Echo Glen Children’s Center

What you’ll do:

• Lead or assist in preparing a simple meal or recipe with the youth.
• Teach kitchen basics like measuring, chopping, and teamwork.
• Cook alongside the same group each time to build consistency and trust.
• We provide: ingredients, utensils, recipes, and staff coordination.
  Roles: lead, co-lead, or assistant — all comfort levels welcome.

Culinary Cottage – Building Confidence Through Cooking

Cooking together has always been one of the residents’ favorite activities! Many of the youth have never learned basic cooking skills, and these sessions help them build confidence, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment — all while sharing something delicious.

You don’t need to be a professional cook — just someone who enjoys preparing food and encouraging others. You can use our collection of simple, tried-and-true recipes or bring your own favorites to share.

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Growing Skills, Confidence, and Community

Help the residents learn how to grow vegetables and herbs they can later use in cooking! Gardening offers hands-on learning, patience, and teamwork — and gives youth the joy of watching something they’ve nurtured come to life.

This is a seasonal volunteer opportunity that runs through spring and summer, and it’s a perfect way to combine your love of gardening with mentorship and connection.

What you’ll do:

• Guide youth through planting, watering, and harvesting vegetables and herbs.
• Teach the basics of garden care — from soil prep to weeding and composting.
• Share your knowledge and enthusiasm while encouraging teamwork and curiosity.
• We’ll pair you with a cottage based on your schedule and availability.

We especially need team leads who have some gardening experience to help guide others. No green thumb required — just a willingness to learn and have fun outdoors!

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Help troubled youth help others

Volunteers chat with 3 or 4 youth while helping them with a project. We have made fleece scarves for the homeless, baby blankets for moms and babes-in-need, and therapy dolls for Children’s Hospital patients. Must be over 21 to attend.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35
Give and it will be given to you. Luke 6:38
Help others, and you will be helped. Proverbs 11:25

Serving Opportunities:

• Volunteer at the social
• Donate art or craft supplies
• Share a service project idea
• International Smile Power Outreach

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Share the healing power of art

Many of the young people we serve express themselves best through art. If you love teaching, creating, or simply encouraging creativity, join us and help young artists grow confidence, skills, and trusting relationships.

How the program works

There are two ways to get involved:

1. Art Docent Teams:
   
   Commitment: After school (3:30pm+) or weekends — once a week or once a month
   Team size: 2–4 docents (we pair volunteers so students get more attention)
   

   What you’ll do:

   • Pick a medium or use one of our tried-and-true projects.
   • Lead a short lesson and an art project for a cottage (12–17 youth).
   • Work with the same group each visit to build rapport and consistency.
   • We provide: all supplies, lesson templates (or use your own) and staff coordination.
     Roles: lead, co-lead, or assistant — all skill levels welcome.
2. Roving Artists
   
   Commitment: Drop-in visits — one-time or occasional (perfect if you can’t make a regular commitment)
   

   What you’ll do:

   • Bring a fresh project or demo and teach it during an existing docent class.
   • Inspire students while the docent team handles classroom continuity and support.
   • Good to know: You can visit once with no further commitment; volunteers must be cleared before returning for a second visit.

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Transforming Lives Through Connection

Mentoring, at its core, lets young people know that someone cares about them — that they are not alone facing day-to-day challenges and that their life and future truly matter.

Research confirms what many of us already believe: quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people’s personal, academic, and professional growth. Ultimately, mentoring connects youth to personal development, purpose, and opportunity.

What you’ll do:

• Meet once a week with your mentee for conversation, activities, or goal setting.
• Be a consistent, positive presence who listens, encourages, and believes in their potential.

This is a 6+ month commitment, and we’ll provide training and ongoing support to guide you every step of the way.

Not Sure You’re Ready for a 6-Month Commitment?

If you’re new to mentoring or would like to get to know the program first, consider starting with a shorter volunteer activity:

• Monthly Community Service Socials
• Cooking with the Culinary Cottage
• Board Game Club

These are great ways to meet the youth and staff, connect with other volunteers, and experience the heart of our community before beginning a long-term mentoring relationship.

The Mentoring Effect

• Mentors model positive relationships and communication skills.
• Mentors help youth expand career interests and take steps toward their goals.
• Mentors advocate for education and inspire higher aspirations.
• Mentors help youth believe they can create the future they want.
  (Source: Mentor WA)

Learn More

Annual international Smile Power outreach

Volunteers are needed to help the Echo Glen youth paint T-shirts and write friendship messages that will be delivered by Smile Power volunteers. Outreach dates vary each year depending on which county is being befriended – previous year’s gifts have gone to children in Bolivia, Uganda, or Romania.

