Volunteer

The Breakfast Servers are often the first interaction a guest has each morning. As guests wake up in an emergency shelter and prepare to start their day, it can be filled with a lot of stress and apprehension. A warm smile and light conversation as you serve the food and pour the coffee can set an individual on the right track to leave the shelter motivated to take the steps necessary to move towards self-sufficiency. Imagine a night filled with 40 “roommates”, lots of snoring and perhaps a late night intake that disrupted one’s sleep. Now, imagine a warm smile and genuine compassion greeting that individual a few hours later. You have the ability to make that difference.

Opportunities: Shelter Season, 5:30am-7:45am.

Do you like to help folks put together an outfit? Figure out what clothing would be warmest? Find a favorite soap or shampoo? …. Volunteers who fill requests are like personal shoppers for our guests. The guest fills out a request for any combination of clothing, hygiene, outer-ware and perhaps shoes. When this request is submitted you go up to the donation room and select the items for the guest. This particular volunteer role works with the personal items, so if you would like to make someone’s day by picking out the nicest, best fitting clothes you can gather from the donation room, this is the position for you!

Opportunities: Shelter Season, 9am-11am; Summer, M-T-W 9am-12pm.

Donation volunteers accept, sort, and organize donations and can also help with laundry if/when needed and vice versa. St. John’s operates primarily on donations, of food, clothing and financial gifts. This particular volunteer role works with the clothing items, so if you would like to make someone’s day by picking out the nicest clothes you can gather for the donation room, this is the position for you!

Opportunities: Shelter Season, weekdays 9-11am; Summer, M-T-W 9am-12pm.

Laundry volunteering is a great opportunity to help out “behind the scenes.” We all know how nice it is to have clean clothing at our disposal- take advantage of this opportunity to provide clean clothes for someone in need! When guests come into shelter they have the opportunity (thanks to you) to have their clothes washed as well as their pillows. Also, when guests move on from shelter and leave their clothing to be “recycled” the items are washed and then re-stocked in the donation room for others to use.

Opportunities: Shelter Season, 9am-12pm and 7-10pm; Summer, M-T-W 9am-12pm.

Hospitality Volunteering is an opportunity to create a warm, inviting environment for guests and to connect on a one on-one basis whether by sharing a meal, playing cards, or simple conversation. Hospitality volunteers are able to escort non-volunteer approved meal servers to share a meal with guests.

Opportunities: Shelter Season, 4:30-7:30pm and 7:00-9:30pm.

Office reception volunteers have the opportunity to answer the door and phone, and accept donations, which at times may require light clerical duties. In the meantime, Office Reception volunteers can write thank you notes to donors, however the main objective of the Office Reception Volunteers is to answer the phone and relay messages.

Opportunities: Shelter Season, weekdays 9:00am to 12:30pm and 12:30 to 4:00pm; Summer M-T-W, 9am to 3pm.

Help Vicki get the Micah Center ready for guest arrival (doors open 8:30). This includes making sure cleaning closet is organized/stocked, making sure bathrooms have toilet paper & paper towels, setting up the ‘free food’ counter with available edibles, making coffee, and perhaps a bit of cleaning/tidying.

When?: M-F 7:45-8:45

Prepare something edible for our guests. We have mac & cheese, pasta & sauce, other interesting items in the basement kitchen. Being a bit of a ‘kitchen magician’ is helpful. The possibilities are limited. It is sometimes true that there are left-overs from St. John’s that can be turned into something here.

When?: M-F 10:30-noon 

Deep Cleaning an area at Micah: Although we assign chores every M-W-F, it’s rarely true that we get an opportunity to deep clean an area. This might be cleaning the entryways, organizing the art room, sorting the clothing room, cleaning the computer lab (or reading room, or café), or anything else that a volunteer feels would help the Micah Center look its best.

When?: M-F (any time) 

Reception relief. This is a challenging job that requires spending tandem time at the front desk with Vicki to get confident with the myriad things that happen constantly at the front desk. If you like fast-paced, multi-tasking, this is the opportunity for you!

When?: M-W-F (any time between 8:30-4:30) 

Morning (9:00-12:30) Volunteer Task Check List

• Unlock Back door
• Make a full pot of coffee
• Put the hot water on
• Re-stock the coffee bar
• Turn on computers
• Turn on music (CD’s on the stereo or radio on the boom box)
• Turn sign to “Open” in front window
• Open front door & put sandwich board sign out
• Read the previous entries in the Volunteer Book

———Spend time with guests if they are present and want to visit———

As soon as you are able:

• Check office for donation items to put out
• Check refrigerator for old food & put needed items on shopping list
• Check mailbox, sort, put mail away (right away Monday & after 10:30 T-F)

In-between visiting:

• Organize the donation area
• Wash/put away dishes
• Re-fill ice trays
• Remind guests to sign in
• Write in the Volunteer Book

Afternoon (12:30-4:00) Volunteer Task Check List

• Check the white board for notes/announcements
• Spend time with guests if they are present and want to visit

——–As soon as you are able & in-between visiting———

• Check office for donation items to put out
• Restock the coffee bar
• Check to see that mail was sorted. If not, sort & put away
• Check refrigerator for old food & put needed items on shopping list
• Organize the donation area
• Wash/put away dishes
• Re-fill ice trays

By 3:40 (Unless a guest has a dire need)

• Invite guests to select a chore (This is not expected & 100% ok if they don’t)
• Clean off counter top
• Wash dishes for last time
• Vacuum
• Clean bathroom
• Empty waste baskets
• Empty coffee pot and hot water
• Write in the Volunteer Book
• Bring the sandwich board sign in & flip the sign in the window
• Lock the front doors
• Turn off the light in the front room