Ele's Place West Michigan is a community-driven effort that's made possible by our dedicated volunteers. The primary services provided by Ele’s Place are our peer support group program for children, teens and their families who are grieving the death of a family member or close friend. These groups take place on weekday evenings. Information regarding ALL possible volunteer opportunities at Ele's Place are listed below.

Support Group Facilitator: Volunteer facilitators work in teams of 3-4 to support and facilitate our children’s/teen's peer bereavement support groups. Each support group consists of approximately 10-12 children/teens, ages 3-18.

Requirements for becoming a Support Group Facilitator:

• Must be at least 19 years of age
• Must be able to commit to volunteering one weekday evening per week (approximately 5:30 - 8:30 pm)
• Must be able to commit to this volunteer position for a minimum of one year
• Must complete all aspects of our facilitator training program

Program Helper: These volunteers assist Ele’s Place staff and the Support Group Facilitators by greeting families as they arrive at Ele’s Place, monitoring children’s/teen's Activity Rooms, and helping with various set-up and clean-up duties.

Requirements for becoming a Program Helper:

• Must be at least 18 years of age (some exceptions are considered)
• Must be able to commit to volunteering one weekday evening (two hours) per week, for a minimum of six months, preferably the entire school year (if possible)
• Must complete a three-hour training session

Office Helper: (receptionist, data entry, etc.) Hours and duties vary for the Ele's Place West Michigan branch.

Fundraising Event Volunteers: Help with a variety of duties at special events hosted by Ele’s Place West Michigan. Examples may include: Guest check-in, set-up and clean-up duties, decorating, serving refreshments, etc.

Click here to submit your volunteer application!

We currently have a particular need for people of diverse backgrounds, males and bilingual individuals. We welcome all interested, kind and compassionate adults to submit a volunteer application at: https://elesplace.org/get-involved/sign 

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at Ele's Place West Michigan, please contact: 

Elsie Colbert
Program Volunteer Coordinator
[email protected]
2000 Michigan Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-301-1605 Ext. 5102