Volunteer Opportunities

While financial contributions are critical to support a staff of seven people, provided child care, and assure regular maintenance of the shelter, we couldn't do much without our volunteers. This is where we could use your help. We have over fifteen committees serving our various shelter needs. Some of these committees may be a person of one and others have as many as fifteen members. We are always looking for new people and ideas. Some of our major committee needs are listed below:

Office Volunteers
We do not have a full time secretary on staff. These people are largely responsible for answering phones and helping with filing and other administrative duties. Can you help 2-4 hours per week?

Community Resource Committee
This is our largest committee and meets regularly on the third Monday of the month. This group is charged with planning an organizing our various fund raisers and distributing publicity about the shelter.

Thrift Store
This is our newest planned venture, and we hope to have the store operational by early 2006. We will need many volunteers to help with the donating, sorting and selling. (See article on this subject on pg. 3 of the October 2005 Newsletter.)

House & Maintenance Committees
These two committees work on repairing and building aspects of the shelter. With twenty-five to forty people in the shelter at any one time, we are constantly fixing a sink, a toilet, or a light switch. This requires almost daily check in. We would like to spread the current workload out among more than a couple people. Retired carpenters, electricians, and handymen and women would be most welcome.

STAR/RSVP
This committee is designed to track former residents and mentor current residents. The committee meets roughly once per quarter. The mentoring is anywhere from one-half to two hours per week with a resident.

If you have any interest in any one of these areas, please contact our director, Teri Niebuhr at the Shelter at (714) 993-5774 or fill out our volunteer form.