We can always use extra help! By offering your time and talents, you allow us to bring hope and housing to more families and individuals. Multiple opportunities exist to meet your schedules and interests. To join our team of volunteers, contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 206-525-1213 x 3030 or AErickson@thechurchcouncil.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
Group Opportunities
Home Revitalizing: Occasionally one of our homes needs to be spruced up! Group projects could range from landscaping to interior painting. This opportunity needs to be arranged at least one month in advance of volunteer date and can accommodate varying number of volunteers.
Moving Assistance: Help program participants move both into our program, and also into permanent housing upon completion of our program. Involves helping to lift heavy items such as sofas and beds. Truck could be provided if necessary. Perfect for youth or service groups looking for one time only community service projects.
Need of the Month Club Collection: Receive e-mail notification of our In Kind need of the month. All contributions go directly to families. Needs of the month may include items such as shampoo, bus tickets or food gift cards.
Donate for a special occasion: Your group can make a holiday or special occasion even brighter! Here are some ideas of items your group could collect/and or donate:
- Mother's Day Baskets
- Children's birthday party kits (themed plates, cups, streamers etc.)
- Move In kits for our residents
- Pumpkins for Halloween
Individual Opportunites
Office Assistant: Help us reduce the administrative cost of bringing more resources to those in need by helping us with filing, preparing confidential program participant folders, processing housing paperwork for program participants, providing childcare while families are interviewed, scheduling outreach visits, and other needs as they arise and meet your interest level.
Spanish Translator: Take messages on our Spanish hotline, reply to the messages, translate forms, and assist our advocates in communicating with Spanish-speaking program participants.
Language Translator: Translate forms and assist our advocates in communicating with non-English speaking program participants. We need translators for the following languages: Spanish, Tigrinya, Amharic, Somali, Russian, Oromo, Arabic, Nuer, and Japanese.
Research Assistant: Research funding opportunities from private local sources and also research resources to assist our participants in accessing basic needs and educational opportunities.
Housing Assistant: Help our program participants learn about maintaining a home and moving by performing house checks to ensure that homes are being maintained, helping program participants with procedures and paperwork related to moving, and helping them move (if desired).
Follow-up Specialist: Help us determine our impact on community and individual lives by contacting program participants after they have moved into permanent housing. Survey their current status and help them reconnect for additional help if needed.
Small Maintenance Specialist: Help us build healthy relationships with landlords willing to provide low-income housing by aiding in small repair and maintenance between tenants.
Housing Partnership Specialist: Help us serve even more program participants by locating landlords who would be willing to provide low-income housing by renting to our program.
Donations Specialist: Research opportunitiesl; write letters for community donations; and encourage groups, such as congregations, service groups, or senior living, to hold supply drives for our many needs including diapers, bedding, cleaning supplies and hygiene items.
Workshop Instructor: Help our program participants build life skills by sharing your knowledge and talents in a variety of areas including financial/money management, parenting, English as a second language, and many other topics. This could be a single workshop or a series of on-going classes.
Fundraising Assistant: Help our Development Associate and assist in writing newsletter articles, communicate program news with the community and program partners through mailings, help with writing thank you notes and filing, and/or assist with development of marketing materials.
Holiday-Giving Program Coordinator (June-December): Plan our holiday-giving program with staff; recruit new donors; and coordinate program participants' needs/wants, volunteers, and gift delivery.
Advisory Board Member (Monthly): Use your expertise to help guide us as an organization and to help us reach our fundraising goals so that we may better serve even more homeless families and individuals.
Auction Planning Assistant (Ongoing): Aid our Auction Planner by helping to procure and track items, to take reservations, to coordinate volunteers for the auction, and by helping during the auction.