Volunteer with Planned Parenthood of Illinois

Everyone interested in volunteering for Planned Parenthood of Illinois must attend a volunteer orientation before they can join the program.

Volunteer Orientations typically run about 2 hours and are held once a month. In the spring and summer, we often host them more often because interest in volunteering spikes and our needs are higher. You must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver during orientation if you are 16 years old or younger.

Volunteer Orientations were moved to a virtual format (Zoom) at the start of the Covid pandemic. Recently, we shifted Upstate Volunteer Orientations back to an in-person format, held at PPIL’s Admin Offices in Chicago. For now, Downstate Volunteer Orientations are still being held virtually. We will continue to monitor the ongoing pandemic and make adjustments as needed, in order to maintain compliance with current public health guidelines and to keep everyone safe.

Once volunteers complete orientation, they are invited to sign up for Volunteer Hub, which is the system our volunteers use to sign up for volunteer opportunities and shifts.

PPIL volunteers also receive a weekly email newsletter and are invited to join our private Facebook group to get to know other PPIL volunteers and build community.

Volunteer Clinic Escorts are the face of Planned Parenthood. They are the first people our patients see and serve a critical role at our health centers. In order to keep our patients, staff, and volunteers safe, there are certain requirements you must meet before becoming a volunteer clinic escort.

First, potential escorts must attend a Volunteer Orientation (see previous question for details).

Next, you’ll need to attend an Escort Orientation. Escort Orientations typically run about 1.5 hours and are held every other month. In the spring and summer, we often host them more often because interest in escorting spikes and our needs are higher. You must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver during orientation if you are 16 years old or younger.

Escort Orientations were moved to a virtual format (Zoom) at the start of the Covid pandemic. Recently, we shifted all Escort Orientations back to an in-person format. Upstate Escort Orientations are held at the Aurora Health Center. Downstate Escort Orientations are held at the Springfield Health Center. We will continue to monitor the ongoing pandemic and make adjustments as needed, in order to maintain compliance with current public health guidelines and to keep everyone safe.

Finally, you’ll need to pass a background check. The background check is paid for by PPIL.

Once volunteer escorts complete their orientations and background check, they are invited to sign up for Volunteer Hub, which is the system we use to connect our escorts with specific opportunities. 

Volunteer clinic escorts also receive a weekly email newsletter and are invited to join our private Facebook group to get to know other volunteers and build community.

There is no minimum commitment for general volunteers. Of course, we encourage you to sign up for shifts and opportunities as often as possible, but we welcome you as a general volunteer whether you can commit regularly or only occasionally. 

Serving as a volunteer clinic escort is a deeply rewarding experience. And because this is a critical role at our health centers, we need folks who can make a commitment.

We ask all volunteer clinic escorts to complete at least 2 shifts per month for at least 6 months. Escort shifts are typically 2 to 4 hours long. The days and times of escort shifts are based on the needs of each PPIL health center and vary by site.

We appreciate both your interest and your skills, but we can not accept in-kind volunteering.

If you have professional skills you’d like to offer to Planned Parenthood of Illinois, please consider applying for one of our open positions.

You can learn more at ppil.org/JoinTheTeam.

We welcome volunteers of all ages, including people under 18. 

If you are 16 years old or younger, a parent or guardian must give permission for you to volunteer with Planned Parenthood and sign off on your volunteer paperwork. You’ll also need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian during orientation(s).

If you are looking for general volunteering opportunities, there is no minimum commitment required. Of course, we encourage you to sign up for shifts and opportunities as often as possible, but we welcome you as a general volunteer whether you can commit regularly or only occasionally.

While we ask volunteer clinic escorts to make at least a 6-month commitment to the program, we understand that’s not possible for everyone.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer clinic escort, but aren’t sure you can meet the full 6-month commitment, please reach out! We see higher numbers of protestors at all of our health centers throughout the summer months, so our escort needs are higher.

We don’t like to turn away interested folks and we’d love to bring you on board, if we can.