Why is this important?
Community chore programs are important because they help keep clients in their homes. If this type of help were not available, many clients may be forced to move into residential nursing homes or other controlled environments. Not only is this more expensive than living on one's own, but it also takes away a feeling of independence for the person who must do this, when a little help can keep them where they need to be, in their homes.
How big are these programs?
Depending on your community, volunteer services can range from basic chores to helping with grocery shopping, or can even encompass such things as minor home maintenance and repair. Because most of these are run on a volunteer basis, volunteers are always needed for these types of programs.
Becoming a chore program director
If you want to become a chore program director of this type, it's likely that you're going to have to start out by volunteering first. You can peruse your local paper, classifieds, or even job sites on the Internet to find out where these types of volunteer positions exist in your area. Job postings or career listings for these types of jobs may also be available on such mainstream sites as Craigslist. Be sure to check out the viability of these programs before you volunteer; simply make a visit to the site once you've called to set up an appointment for an interview.
Another option for getting chore program director jobs in your community is to start a program that your community if it doesn't already have one. Keep in mind that you're doing this job for altruistic reasons, so your pay may be actually nonexistent at first. However, as the program grows in scope and visibility, it may eventually be supported by tax dollars.
Background and education
You probably don't need any specific background or education to become a volunteer in one of these programs. However, you may need to undergo a background check to participate, since many of the services you do will be in clients' homes. For example, it's possible that you can't have any type of criminal record, or that certain types of crimes will make you completely ineligible for this type of work. Whether or not you'll need to undergo a background check will vary by program.
Beyond that, you'll need to be good at whatever skills you want to offer to the program itself. For example, if you want to offer housecleaning services to clients, or if you want to help them with home repair, you'll need to be good at these types of tasks. Similarly, if one of the tasks you want to do is to help clients go grocery shopping or take them places by car, you'll probably need to have a driver's license. Again, your local program can tell you what specific qualifications you'll need to volunteer.
Becoming a chore program director
As a chore program director, it's probably going to be helpful to you if you've volunteered for similar programs previously. Anyone with specific experience in these types of programs is going to have a leg up over getting a director's job versus someone who does not. Again, beyond that, it's quite possible that no formal degree or education is going to be needed to be a program director. Possible requirements in formal education may be a background in social work or something similar.
Other skills necessary
You'll need to have the time and commitment necessary to volunteer for this type of job, since you may be volunteering even in a directorship position if you're just starting out your own organization. If you wish to start out as a simple volunteer, most of these organizations welcome a commitment of as little as a couple hours a week on a Saturday or something similar. It's very, very possible to volunteer without significantly impacting your life, no matter how busy you are. And of course, the clients welcome the help you give them, which is its own reward.
You need to be good with people, have a sincere willingness to help, and you must be willing to treat clients with respect and dignity. Just because they need your help doesn't mean that they are helpless or should be treated as victims. Remember that there may be a day when you are in this position yourself, so treat clients in the way you would want to be treated if the shoe were on the other foot.
Compensation
There is no specific formal compensation for this type of job, since it varies greatly depending on the particular program's budget. Very well established programs may have adequate directors' salaries and may even have other paid staff positions, too. By contrast, those that are just starting out may be entirely on a volunteer basis.
