Host/Hostess (Guest Companion)
Joy Prom Piedmont-Triad is an annual prom created especially for individuals in our community with different abilities and disabilities. Established in 2015, Joy Prom welcomes guests ages 16 and older with physical, developmental, and intellectual disabilities for an evening of celebration, friendship, and fun.
Serving as a Host or Hostess is our most important—and most rewarding—volunteer role. Each volunteer is paired one-on-one with a guest and serves as their companion throughout the evening. Hosts and Hostesses escort their guest to activities, encourage participation, help them navigate the event, and most importantly, build genuine connections while ensuring their guest feels welcomed, included, and celebrated.
This role requires a full-evening commitment. Hosts and Hostesses must remain with their assigned guest at all times and may never leave a guest unattended or transfer responsibility to another volunteer without approval from the Joy Prom leadership team. Volunteers are required to remain at Joy Prom until 10:00 PM or until their guest has been reunited with and picked up by their parent or caregiver, whichever is later. Because guest safety is our highest priority, volunteers who leave before their guest has been properly checked out and reunited with their caregiver will not be eligible to volunteer with Joy Prom in the future.
Background Check Requirement (Ages 18+)
After registering, you will receive an email with instructions for completing a background check through Sterling Volunteers. All Hosts and Hostesses who are 18 years of age or older must have a Sterling Volunteers background check completed within the past 12 months.
YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL ONCE YOUR BACKGROUND CHECK HAS BEEN MARKED AS CLEAR.
AFTER RECEIVING THIS EMAIL, YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE YOUR VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION VIA THE LOVE OUT LOUD/BASE PLATFORM (where you are now).
REGISTRATION DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE ONCE YOUR BACKGROUND CHECK IS CLEARED.
YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS STEP IN ORDER TO BE FULLY REGISTERED AS A VOLUNTEER.
The background check costs approximately $18, and we ask volunteers to cover this expense whenever possible to help ensure Joy Prom remains a safe environment for both our guests and volunteers. Joy Prom is a volunteer-led organization, and the event is made possible entirely through the generosity of donors.
If the cost of the background check presents a financial hardship, please email info@joyprompiedmonttriad.org. We never want cost to prevent someone from serving, and financial assistance is available. Simply select the option to decline payment when completing your background check, and we will gladly cover the cost.
Attire
Volunteers are welcome to wear cocktail or formal attire but are not required to.
Suggested attire:
- Women and girls: Cocktail or formal attire preferred. Minimum attire required: "Sunday" dress or dress pants with a nice blouse
- Men and boys: Suit or tuxedo preferred. Minimum attire required: Collared shirt with slacks (ties are preferred but optional)
Please do not wear jeans or T-shirts.
All volunteers must wear their volunteer name badge during the event.
If you are between the ages of 14-17 and would like to serve as a host or hostess, please CLICK HERE to sign up.
