Everyone is welcome here

RISEaid does not discriminate against anyone because of their:

• Race or color
• Religion, or having no religion
• Sex
• National origin, ancestry, or the language you speak
• Age
• Disability, including past addiction and recovery
• Veteran or military status
• Genetic information
• Criminal history or involvement with the justice system
• Housing status or income
• Or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law

This promise applies to everyone who connects with RISEaid:

• RISING MEMBERS and anyone who asks us for help
• Volunteers and mentors
• Donors and sponsors
• Partner organizations and the listings in our directory
• Staff and job applicants
• Board members

It covers how we choose who to serve, who to bring onto our team, how we treat people once they're here, and who we work alongside.

Many of the people we serve, and many of our best volunteers, have a criminal record. A record never stops you from becoming a member, volunteering, donating, or partnering with us. Your past is not a reason to turn you away.

Our general volunteer form doesn't ask about a record at all. If you become a RISING MEMBER, your intake may ask about things like parole, probation, or court dates. We ask only so we can plan the right help with you, never to decide whether you belong.

We don't run background checks and we don't ask for references, for any role. Many of our best volunteers and mentors came through our programs themselves, and lived experience is one of the greatest gifts anyone can bring here.

We will never set anyone apart, limit their role, or treat them differently because of a record. Everyone who joins us agrees to the same simple standards of kindness, honesty and respect for members' privacy, and those standards are the same for everyone.

We serve people of every faith and people of no faith. You will never be asked to pray, attend a service, or share our beliefs, or anyone's, to get help from RISEaid. If faith is a source of strength for you, we're glad to point you to faith-based resources when you ask.

Some rules exist only to keep people safe, and they apply to everyone equally:

• Volunteers, and anyone sharing a video story, must be 18 or older.
• Mentors finish RISEaid mentor training and agree to the Mentor Code of Conduct before meeting with any member.
• Everyone, including members, volunteers, and staff, must follow our community guidelines. We may limit access for someone who threatens or harms others, no matter who they are.

If you need a change to how we do things because of a disability, just ask. We'll work with you on a reasonable way to make it work. Our accessibility page lists other ways to reach us and use the site.

Please tell us. You can speak up without fear: we will never punish, drop, or treat anyone worse for raising a concern in good faith.

• Email hello@riseaid.org with "Fairness concern" in the subject line.
• Call or text 888-860-RISE (888-860-7473) and ask to speak with a founder.
• If your concern is about a founder, ask for it to go to the board. You can read how we handle reports in our board policies.

Tell us what happened, when, and who was involved, if you know. You can stay anonymous, though it's harder for us to follow up. We aim to reply within 2 business days, look into every concern, and tell you what we did about it when we can.

You also have the right to contact a government agency at any time. For job concerns in Utah, that includes the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. For disability access, you can contact the U.S. Department of Justice through ADA.gov.