by Mallory Herbold

Created on: December 08, 2009   Last Updated: December 11, 2009

Raleigh, North Carolina has a large variety of service organizations in need of volunteers.  If you are looking for an organization to volunteer with in which you will learn from those you are serving, look no further.  Haven House Services, established in Wake County in 1973, is an organization that focuses on at-risk youth and their families.  The organization began as a home for at-risk girls in 1973 and a few years later in 1975, a group home for boys opened.  Through the creation of this organization, several programs have providing services to teens with criminal backgrounds, difficult home lives, and no way out of the life they lead. 

The Wren House was opened in 1981 by the Haven House and is the only homeless and runaway house for teenagers in the greater Triangle region.  Legally, the Wren House is a safe house for teenagers who have been left homeless, have runaway from home, or leave home due to crisis.  The goal of the Wren House is to allow youth to recognize their potential as young citizens, which may be overshadowed by their personal issues or situations.  Youth ages 10-17 are allowed to live in Wren House, with space availability given first to teens of Wake County and Raleigh.  Individuals residing in Wren House are required to attend school, are given transportation resources, and live there voluntarily.  Volunteering at the Wren House can be performed by assisting with cleaning or donating used furniture or appliances for use in the home. 

One of the most well known programs developed by the Haven House is the Second Round Boxing program.  Second Round occurs after school on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5pm – 7pm and is located at 919 W. Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27603.  The program focuses on at-risk males and females, ages 11-18, who have been youthful offenders or have participated in gangs.  The goal of the program is to use boxing, weight training, and teamwork to help youth to grow in areas such as self-discipline, management of time, and how to socialize properly with others their age.  Unlike other centers of its kind, Second Round does not focus entirely on gang prevention.  The students that participate in the program travel locally and nationally for titles and are required to show their report card and grades prior to competition. 

In 2006, the most recent Haven House program was created and was named the Structured Day Program.  The goal of this program is to provide services to youth that have been temporarily suspended from school.  While participating in the Structure Day Program, youth are allowed to keep up with their school assignments to prevent them from falling further behind during their suspension.  The program focuses on youth, grades 6-9, who have been suspended or have been issued juvenile court mandates to participate in the program.  Volunteer with the Structure Day Program provide students with tutoring and assistance on their assignments.  In addition, the youth participating in the program also receive coaching on social skills and proper classroom behavior to prevent further suspensions. 

Whether you are looking to build, tutor, or coach in order to volunteer your time, Haven House Services has countless volunteer opportunities awaiting you.  To learn more about volunteering with the Haven House Services and their programs, visit them at http://www.havenhousenc.org/default/index.cfm or call at (919) 833-3312.  To volunteer with the Second Round Boxing program, call (919) 719-0872 or visit their website at http://www.freewebs.com/secondroundboxing/ to learn more.  

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