Before painting t-shirts, the Echo Glen kids see photos & hear stories from the previous year’s outreach. When the Smile Power team returns from delivering the gifts, a follow-up assembly shows photos of the smiles they have put on the faces of all the children that received their gifts. All are welcome at these presentations, but it is not required for volunteering.

No artistic talent required – Volunteers present simple directions to the classes and then encourage the youth while they work.  All supplies are provided.

3 Ways to Make a Difference

• Pray: Pray that we will be able to get through the protective shell that many of these emotionally-wounded children wear, and that we can plants seeds of God’s love in their hearts. 
• Prep Work: Iron freezer paper to inside t-shirts.  T-shirts can be taken home to pray over and iron at your convenience.
• Volunteer at Echo Glen: Help the Echo Glen youth paint T-shirts and write friendship messages.

Testimonies

Helping others has been life-transforming for these kids! It allows them to take their focus off themselves and their problems and to experience the joy and esteem building effect of helping others.  They can learn first hand that this golden rule benefits the giver as much as the receiver.  These kids feel empowered and realize they can have a future and do have something to offer the world!

This outreach has been life-changing for many children in previous years.

Marriam is a great example.  Marriam and her friend Heather will be spending 25 years behind bars for a crime Heather’s mother persuaded them to commit when they were 13 & 14 years old.  Marriam and Heather participated in this outreach their first year at Echo Glen.  When we came back their 2nd year, Marriam stood up in front of all of her fellow inmates and said, “I used to be self-centered and think the world revolved around me.  But after doing the t-shirts and seeing the smiles I put on the faces of the Bolivian kids, I realized I am happiest when I am helping others.  So, Heather and me have spent this last year making scarves and hats for those orphans.”

Like Marriam, many of the children at Echo Glen have been led astray by parents who perpetuated the mistakes of their parents.  These children desperately need good adult role models; they need, crave & appreciate positive attention from caring adults.  They may take your heart as you fall in love with their eagerness to help other children that they view as being worse off than they are.

• Donate
• Amazon wishlists
• Birthday cakes
• Community service
• Designate Echo Glen when shopping

1. Things to Keep in Mind
   • Fill in every blank and be sure to include references.
   • Contact your references in advance and ask them to return Echo Glen’s call as soon as possible;
   • Print very legibly in dark blue or black ink. Difficult-to-read applications often get set aside while the easier to read ones are completed;
   • You will be providing personal information on this form;
   • You should reference your court documentation or charging papers for any crimes you self-disclose. It will be helpful if you have these documents ready to reference. There is a drop-down list provided for common Washington Crimes. Your crime may not be listed on the drop-down menu. For those crimes not listed, please follow the instructions regarding how to add your own crime and describe what occurred;
   • Once you start filling in the form, you cannot save it to come back to later. You must complete the form in one sitting. Please allow yourself at least 15 minutes to complete the Background Check Authorization Form. After 30 minutes of inactivity, your session will timeout and all information will be lost. You will have to start over if the system times out;
   • Once completed, you will sign the form electronically and then submit it.
2. Please provide your personal email address as you are filling out the form. After saving your form, you’ll receive a confirmation code and then be prompted to email that confirmation code, along with your name and date of birth, to Nichelle.Curtis-McQueen@dcyf.wa.gov
3. Begin the background check online form

If you need additional assistance while you are filling out the form, please contact the Background Check Central Unit, at (360) 902-0299, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, or email the unit at bccuinquiry@dshs.wa.gov.

1. Fill out and save the Volunteer Application
2. After completing and saving the Volunteer Application, send one email to Nichelle.Curtis-McQueen@dcyf.wa.gov containing the following items:
• Provide your full name as it appears on your ID;
• Provide your date of birth;
• Provide your background check confirmation code;
• Attach your completed and saved Volunteer Application document;
• Include a note stating you are with Pine Lake Covenant Church and Friends of Echo Glen.
3. While you are waiting for your approval, you can attend a Volunteer Orientation, which are held every 3rd Wednesday of the month at Echo Glen. (See Step 3 below)

Volunteer Orientations are held 5:30-7:30pm on the third Wednesday of each month at Echo Glen. Please sign up to attend at least 7 days in advance.