informed and person-centered support
• Harm-reduction principles
• Confidentiality and professional boundaries
• Participant communication and documentation
• Crisis escalation and safety procedures
• Volunteer coordination and leadership
• Workshop and group facilitation
• Waypoint Forward policies and program procedures

Schedule and Commitment

This is a flexible volunteer leadership position, with many activities occurring during evenings or weekends.

The Project Lead should generally be able to contribute approximately 6–10 hours per month and commit for at least six months. The schedule may vary depending on participant needs, volunteer activities, community meetings, workshops, and project development.

Participant assignments will initially be limited while the project is being developed.

Volunteer Expectations

The selected volunteer must:

• Complete an interview and orientation.
• Sign Waypoint’s volunteer, confidentiality, and liability documents.
• Maintain participant privacy and healthy professional boundaries.
• Communicate consistently with Waypoint leadership.
• Provide advance notice when unable to complete an assignment.
• Avoid making promises that cannot be fulfilled.
• Use only approved communication methods and meeting locations.
• Never provide therapy, legal advice, medical advice, money, housing, or transportation on behalf of Waypoint unless specifically authorized.
• Never enter into romantic, financial, exploitative, or otherwise inappropriate relationships with participants.
• Understand that urgent safety concerns may need to be escalated.

References, identification verification, or a background check may be requested depending on the assignment. A past criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant.

Development and Progression

This role is designed to provide meaningful leadership experience, and progression within Waypoint Outreach Initiative is possible and encouraged.

Based on reliability, performance, experience, project growth, and organizational needs, the Project Lead may have opportunities to:

• Take on increased leadership and decision-making responsibilities.
• Supervise or coordinate additional volunteers.
• Lead support groups, workshops, and community presentations.
• Help shape the long-term direction of Waypoint Forward.
• Represent the project in meetings with partner organizations and community leaders.
• Assist with future program expansion, fundraising, and grant-related activities.
• Progress into broader volunteer leadership or program-management responsibilities within Waypoint Outreach Initiative.
• Receive a professional reference or letter of recommendation after demonstrating consistent service.

Progression is possible, but paid employment or future compensation is not guaranteed.

Compensation

This is an unpaid volunteer position. Paid hours, mileage reimbursement, employment, or future compensation are not currently guaranteed.

Pay: $1.00 - $28.57 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Professional development assistance

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: In person

Salary : $1 - $29