VOLUNTEER
Volunteer with the Dream Team!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Dream Team! We hope to answer many of your questions on this page. Use the link below to submit your interest in volunteering. Below the link is a bunch of information to answer questions you may have.
Volunteering in 2023
Interested volunteers should mark their calendars to attend an informational webinar on February 6, 2023 at 7PM. The webinar link will be provided via email in advance to all who have submitted volunteer interest prior to this date.
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All new and existing volunteers will be asked to attend an official sign-up meeting on February 9, 2023 at 6:30PM, hosted at the Downtown Des Moines Wellmark YMCA.
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Please send any questions or concerns to volunteer@dreamteamdesmoines.org.
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About the Dream Team
Dream Team Des Moines is a non-profit organization in central Iowa. We provide young adults with opportunities to build confidence, set goals, and create a healthy lifestyle through mentor-based interactions centered around bicycling.
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In March, a team of 50-60 teenagers start their 5 month journey to RAGBRAI, a week-long bike ride across Iowa that occurs each July. The riders work with caring volunteers to set goals, work hard, and DREAM BIG!
The bicycle is used as a tool to inspire and motivate young people, encourage lifelong wellness, and build confidence through accomplishment. Completing a 400+ mile bike ride across the state gives the participant a tangible sense of achievement, as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals.
The Dream Team makes the seemingly impossible, possible.
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Volunteer Commitment
We need our volunteers who interact with the youth (either riding your bike with them or helping with support) to attend at least half of our events. This goes a long way to establish trust and a relationship with the youth that can help them succeed. And the time you put in is so worth it!
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Month of March: Training indoors at the Wellmark YMCA downtown two evenings a week: Monday and Thursday from 7 to 8:30pm. We ask you to be at one of those nights each week. We also typically have a team building event (such as bowling) on a Saturday during March. It’s ideal if you can be there.
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Months of April-July: Training outdoors three times a week: Monday and Thursday evenings from 5pm to dusk and Saturday morning from 8am until we get back. Rides get longer as the year progresses. They always start and end in downtown Des Moines. We ask you to be at either the Monday or Thursday training each week and at least two of the Saturday trainings each month.
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Campouts: We typically have three weekend campouts each season. We want you to attend at least two of them. A weekend campout consists of riding from downtown Des Moines to a destination, camping overnight, and then riding back the next day. They are great training rides that also involve setting up camp and some team building activities!
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Week Long Bike Ride Across Iowa: The week long bike ride across Iowa in July (RAGBRAI) is the big event we have been training for! Being a volunteer does not require that you attend RAGBRAI with us but we hope that you can. We pay for your band and your food so you don’t need any money to attend. If you ride RAGBRAI with us, then you’ve met all the attendance requirements listed above. NOTE: we already have our support crew planned for RAGBRAI each year. If you attend RAGBRAI with us, it’s as a riding mentor on your bike and you ride your bike each day that you attend RAGBRAI. Youth don’t sag and neither do our adults. But you’ll be ready for it.
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End of Year Banquet: We come together one last time shortly after RAGBRAI to celebrate a successful season. This is typically the first Friday evening after RAGBRAI. We hope all volunteers can attend!
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What's the Process to Become a Volunteer?
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Submit your interest with the link above.
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Attend our volunteer informational meeting typically held in early February.
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Someone may contact you with follow-up questions to determine if you are a fit for the team. We don’t take all volunteers; we take volunteers that are a good fit for this team and each year we have a different number of mentors we are looking to add.
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If you are invited to join our team, then attend our commitment meeting in February where you make your commitment to be a volunteer, sign the necessary documents, and get onboarded. The onboarding process does involve a background check.
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Start volunteering with us in March!
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Who Can I Contact for More Information?​
​Reach out to our volunteer coordinator: Scott Matter at 212-268-8296 or email us at volunteer@dreamteamdesmoines.org.