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Become a Volunteer
It is estimated that there are nearly 100,000 people
with intellectual disabilities in Colorado, so we need
your help more than ever. Join more than 8,500 other
Coloradans who contribute time to one of the country’s
most respected charities. Special Olympics Colorado
relies on your help to reach more than 8,000 athletes
each year. And with 100,000 people in Colorado eligible
to participate in Special Olympics Colorado programs,
we need your help more than ever. Click here to read SOCO’s Volunteer Policies and Procedures.
Volunteer Procedures
In fulfilling its mission, SOCO relies heavily upon volunteers who have direct involvement with athletes or contact with SOCO’s assets. A person's participation in SOCO as a volunteer is an opportunity and privilege; it is not an entitlement. SOCO has the right and responsibility to protect the well-being and safety of all participants including: athletes, coaches, volunteers, staff, and spectators. Although SOCO cannot guarantee the safety of all participants, it recognizes the responsibility to take all reasonable steps to promote and ensure a safe environment for all participants. To that end, after considerable study and investigation, Special Olympics Inc. (SOI) has developed and adopted a mandatory volunteer screening policy to set certain standards for each of the U.S. programs to follow with regard to both Class A and Class B Volunteers.
Class A Volunteers are those who have regular, close physical contact with athletes; are in a position of authority or supervision (real or apparent); are in a position of trust with athletes; or handle substantial amounts of cash or assets of the program. For purposes of this policy, the threshold for substantial amounts of cash assets will be $5,000.
Class B Volunteers are those who only have limited contact with athletes or who have contact with athletes accompanied by coaches and chaperones.
Attention School Based Volunteers, the volunteer screening procedures have changed effective 7/1/08 so that all school based volunteers acting as volunteer coaches must follow the mandatory volunteer screening policy. Please click here for more information.
Application Process
To be considered for participation with SOCO, all volunteers must submit a signed (original – not faxed or electronic), completed and truthful volunteer application. Failure to do so will result in not being eligible to volunteer for SOCO. Each volunteer is also required to show a photo ID, issued by a governmental entity, at the time of submitting an application. Volunteers must mail a photocopy of their ID with the application if not personally verified and signed off by authorized SOCO personnel. The SOCO personnel accepting the application for processing will confirm the information on the photo ID with the applicant, compare the information on the photo ID with that on the application, and sign-off the verification of identification on the volunteer application.
The decision of SOCO with regard to any volunteer’s application rests within the sole and absolute discretion of SOCO. In exercising that discretion, SOCO shall be guided by its’ mission statement, the policy and procedure set forth herein, and the standards set forth in various other policies of SOCO.
If you are interested in volunteering, please download the appropriate application (located in the red, right-hand column of this page) and follow the detailed instructions. *PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST PRINT OUT THE APPLICATION, FILL IT OUT AND MAIL IT IN. FAXED OR ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED. If you have any questions or to receive an application by mail, contact our volunteer department via e-mail.
Protective Behaviors Training
Special Olympics Inc. developed the Protective Behaviors Training as a tool to assist with protecting Special Olympics athletes from abuse. While the Protective Behaviors Training is only a requisite for Class A Volunteers and staff, for the safety and health of our athletes and everyone involved with Special Olympics Colorado, we encourage anyone interested in taking the training to do so: families, athletes, day-of volunteers, etc. It requires the assistance of everyone involved in our organization to help keep our athletes safe from abuse. Special Olympics Colorado will keep a record of everyone who takes the training. Class A Volunteers are required to take the Protective Behaviors training once every 3 years – thank you for your cooperation.
Take the online training now...
“Go for the gold, we keep telling our athletes.
But it is the volunteers in Special Olympics who walk
away with the gold, richer for the experience.”
– L. Tusak
Our next Volunteer Orientation is:
April 5, 2008 from 10 am – 12 pm
Cook Recreation Center
7100 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80224
For more information, contact Mandi DeWitt, Family & Volunteer Coordinator, at 720-359-3117 or via email.
Other Opportunities
From large groups to every individual, Special Olympics
Colorado has a volunteer opportunity for everyone. Volunteers
assist on the day of area and state competitions by handing
out medals, timing runners, setting up swimming lanes
and completing other hands-on projects. Volunteers also
work as officials or judges at competitions, organize
Special Olympics programs in their own communities, become
members of a Games Organizing Committee to implement area
and state competitions, assist with fundraising, offer
administrative support and more. As a volunteer, you’ll
not only be giving back to the community, you will be
changing a life forever.
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