Volunteer — The Holding Frames
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VOLUNTEERS ARE HOW healing travels

When crisis hits a community, trained volunteers are what make it possible to show up quickly, stay meaningfully, and come back. You don't need to be an artist or a therapist. You need to be willing to be present. We'll teach you everything else.

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Volunteers at a Holding Frames gathering
The National Network

BUILDING A VOLUNTEER FORCE in every state

Crisis doesn't stay in one place. Neither do we. Our national volunteer network means that when a community needs healing support, trained people are already nearby — ready to show up without waiting.

280+
Communities Served
Across 34 countries
50
States — The Goal
Active volunteers in every state
3
Volunteer Tiers
Community Member → Facilitator
~4h
To Full Certification
Including Psych First Aid

All 50 States — Volunteer Coverage

Growing
We're building. Every volunteer who signs up expands where healing can travel. Your state matters.
Add your state to the map →
What Volunteers Do
SHOW UP. CREATE. Hold Space.
01

Support Gatherings

Set up spaces, prepare materials, welcome participants, and help create a room where survivors can express what words can't hold — alongside trained facilitators.

02

Deliver Frame Forwards

Carry hand-painted frames to communities in active crisis — a tangible message from people who understand what it's like to be where they are right now.

03

Lead & Build Locally

As you grow, facilitate gatherings independently, propose activations in your own community, and help build THF's presence in your region and state.

Why This Matters

A NATIONAL NETWORK IS HOW we stay

The hardest part of community healing work isn't showing up on day one. It's being there for month six, when the outside world has moved on and a community is expected to be "fine" by now.

A trained volunteer base — distributed across the country, rooted in local communities — is what makes sustained presence possible at scale. It's what allows THF to respond within days, not weeks, and to be a familiar face long after the initial response.

Rapid Local Deployment

Trained volunteers near affected communities mean we can be there fast — before isolation sets in and after the first responders have left.

Long-Term Capacity

Local volunteers become local champions — hosting gatherings, building partnerships, and keeping THF connected to the communities they already know.

Geographic Reach

Every new state with trained volunteers is another region where healing doesn't have to wait for a flight to be booked or a team to be assembled from scratch.

Lived Experience in the Room

Many THF volunteers are themselves survivors. That presence — people who've been there and chose to show up for someone else — changes the room in ways no credential can.

Your Path
START WHERE YOU ARE. Grow From There.

Every facilitator started as a volunteer. Pick the path that fits your life right now — there's no wrong entry point, and you can always deepen your involvement later.

01

Community Member

30 seconds to sign up

Stay connected from wherever you are. Receive updates, attend public events, share our work, and support when you can. This is how most people start.

No training required
Support through sharing, donating, or attending events
Helps build THF's presence in your state
Join the Community
02

Active Volunteer

~30 min orientation · 2–8 hrs/month

Be in the room. Support trained facilitators and help create safe gathering spaces for survivors and community members to create alongside each other.

Two short orientation modules
Setup, materials prep, welcoming, cleanup
Counted in THF's active volunteer network
Become a Volunteer
03

Certified Facilitator

~4 hours training · ongoing commitment

Lead gatherings and represent The Holding Frames independently in your community and region. Certification includes Psychological First Aid training.

Full training modules + Psychological First Aid
Ability to host and lead THF gatherings independently
Most facilitators start as Active Volunteers first
Start as a Volunteer

Not sure where to start? Sign up as a Community Member — you can always upgrade your involvement anytime.

Licensed Clinicians

Art Therapists (ATR, ATR-BC), LCSWs, LPCs, and other licensed mental health professionals add important clinical depth to THF gatherings. Same training path — your credentials are recognized and integrated, not replaced. Reach out about clinical facilitation

Expectations
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE for Both of Us

What We'll Provide

Clear expectations — your time, your role, and exactly what you're signing up for before you commit to anything

Orientation and support for every role — no one gets thrown into a gathering without knowing what to do

Trauma-informed culture that extends to volunteers — boundaries matter, and burnout is something we work to prevent

Flexibility when life changes — we know commitments shift, and we'd rather hear about it than lose you entirely

What We Hope For

Reliability — if you say you'll be there, we're counting on you; if plans change, just let us know

Open communication about your capacity, your boundaries, and anything that's not working

Confidentiality — what you witness in gatherings stays there; participants trust us with their most vulnerable moments

Willingness to learn — we'll teach you what trauma-informed really means in practice, not just in theory

QUESTIONS ABOUT Volunteering?
Do I need experience with trauma or art?
No. We provide orientation for every role before you're in any gathering. What matters most is that you show up with genuine respect and openness to learning — we'll handle the rest.
I can't commit long-term. Can I still help?
Yes. Some roles are one-time, others project-based, others ongoing. Even signing up as a Community Member helps us demonstrate geographic reach — which matters when we're growing a national network.
I've experienced trauma myself. Can I volunteer?
It depends on where you are in your own healing. We care deeply about volunteer wellbeing and we won't put anyone in a position that could cause harm. Reach out and let's have a real conversation about what role might be right for you.
Why does training matter even for support roles?
Because you'll be in the room with people carrying significant grief and trauma. The brief orientation ensures you know what to do, what not to do, and when to get help — protecting both you and the communities we serve.
YOUR STATE NEEDS You Here

Sign up in two minutes. Start where you are. Help us build a network that means healing doesn't have to wait.

Join the Network