YOUTH VOLUNTEERS
With safety in mind for our staff, volunteers, and animals, we have decided to increase the minimum age for volunteers at the shelter. Beginning June 2021, volunteers must be sixteen (16) years old to participate in our Junior Volunteer Program. Those eighteen (18) and older are eligible for our General Volunteer Program.
We will also limit the time which Junior Volunteers can serve at the shelter. Junior Volunteers will not be allowed to exceed four (4) volunteer hours daily or twenty (20) hours weekly. Junior Volunteer shifts will be available to sign up on the volunteer database.
If you’re under 16, but still want to get involved, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society has many great opportunities for you to make a difference.
Junior Volunteer
Our Junior Volunteer Program is for volunteers from sixteen (16) to seventeen (17). Junior Volunteers may serve no more than four (4) volunteer hours daily or twenty (20) hours weekly. Junior Volunteer shifts will be available to sign up on the volunteer database.
Critter Camp
Join us for the summer camp you shouldn’t miss! Critter Camp is an all-day camp for ages 6-12. Every year we have a new theme and new surprises for our campers. Special speakers, new animals, fun games, crafts and enrichment activities make for a ton of fun for the kiddos in our community. Click here for more information about Critter Camp. Registration goes live every year in March and fills up fast!
Humane Kids Club
The GBHS Humane Kids Club is for 6th Graders to 10th Graders. HKC is designed to let young volunteers in our community get a more hands-on approach to the GBHS Mission of promoting humane treatment through education, advocacy, and services. This Club focuses on service and volunteerism and preps this age group to become Junior Volunteers at age 16! Humane Kids are encouraged to take what they learn into their own schools and neighborhoods and become solutionaries and advocates for the animals that need their help! Humane Kids Club meets on the second Saturday of each month from 2PM to 4PM. Parents are welcome to stay for the meeting or drop off and pick up.
Shelter Buddies Club
Shelter Buddies Club meets on the second Saturday of each month from 11:00AM to 12:30PM, and is for 3rd to 5th Graders. SBC is designed to create advocates by face-to-face interactions with different types of animals and exploring a wide range of animal related topics, often with special speakers. We’ll learn about different types of careers that work with animals, how to care for animals, how to help animals in need, training and behavior, habitats and conservation, and so much more! Parents are welcome to stay for the meeting or drop off and pick up.
Little Rescuers Club
Little Rescuers Club meets on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00AM to 10:30AM, and is for Kindergarten to 2nd Grade. LRC is designed to teach young animal lovers how to responsibly care for pets, being kind and humane kids, why adopting pets is important, how to safely approach animals, what we can do to care for wildlife, and more. This club is perfect for Little Rescuers who love animals, arts and crafts, and puppy kisses. Parents must stick around with us during Little Rescuers Club!
Interested in joining us for one of our clubs?
Fill out the form below to let us know you're interested! By filling out this form, you will be opting in to receiving our monthly Humane Education Newsletter. This newsletter is sent out around the first of every month and includes information about upcoming shelter and educational events and some feel-good stories about what our Little Rescuers, Shelter Buddies, and Humane Kids are up to!
The monthly newsletters will include a link that you can click on to RSVP for one of the meetings. We have a lot of kids and parents interested in these programs but only a small area to use when we meet at the shelter, so we do have to cap each meeting at a certain number. Those RSVP links will remain open and we'll let you know there if a certain group is full. For those that have RSVP'ed, you'll receive an email the week of the meeting to let you know what we're going to be doing!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Education Coordinator at krawlings@gbhs.org.