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There are so many things a volunteer can do to help the shelter and the kids.
If you'd like some ideas, read on!
These kinds of volunteers assist the house parents with children's activities within
the Shelter or in the community. They may accompany the houseparent and children on
field trips, errands, recreational or cultural activities. They may also act in the
place of the house parents and provide child care to one or more children when the
house parents must be away for training, errand-running, taking a child to a medical
appointment, etc.
Child care workers are needed on a regular basis as well as on an
"as needed" basis. Their involvement allows the Shelter to minimize expensive full
time employees while offering quality care and attention to the children.
Volunteers are needed to make or supply drawstring cloth bags, book bags or other containers
appropriate for children's personal belongings such as clothing, school supplies or toiletries.
Some children come to the Shelter with no belongings and they must be provided with these kinds
of items to use while there and to take with them to a more permanent setting. Others come with
some belongs which, more often than not, are carried in trashbags. Volunteers can also assist in
providing toiletries, school supplies and other personal items as needed.
Birthday cakes, gifts, and party supplies (paper plates, cups, party hats, balloons, etc.) are
needed from time to time in order to celebrate the birthdays of children in care. Also, birthday
cards that can be given to children in care or sent by those children to family members and
friends are needed.
Special snacks are a real treat for our children (average 10-14 children at a time).
Volunteers can assist by preparing an after-school snack or goodies for a special
occasion and delivering them to the Shelter.
Volunteers are needed to mend clothing and to make or repairhousehold items like curtains and dust ruffles.
Special holiday decorations really help to make the Shelter more homelike and cheerful. Volunteers
are needed to provide seasonal decorations, help the children make holiday items and assist in
decorating the Shelter.
Volunteers who will play with the children, teach sports, games, exercixe and other ways to
constructively use leisure time are needed. Athletic equipment and supplies are needed on
an on-going basis.
Overall maintenance of the Shelter is needed year round as well as for special spring and fall cleaning.
Minor and major repairs of our shelter facility are required from time to time. Household cleaning
assistance is always helpful as is grounds maintenance. Regular grass mowing, weed pulling, shrubbery
pruning, etc., is needed with volunteers supplying the tools and equipment to do their work. Another
area whichrequires constant maintenance is the supply closet where donated clothing, linens and
toiletries are stored.
Volunteer tutors are needed on an "as needed" basis. Also, volunteers are needed to teach arts and
crafts and to provide arts and crafts supplies. Volunteers can assist with organizingdonated books and
can supply magazines or subscriptions to magazines. Reading to children, playing, learning games
teach computer skills, and helping with homework, are needed educational activities.
Volunteers can help with errands running to pick up donated items, groceries,
prescriptions and other health supplies,household supplies, etc.,and deliver them
to the Shelter. Sometimes this assistance is needed in special instances, but some
is also needed on a regular (usually weekly) basis.
Help with correspondence, record keeping and filing is needed. Assisting children
with letter writing and thank-you notes is also needed. Volunteers can also donate
stationery for the children's use.
Volunteers can plan and organize special events and/orprovide tickets or passes to events that
have an admission charge. These activities may include such things as athletic events like ball
games, the circus, fairs, zoo, movies, festivals and the museum; recreational outings such as
bowling, roller skating, pizza or hamburgers parties or dinner at a restaurant, Bible School,
day or residential summer camp.
Volunteers organize and inventory food supplies. Also, volunteers can provide fresh items from
their gardens; prepare food items whichcan befrozen for later use of help to prepare donated items
for freezing or other storage. "Leftovers" from meetings, dinner parties, etc., are always welcome.
Preparing a meal or hosting a cookout, occasionally or on a regular basis will give the children a
treat and allow the house parents a break from that responsibility.
The assistance of volunteers in projects designed to raise funds for theongoing operation of
the Shelter ultimately benefits the children currently in care as well as those to come in the
years ahead, and greatly supports the work of the trustees and the executive director. We would
be glad to assist your organization in sponsoring a fundraising event for the Shelter.
Groups can work on our grounds by clipping shubbery, weeding, picking up debris and trash,
spreading pine straw, sweeping, washing windows, or planting trees and flowers. This greatly helps the appearance of our grounds.
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