How We Serve
Dear Monthly Chick Leader,
Thank you so much for leading the Chicktime Lancaster Chicks! We LOVE spending time with the Lancaster Children’s Home children and truly appreciate you for making it possible. Without monthly leaders bringing their joy and passion to Chicktime Lancaster, we truly believe this program would not be the wonderful blessing it is to so many! Chicktime Lancaster meets on the third Saturday of every month from 10am to Noon.
Here are a few general guidelines for leading a Chicktime month at the Lancaster Children’s Home:
Your Programs:
You will need to provide approximately a 2 hour program. We recommend you invite 4 girlfriends to help lead. You can break it up into smaller programs if you like. The programs need to be based on the passions and talents of the leaders. For example, if you love to bake, prepare a program that will allow the girls to decorate cookies or cupcakes. If your girlfriend loves yoga, she will prepare a 30 minute yoga class and teach the girls the basics… or your girlfriend may love basketball and she could teach a 30 minute basketball clinic. *A listing of program ideas is attached and available on our website under Program Ideas. We recommend that you incorporate either a snack station or a food item that would complement one of the programs because the girls love to eat!
-Once you decide what programs you will provide, contact Arron at lancaster@chicktime.com and discuss your ideas with her. At that time, she will let you know if your activities are appropriate for the Lancaster Children’s Home. All materials you bring to the Lancaster Children’s Home must be approved so make sure you discuss those ahead of time.
-There are 10 resident girls of the Lancaster Children’s Home. You must make preparations for all girls to attend, providing enough materials for all to participate, but please understand that on any given Saturday, we cannot guarantee how many girls will be able to attend. Chicktime is a treat and the girls must earn the right to come and play. Also have enough materials for other volunteers to participate as well.
-The Lancaster Children’s Home girls are between the ages of 8-16 years old.
-You are responsible to fund all materials for your programs. If you need fundraising advice and support, please contact Arron.
-No idea is too big or too small for the Lancaster Children’s Home. You may view the Chicktime calendar on the website for upcoming programs.
Your Volunteers:
-You are responsible to bring ALL volunteers needed to facilitate your programs.
-Additional volunteers will join us on any given Saturday, but they will serve as mentors and rotate through the stations enjoying time with the girls. You may bring additional volunteers to come and ‘play’ in addition to you program facilitators! Bringing your own volunteers to run the programs also opens the opportunity for new volunteers to experience Chicktime!
Invitations:
-Chicktime Lancaster will create an invitation for your event. It is important that you organize your programs as early as possible so that we get the invitation out to the general public. Ideally, we would like that information 2 months prior to your event. We will be in contact with you to get the specifics needed to create the invitation.
-Chicktime Lancaster will send out the invitation for you using our database to our regular volunteers. You are encouraged to send the invitation out to your circle of friends and family as well as print them off and distribute to your community if you desire. On that note, please encourage your friends to fill out our web form and sign up to join Chicktime Lancaster, Simply click the subscribe button at the bottom of every page to open the web form. Make sure to select Chicktime Lancaster from the drop down menu. You are welcome to send a link the web form to your friends, post it on your Facebook page, and even include it as part of your email signature!
What to wear:
Chicktime Shirts!!!
-We typically wear jeans, capris/long shorts and Chicktime t-shirts. We will have Chicktime shirts available prior to each Chicktime. T-shirts are available with $20 donation… we encourage you all to get one because it helps spread the word about Chicktime! 100% of the money goes to the Lancaster Children’s Home girls! This is how we raise money for special projects for the girls. If you are not planning to wear a Chicktime t-shirt, the Lancaster Children’s Home asks that the volunteers wear modest tops that show no cleavage, and shirts that stay tucked in or do not ride up past the waistline of their pants. When volunteers do wear shorts they need to be long, to the knee if possible.
*Wear your Chicktime tshirt to the Children’s home. This is for a couple reasons. #1 As you can see by the format, members will rotate in and out of our monthly visits. Since the “faces” of Chicktime will change, it is nice to have us all wearing our Chicktime tshirts so the kids will come to know us as a group and keep us familiar to them. #2 Because you’ll look cute in it! 
What NOT to wear:
-No short shorts will be allowed and volunteers will be asked to change before entering the facility. The Lancaster Children’s Home also suggests that excessive jewelry and designer clothing is distracting for the Lancaster Children’s Home girls, it makes them feel ‘small’. Our goal is to blend in with the girls and make them feel a part of our community. Thank you for respecting the clothing boundaries.
Other things to consider:
-We are asked to respect the privacy of the girls and not ask for last names (or give our last names). We are to be on a first name basis with the girls.
-We are also asked to leave large key chains, purses, pens, and other sharp objects in our cars while we are in the facility.
-We are not to ask where the girls are from or share where we live.
-Cameras are allowed with special permission, NO pictures of the Lancaster Children’s Home girl’s faces are allowed to be taken at ANY TIME!!!
– We do need for volunteers to fill out the Volunteer application and background check. The cost of the background check is $8 and must be payed if you plan to volunteer more than once.
