Important Information for Volunteers

  1. CitySERVE is provided as a partnership between the Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County and City of Santa Cruz. However, the program is fully funded by the City of Santa Cruz.
  2. Insurance: All volunteers registered with the CitySERVE Volunteer Program are covered by the Volunteer Centers' Volunteer Insurance.
    1. Volunteers ARE NOT covered under the same Worker's Compensation policy as paid City staff, and CitySERVE does not provide professional liability insurance.
    2. If you are hurt or have an accident while on assignment, please inform your supervisor immediately. Complete the CitySERVE Accident Report Form with your supervisor, and send it to the CitySERVE office.
    3. The three types of insurance CitySERVE carries are as follows: Personal Accident Insurance, Liability Insurance, and Excess Automobile Insurance.
    4. Volunteers who drive as part of their volunteer assignment are required to carry their own automobile insurance; after review and approval by the CitySERVE coordinator, the volunteer will be covered by the Volunteer Centers' excess liability automobile insurance. If you need to drive as part of your volunteer duties you must sign up for this supplemental insurance. However, volunteers are not allowed to drive City vehicles.
  3. Prohibition Against Discrimination:
    1. The Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County provide you protection against discrimination. This nondiscrimination policy states that "No person shall, on the grounds or race, color, religion, age, disability, national origin, sex, sexual preference, marital status, ancestry or medical condition, veteran status, physical size or characteristics, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program conducted or funded by the Volunteer Center". If you feel you have experienced discrimination of any sort, please contact the program coordinator, Alicia Dayton @ 420-5403; or Executive Director of the Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County, Karen Delaney @ 427-5070.
  4. Fingerprinting:
    1. Some volunteers need to be fingerprinted before beginning their volunteer position. Please confirm with your supervisor whether or not you need to be fingerprinted.
    2. In the event that you are required to be fingerprinted, your volunteer supervisor will need to fill out the appropriate fingerprinting form and submit it to the Human Resources Department with your CitySERVE Volunteer Paperwork. At this time, a fingerprinting appointment will be set up.
  5. Reporting Volunteer Hours:
    1. CitySERVE Volunteers are required to report their volunteer hours every month. This applies to ALL volunteers and interns.
    2. Volunteer hours are important for a couple reasons:
      1. Volunteers often like to have a record of their hours for future reference in their endeavors.
      2. Our insurance requires that all insured volunteers report their activity.
      3. We have to report how many hours our volunteers perform quarterly to City Council.
    3. You may report your hours the following ways:
      1. Individual timesheet
      2. Some departments use group time rosters. In the event you are a volunteer in a program that uses group time rosters, you should get instructions from your volunteer supervisor on reporting monthly hours.
    4. If you have questions about reporting your volunteer hours, contact the CitySERVE office. Please remember: you must report your volunteer hours for each month as a requirement of the program.
  6. End of Volunteer Position:
    1. Please make sure your supervisor is aware that you will be ending your volunteer involvement.
    2. Please notify the CitySERVE coordinator that you have concluded your volunteer position, either through an email, phone message, or in person, so that we can keep our database up-to-date.
    3. Please submit the Exit Evaluation, to help us learn how we can improve our program to better meet the needs of future volunteers.
  7. CitySERVE Office:
    1. Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    2. The office is located at 809 Center Street, Room 6, Santa Cruz
    3. The CitySERVE Coordinator can be reached at 831-420-5403 or at email. Please come to visit anytime!!
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