Homelessness can happen to anyone!

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Volunteer Opportunity Ideas

Homeless people need more than canned food drives and panhandled spare change. There is a tremendous need for volunteers of all kinds: tutors, computer repair and upkeep, child care, office operations, fundraising, job counseling, clean up, and more. If you belong to an organization, try teaming up with a local service provider to make your effort more effective.

Campus Organizations, Faculty, and Students

• Infant supply drives
• Back-To-School supply drives
• Hygiene supply drives
• Winter clothing/sleeping bag drives
• Fundraising drives
• Renovation/Construction/Clean-up projects
• Holiday meal service
• Literacy projects
• Develop or maintain web sites for local agencies
• Host speakers to raise awareness of homelessness
• Participate in student service-learning through academic courses and serve for a local homeless provider
• Pursue research on homeless issues for academic credit. For example,
  How does New Mexico's/Albuquerque's per-homeless spending compare to other states or cities?
  What makes Albuquerque's homeless situation unique compared to other cities?
  What has been the impact of the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness?
• Join UNM-H.A.A.G.

Corporate Groups

• Infant supply drives
• Back-To-School supply drives
• Hygiene supply drives
• Fundraising drives
• Renovation/Construction/Clean-up projects
• Literacy projects (children and computers)
• Host speakers to raise awareness of homelessness

Older volunteers

• Literacy tutoring
• Thrift store help
• Holiday meal service
• Supply drives
• Winter-hat knitting drive

Local Service Providers

Albuquerque agencies that mainly serve homeless people:

• Cuidando Los Niños
  No minimum volunteer age.
• St. Martin's Hospitality Center
• Women's Community Association
• Health Care for the Homeless
  Volunteers accepted for office work such as answering phones. Donations: we accept most medical products and supplies, including colostomy and diabetes-related equipment such as insulin level monitors.
• The Storehouse
• Albuquerque Rescue Mission
  Contact Sue Buckner, volunteer coordinator. We can place teenagers as volunteers for some areas.
• Good Shepherd
  We accept volunteers for serving food and registering new clients. Contact Norm Grandjean at 858-0659. We also accept donations of food, clothing and small items of furniture.
• Salvation Army
  Volunteer with us to help with fundraising, food service, and cleaning tables. If you are a licensed social worker or a counselor, we can definitely use your help. We also have a casserole program where you can volunteer to make casseroles for people in need, using recipes that we provide. We gladly accept sleeping bags, blankets, good shoes and heavy winter coats for the cold season.
• Barrett House
  At the shelter, we sign up volunteers to work in two hour blocks of time doing office work, client intake, monitoring the phones and so on. You must be at least 18 years old. We always have a need for thrift store volunteers and community service workers.
  Donations: We make welcome baskets for clients who have recently moved into a place of their own. We like to include small boxes of detergent, dishware, and silverware when possible. Generally, we can always use shampoo, soaps, conditioner, combs and brushes. Also, household cleaning supplies, napkins, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, bath towels, and women's large and extra large clothes.
• First Methodist Church
• Noonday
• Restoration Ministries
• Haven of Love
• Joy Junction
  The volunteer coordinator is Chris Dooley. Volunteers can be as young as 14, if accompanied by parents. We accept community service vlunteers. Cash donations, food, clothing, coats and blankets are very much appreciated.
• Transitional Living Services
• Amistad
• Project Share
  Volunteer for food service, store room supervisor, office work (mass mailings, updating our database). We accept donations of food, clothing, blankets, and non-perishable food.
• New Day

Donation Ideas

Always needed

• Soap, razors, toothbrushes, combs, feminine hygiene supplies
• Clean underwear and bras
• Diapers, baby formula
• Shoes and socks
• Jeans and work clothing

Warm weather needs

• Caps
• Sunscreen
• Socks

Cold weather needs

• Blankets, sleeping bags
• Gloves, warm socks, hats
• Skin lotion

Index

Albuquerque Services

Links

H.A.A.G. Calendar

U.N.M.

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All contents ©1998 UNM Homelessness Advocacy and Awareness Group. All rights reserved.
Design and layout by Leanne Yanabu, MFA willow@unm.edu
Last updated: October 21, 1998
http://www.unm.edu/~willow/homeless/volunteer.html