Frequently Asked Questions – Parents

Questions Asked By
Parents

Is there a cost to joining Community Hours?

There is an annual subscription to Community Hours – your subscription runs for one year from the date you register, and gives you access to:
• The full database of volunteering opportunities. Volunteering opportunities are updated daily and you will find these under the Volunteer Here page
• A bi-monthly newsletter of suggested volunteering ideas
• Tracking and verification of your Volunteering CV
• Reporting on all verified volunteering completed
• Certificates for all verified volunteering
• A full digital repository for all your volunteering commitments.

Please contact us for more information about what your subscription includes: events@communityhours.co.za

Is there a cost to volunteer?

Some organisations request your support by way of bringing items to support the work they do (tins of dog food for example), wherever this applies, you will see this in the information details on the volunteering page of the activity you have chosen to participate in.
In most, but not all instances there is no additional cost to volunteer, but we always ask that volunteers are respectful of the work that the organisations do, and if you are able to, or if you would like to support the organisations by taking additional items with you, they will always be appreciated.

How do I know that the organisations where my child will volunteer at are accredited and above board?

As parents, with our own teenagers using the site, we are extremely mindful of the need to ensure that all the organisations registered on our site have jumped through the necessary hoops in order to obtain their NPO or NGO status. However, if you are not comfortable leaving your child at an organisation, please feel free to try another volunteering opportunity. Community Hours does everything in our power to ensure a good and safe experience, however ultimate responsibility for your children rests with you.

How will I know what volunteering opportunities my child has chosen to join?

As an integral part of the loop, you will receive email notifications – these include notifications and reminders about when your teen has signed up to volunteer.

Do we have to pay anything to the organisation?

Definitely not! We would prefer that the exchange between our organisations and volunteers remains service oriented with no monies changing hands. Should you wish to make a donation to the organisation, that would be a private matter between you.

I don’t have time to go and look what volunteering opportunities are available - is there an easier way to receive the relevant information?

Indeed there is! Our extremely popular e-newsletter - Ready, Steady, Volunteer is delivered directly to your mailbox twice a month. Ready, Steady, Volunteer showcases various out-of-the-box volunteering opportunities to suit your every need and interest.

It’s really important to me that I don’t spend my entire weekend travelling to out of the way places. Does Community Hours have volunteering opportunities around the suburbs?

We have made sure that we have procured many opportunities from organisations which are situated within suburban areas which are familiar to our teens and their parents. Please check our Volunteering Hub for details on the current opportunities available.

How do I know how many hours my child has completed?

As your child logs his/her hours online, the hours are accumulated and show a running total per year on her profile. (S)he is able to print a digital certificate in respect of each separate volunteering opportunity, or one with all hours reflected.

I see that the organisation I usually support is not registered on your site. Will our children still be able to log their hours completed at the organisation through your site?

Without a doubt! When inputting the details of the organisation at which your child volunteered, we have provided an option described as “other” where they can type in the name of the organisation. We are always on the lookout for new organisations, and appreciate that our teenagers are referring us to their own special places so that we can widen the volunteering net.

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Our enthusiastic team is ready and available to help you on Monday-Friday between 08h30 and 16h00.

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