Volunteer with Us!

There are so many ways to volunteer at the YWCA! We welcome volunteers of all ages, skills, and abilities. Volunteers support our programming and events, help us take care of our building, and allow our children to learn from community members. We work to match volunteers with projects that suit their interests and talents, while providing the opportunity to grow their capabilities. Apply to volunteer with this form and email to us or drop it off at our location.

YWCA Central Maine has partnered with individual and group volunteers, as well as students seeking volunteer hours and skill-based experience. The YWCA has also hosted corporations for days of service, including employees from  Liberty Mutual, Mechanical Savings, and Proctor & Gamble.

Prior volunteers have helped with:

• Planning and/or coordinating events
• Playground and grounds cleanup
• Painting, cleaning, and organizing our community building
• Aquatics program assistance
• Planting flowers and tending on-site gardens
• Preparing culturally significant food for community distribution
• Assisting in classrooms and after-school programs
• Providing music or art experiences for children and youth
• Picking up donations, such as food for our food & nutrition program
• Providing in-kind skilled labor

We are so grateful to enhance or programming and maintain our community building through the generous support of community volunteers like you! If you are interested in volunteering but not sure where to start, please reach out to Member Services at 207-795-4050 or frontdesk@ywcamaine.org.

Volunteer Application here!

Swim Grammies!!

Volunteers are vital to the work of YWCA Central Maine. Without generous volunteers, the YWCA would not be the same organization it is today. We like to highlight a few of our volunteers and their efforts to help us build a stronger, safer community.

Introducing: The “Swim Grammies”

Pauline, Pam, and Chris are all proud grandmothers and share a love for children. After retiring from careers in teaching and nursing, the “Swim Grammies” began aquatics exercise at the YWCA to remain active, social, and engaged. And they have now found themselves as volunteers! As Pauline recalls, things were returning to normal post-COVID, and people were starting to get back into the community. It was at this time that Pauline was leaving her water fitness class one day and noticed a pool full of adorable children with no volunteers. Pauline decided to act and inquired about helping. She later convinced Pam, whom she met in her exercise class, to start volunteering with her. Pam then convinced Chris, her former colleague, to help as well. Along with their fellow exercise class friends—Mary Lee, Teresa, and Lynn—the “Swim Grammies” began. Two days a week, they help children aged 18 months to 5 years old. Their dedication and generous time make it possible for our youngest YWCA swimmers to have individualized attention, all while the grammies enjoy what they call their weekly “kid fix.”

According to the “Swim Grammies,” the progress they witness is the most rewarding part of their volunteer experience. They get to see the growth of children: from experiencing water for the first time to becoming more comfortable and independent in their swimming abilities. They also see the children’s social and language development year after year. The relationships built between the kids and the “Swim Grammies”—as well as their friendship bonds—keeps them coming back every week. The “Swim Grammies” have expressed how fulfilling this volunteer experience is for them, and we are so fortunate to have them as a part of our community of volunteers!

At YWCA, we know first-hand the importance of swimming as a life-saving skill—especially for young children; we also understand that it is an essential life-long skill. Teaching people of all ages to swim promotes safety for everyone. Imagine a world where every person feels confident, safe, and empowered in the water. That’s a vision we are passionate about at YWCA Central Maine and our volunteers, like the “Swim Grammies,” are a critical piece of realizing this vision.