 |
|
|
| |
| How to help |
|
Volunteer
There are a variety of ways for individuals and groups to volunteer at Harvest Home. Here are some current opportunities:
Office Assistant
We are looking for a computer savvy office assistant to help with accurate filing, typing, office organization and coordination. Commitment: Must be available at least one day per week, three hours a day on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Relief House Manager
As a relief house manager, you can richly bless our organization by covering for a staff member who needs time off for vacation or emergencies. Mostly needed in the evening or on weekends, relief house managing can be fit into your schedule.
Receptionist
Although this position may not sound important, it is extremely important. This person(s) works directly with women seeking shelter, donors, the general public, residents and staff. Without a receptionist fielding numerous and sometimes lengthy calls, Harvest Home staff can be consumed and thus time not spent on other important tasks. The receptionist(s) also conducts telephone interviews with potential residents and provides referrals when Harvest Home is full. We anticipate needing a number of volunteers to fill the hours below in shifts. The best fit would be someone who could consistently commit to a weekly, three-hour shift. Hours needed: Tuesday – Thursday 9am - 4pm, Friday 9am – 2pm.
Advocate Chair & Committee
We are looking to establish an Advocate Committee who will work together to increase community awareness of Harvest Home in the church and local community. The committee will work as ambassadors of Harvest Home, informing groups and churches about what is happening at Harvest Home and will also help plug interested parties into current volunteer opportunities. The Advocate Chair will assist in recruiting committee members (Harvest Home has a list from which one can start) and designing how the committee will work and how often the committee will meet. Commitment: Chair: Initially, 10 hours per week for 4 weeks, 10 hours quarterly thereafter. Members: 10 hours quarterly.
Fundraising Chair & Committee
Harvest Home is looking to establish a team approach to broadening our support base. This team will be assist in crafting a systematic approach to identifying, educating and cultivating new donors through already established fundraisers and developing new and imaginative fundraising activities and implementing a strategy for the development of the activity. Additionally, Harvest Home would like to put together a corporate sponsorship program. Commitment: Chair: 5 hours per week, Members: 3 hours per week.
Mentoring
Mentoring at Harvest Home means helping young and new moms adjust to their new life by offering support, guidance, advice, an open ear, and sometimes just a hug. It's an opportunity to serve and empower women in need and offer them real hope and life change. Guidance, encouragement and one-on-one time is life changing especially during a crisis and mentors are able to influence and speak truth into every area of residents' lives. Six hours of training are required to equip mentors to productively work with one resident, as is a mature Christian walk. Ongoing training and an opportunity to talk with other mentors will be facilitated at quarterly meetings. Generally speaking, every mentor should meet weekly with the mentee over the course of their stay at Harvest Home. Many times, if the mentor / mentee so desires, the relationship may go on for a period of time after the resident graduates from Harvest Home. Commitment Level: 6 hours training, 1 hour weekly, 2 hours bi-annually, minimum of 12 months.
Grant Researcher and Writer
Harvest Home thrives off donations and grants, thus researching and writing grants are vastly important. Our small staff is kept busy, and is limited in our resources. We could use a person willing to research appropriate grants and then, collaborate with staff, to write them.
Layette Maker
From the donations given to us we are able to give each woman, who delivers at Harvest Home, an amazing layette. The layette maker would be responsible for procuring items not donated but necessary for new mothers, creatively arranging the items in a large laundry basket and wrapping them in cellophane. Upon completion, this person would drop the layettes off at our storage facility. This would be a nice women’s group project! Commitment Level: 20 hours, quarterly.
Teaching a class
Harvest Home is seeking teachers who will invest in our women by sharing their time, expertise and talents. Currently, we are seeking teachers for:
Bible Study Teacher – Help share the gospel and speak truth into lives.
How to Make Good Decisions - Identify a method for thorough thinking through decisions and making the right ones. Creating course outline and content is needed.
Women’s Health – Providing women with information on taking care of and protecting their health.
Cooking – Teaching residents simple preparation of meals.
Boundaries in Dating – Helping residents set safe boundaries for dating.
Healthy Relationships – We are currently using Safe People books and workbooks.
Budgeting Teacher – We are currently instructing the residents in Larry Burkett’s series.
Parenting – Class facilitator required for existing program; couples are welcome.
Commitment level: Classes 60-90 minutes once a week, and are usually six weeks in length. Programs will run 2-3 times per year.
Girl Friday
This position requires a flexible person willing to do just about anything including administrative work and running errands. For example, errands would include picking up a birthday cake for a resident, ordering / picking up parts for broken appliances, procuring office supplies and so forth. Administrative work may include answering the telephone, typing correspondence, internet research for products and resources, ordering crib parts, varied projects such as organizing our photos and placing them in albums, and so forth. Commitment: 3 hours weekly.
Donation Sorter
Harvest Home is blessed with an abundance of donations. With the new and like-new items, we are able to create lovely layettes for each of our residents. Unfortunately, we are not always able to use all we are given. That is where you fit in! We need you to sort through the items and make the decision what pile (layette, give directly to residents, give to a thrift store or dispose of) each piece belongs. The sorter is also responsible for distributing the items accordingly. Commitment: 2-4 hours weekly.
Alumni BBQ Coordinator
Each year, Harvest Home throws an annual Alumni Party. This last year, the party was hosted in October at Harvest Home and consisted of a BBQ (hamburgers, hot dogs) and side dishes with a sundae dessert bar. The coordinator is responsible for recruiting a few additional volunteers to assist at the party, sending invitations, planning party activities, purchasing party supplies including food, any food preparation, decorating and party clean-up. Harvest Home will fund this event and a timeline is available.
Alumni Newsletter Writer
Harvest Home mails a quarterly, one page newsletter to approximately 40 alumni. The alumni newsletter writer would research different articles and resources relevant to alumni such as parenting tips, household management, budgeting (etc.) and other news about Harvest Home. Samples are available. Responsibilities for this position would include researching and authoring the articles, laying out the newsletter on a computer, printing, folding, labeling, stamping and mailing the alumni newsletter on a quarterly basis. The cost of the project may be donated by the volunteer or reimbursed by Harvest Home.
Professional Painter
Professional painter needed to paint various Home projects.
Doula
We need volunteer Doula's to assist our residents through their birthing experience at local hospitals.
Crafts Class
We need a crafts class teacher to lead a class 1 time per month. This position would entail picking a craft, picking up the supplies (sponsoring them if possible) and spending about 2 hours leading the class.
Other Opportunities
All current opportunities can also be found at volunteermatch.org by searching ‘Harvest Home’. Please contact Debbie Mettler, Volunteer Coordinator, at dmettler@theharvesthome.net or 310.452.1223. |
|
