Volunteers are at the heart of every care ministry—and CareNote makes it simple for you to serve, stay organized, and provide meaningful care without needing to log into an app or remember a password. Everything you need arrives directly through email using secure, one-time links.

This guide walks you through what it means to join a CareNote team as a volunteer and what to expect when you receive care assignments.

What Is a CareNote Volunteer?

Volunteers in CareNote are individuals who help deliver care—writing cards, preparing meals, providing transportation, making phone calls, visiting members, and more—without requiring a full CareNote login.

Volunteers:

• Receive assignments through email
• Accept or decline with one click
• Receive necessary contact information only after acceptance
• Submit care reports using secure one-time links
• Never need to create an account or manage a password
• Are protected through CareNote’s secure, time-limited, token-based system

Care administrators maintain full visibility and management of all assignments, but volunteers interact entirely through email.

1. Receiving an Invitation

If your church or care community is using CareNote, a care administrator will invite you to join their team.

The Invitation Email

You’ll receive an email that includes:

• The name of the church or ministry inviting you
• The name of the administrator who sent the invitation
• A brief description of what CareNote is
• A Join Care Team button

If you weren’t expecting an invitation, you can safely ignore the message.

Accepting the Invitation

Click Join Care Team.

You’ll be taken to a confirmation page that includes:

• Your name (to confirm you’re in the right place)
• The name of the care team you’re joining
• Who invited you
• What you can expect as a volunteer
• A quick overview of how CareNote protects your privacy

To join the team, click Accept Invitation.

Once accepted:

• Your care administrator is notified
• You are officially part of the care team
• You’ll begin receiving assignments by email

You can print or save this confirmation screen, but it’s not required—every future assignment email will contain the instructions you need.

2. Receiving a Care Assignment

Once you’re a member of the care team, your care administrator can assign you care requests or tasks.

Every assignment follows a simple, three-step flow:

1. Receive an assignment email
2. Accept or reject the assignment
3. If accepted, submit a care delivery report when finished

Let’s walk through that flow.

3. Accepting or Rejecting a Care Request

When you receive an assignment, the email will include:

• The name of the care receiver
• A brief description of the need
• The due date
• Two buttons: Accept or Reject

Accepting a Request

Click Review and Accept Care Request.

You’ll be taken to a secure CareNote page that shows:

• What a care request is
• Your role as a volunteer
• Important notes about privacy and communication
• A clear Accept Request button

Once accepted:

• Your care administrator is notified immediately
• You’ll receive a second email with:
  • The care receiver’s contact information
  • A summary of the request
  • A secure link to submit your report when care is completed

Rejecting a Request

If you are unable to take an assignment:

• Click Reject
• Provide a brief reason (e.g., out of town, unavailable this week)
• Your care administrator is notified automatically

No further steps are required.

4. Delivering Care & Submitting Your Report

After you accept a request and complete the care assignment, use the Submit Your Report link in the second email.

This opens a secure reporting form where you can:

Provide Key Information

• Date you delivered care
• How care was delivered (in-person, phone call, meal drop-off, etc.)
• Your notes—briefly describe what happened

Request a Follow-Up (Optional)

If the care receiver needs additional support, CareNote provides a simple toggle:

Additional Follow-Up Required

When enabled, it expands the form to allow you to describe the follow-up need and specify when it should occur.

You can also indicate who should complete the follow-up:

• Assign follow-up to me, or
• Ask the care administrator to assign someone else

This ensures no care need falls through the cracks.

Submitting the Report

Once your report is complete:

• Click Submit
• You’ll see a confirmation screen
• Your care administrator receives your report instantly

And you’re done! CareNote keeps everything organized and communicates your care clearly to your team.

5. What Happens Behind the Scenes

While you work entirely by email, CareNote maintains:

• Secure, time-limited tokens for all volunteer actions
• Expiration periods for each type of link
  • Accept/Reject links: 7 days
  • Report links: 45 days
  • Completion links: 90 days
• Audit trails of every action
• Fully encrypted communication and protected care details
• Automatic notifications to care administrators at every step

This means you can serve confidently, knowing that your privacy and the care receiver’s information are protected.

6. Tips for Volunteers

• Save the second email after accepting a request—it contains your report link.
• Respond promptly to all assignments, even if rejecting.
• Use CareNote’s built-in forms for all reports; do not email personal information.
• Reach out to your care administrator anytime you have questions.
• Remember: You never need to log in or manage a password.

Summary: The Volunteer Workflow

Here’s everything you do as a CareNote volunteer:

1. Receive an invitation → Click Join Care Team
2. Accept the invitation → You’re now part of the team
3. Receive assignments by email
4. Accept or reject each request
5. If you accept, you receive the care receiver’s contact information
6. Deliver care
7. Submit your care report using the secure link
8. Request follow-up, if needed

That’s it. Simple, secure, and built to help you care well.

Thank You for Volunteering

Your time, compassion, and willingness to serve make care ministry possible.

CareNote exists to help you focus on what matters most: caring for the people in your community.

If you have questions or need help, contact your care administrator or visit our documentation for more guides.