Court-Ordered Community Service

Court-Ordered Community Service at SPCA of Southwest Michigan

Thank you for your interest in completing court-ordered community service with the SPCA of Southwest Michigan. We are happy to support community members who need to fulfill court-ordered service hours.

Step 1: Request Pre-Approval

The first step is to request pre-approval by emailing
Volunteer@spcaswmich.org with the following information:

• Full Name

• Birthdate

• County where you are completing your community service

• Charge listed on your court-ordered paperwork

We will review your information and follow up with next steps.

Availability of Hours

While we do our best to offer volunteer hours, we cannot guarantee that we will always have enough work available for all volunteers to complete their required hours. We recommend that volunteers consider partnering with additional organizations alongside the SPCA to ensure all requirements are met.

Community Service Hours

Court-ordered community service hours may be completed only during SPCA open hours:

• Monday – Friday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

• Saturday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location:
6955 West KL Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Approval & Volunteer Registration

After you are approved to volunteer, you will need to create a profile in the SPCA’s volunteer software:
www.spcaswmich.galaxydigital.com

Within the software, volunteers will be required to:

• Sign a liability waiver.

• Ensure that parents/guardians of minors sign the required minor liability waiver and one for themselves.

Minor Policy

• Volunteers must be 13 years or older.

• All minors ages 13–17 must have a parent or guardian present at the SPCA at all times while performing community service.

• No exceptions can be made to this policy.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please let us know. We look forward to supporting you in completing your community service hours.

Introduction Meeting Requirement

After pre-approval and creating a profile in the Volunteer Software, volunteers must schedule a 30-minute introduction meeting with SPCA staff.

To schedule your meeting, please email: Volunteer@spcaswmich.org

Introduction meetings are scheduled based on SPCA staff availability. 

Items to Bring to the Meeting

• Court paperwork listing the offense.

• A valid ID.

  • Minors must have a parent/guardian present, and the SPCA must also see the parent/guardian’s ID.

Please Note: The SPCA will make copies of these documents for its records.

Offenses We Cannot Accept

The SPCA cannot accept volunteers with offenses involving:

• Animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect

• Violent offenses including assault and/or battery

The SPCA reserves the right to decline approval for community service participation or to dismiss a community service volunteer from the program at any time.

Type of Work for Community Service Volunteers

• Volunteers with under 20 hours of required service will focus on cleaning, organizing, or completing assigned projects (e.g., assembling cat carriers, preparing food bank bags). These volunteers do not work with animals.

• Volunteers with 20+ hours may be taught to work with animals at the SPCA’s discretion, in addition to cleaning tasks.

Court-ordered community service volunteers report directly to the Volunteer Coordinator.

Volunteers are responsible for:

• Signing up for shifts

• Arriving on time

• Completing their hours

The SPCA is not responsible for ensuring volunteers meet court deadlines. Volunteers may need to work with multiple organizations to fulfill all required hours.

Volunteers must sign in and out using the SPCA’s volunteer computer. Hours not recorded may not count toward court requirements.

Volunteers must submit their own court paperwork for signature. The SPCA is not responsible for locating or tracking down forms.

Initial Meeting Procedures

The Volunteer Coordinator will meet with each court-ordered community service (COCS) volunteer prior to beginning their hours to:

• Confirm their identity

• Verify the offense is not violent or animal-related

• Assess whether the volunteer is an appropriate fit for the SPCA environment

Copies of the court paperwork and ID will be kept on file.

If approved, the SPCA Staff will provide:

• A facility tour

• Explanation of expected tasks

• Location of supplies

• Instruction on how to log hours in the volunteer computer

COCS volunteers do not have to be approved if they are not a good fit.

Logging Hours

COCS volunteers must log their hours using the SPCA’s volunteer computer.

Some volunteers may have a court log requiring signatures. These can be signed by the Volunteer Coordinator or SPCA office staff. It is the volunteer’s responsibility to request signatures.

Coming In to Volunteer

Volunteers must use the Volunteer Software to sign up for shifts. They are responsible for:

• Scheduling their own hours

• Showing up for assigned times

• Staying productive while onsite

• Signing out when leaving for the day

Completion of Hours

When volunteers finish their required hours, courts may contact the SPCA for confirmation through:

• Email

• Phone

• Written letter

• Probation officer or court representative

The SPCA will verify hours if they were completed in full.