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Volunteers are the backbone of the 
community. Volunteers make
it happen. They do fundraising, solicit in-kind donations, make
connections with civic and religious and educational organizations and
collaborate with social service agencies who can provide assistance
to the street youth. Often this process gives volunteers the opportunity to deepen their understanding of individual life situations that result in youth homelessness.
Most importantly, volunteers provide the sense of community at . They work with an experienced supervisor who is
always on site. Volunteers who are at the shelter the
same evening every week come to regard themselves as a team. Those
with irregular schedules meet new people.
Volunteering at the shelter contributes to everyone's well being.
Volunteers learn from youth, from their fellow volunteers and from
the trainings provided by . In turn, youth have a warm bed,
hot meals and a way of making connections with people from the wider
community.
In the shelter, we need volunteers to prepare and serve food and/or wash dishes, both morning (6:00-8:15 am) and evening (7:45-10:00 pm). Other volunteers are needed to interact with youth, hand out sleeping materials, assist with shower sign-ups and oversee the laundry. Both morning (6:00-8:15 am) and evening (8:15-10:15 pm) shifts are available. We also need volunteers to sleep overnight (10:00 pm to 6:00 am) at the shelter.
In our day program we're looking to fill these positions:
Snack Provider
We are looking for volunteers to donate and prepare a light, simple meal for the youth, Mondays and Fridays, 3:00-4:30 pm.
Men's Group Facilitator
We need a volunteer with relevant experience to lead a men's group.
Harm Reduction Facilitator
We need a volunteer who has experience leading groups and understands the harm reduction approach to addiction to run a group. The group's discussions will include reducing negative consequences to drug use and safer practices.
Creative Arts Facilitators
These volunteers plan and facilitate (and bring materials for) a creative project. We seek people experienced with art, dancing, zines, photography, drama, music, martial arts, and anyone else with a creative idea! These volunteers are needed Monday through Friday, 6:00-8:00 pm.
Practice Room Monitor
These volunteers monitor youth who need to practice the piano between their lessons. These volunteers are needed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 6:00-8:00 pm and Friday 4:00 to 8:00 pm.
We hold frequent orientation sessions for volunteers before and during the shelter season (Nov to May) which are listed here on this page (usually) well in advance of each event. You can also send us a message and ask for the dates and times of upcoming sessions.
And check our volunteering FAQ if you have questions about volunteering.