Rainbows children’s support group at NCJW seeks volunteers

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The Rainbows program, which lies at the heart of NCJW’s commitment to women and children, is seeking volunteer facilitators for its fall session. The Rainbows peer support program is for children coping with grief, separation, divorce, death, abandonment or other painful transitions and will help guide them through these difficult situations. To qualify for this volunteer position you must have experience as a teacher, or have an advanced degree in social work, counseling or psychology, and have worked with children. The program offers a hands-on agenda for NCJW Rainbows certified volunteer facilitators to use in a group setting with children ranging in age from 5 to 12. The groups are limited in size to no more than six children, and will meet for nine one-hour sessions on Thursday evenings beginning Sept. 15 through Nov. 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Linda and Rudy Slucker NCJW/Essex Center for Women, 70 South Orange Ave., Suite 120, Livingston.

The program, which is run twice a year, gives children the opportunity to be creative and, while their hands are busy, talk about their feelings with their peers facing the same challenges in an informal, non-threatening environment. Volunteers are asked to participate in at least one program per year. Training consists of an online, self-paced, eight-hour course along with a half-day meeting onsite at the NCJW/Essex Center for Women.

“The heartfelt positive support for all who are volunteering for this program is evident and I am glad to be a part of it,” volunteer facilitator Barbara Wofsy said in a press release.

Volunteers need to be NCJW/Essex members or become members. For more information, contact Dina Stambler, director of membership outreach and volunteers, at 973-740-0588 or at [email protected].

  NCJW, Rainbows