THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN VOLUNTEERING

 

The Delores Project relies on over 800 volunteers annually to support our mission and programs. Nearly 90% of the daily meals and snacks are provided and served by volunteers. The combination of meal providers and in-kind donations saves The Delores Project over $150,000 each year.

Become a Volunteer

We’d love to welcome you to our volunteer community! This is our three-step process to become a volunteer:

  1. Interview with Stephanie Johnson-Wall, the Volunteer Coordinator. Plan for 20 minutes. Schedule an interview.
  2. Sign our Volunteer Agreement.
  3. Attend an orientation. Plan for 3 hours total. These are hosted on Mondays 4:45 pm - 7:45 pm or the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Sign up here.

If you are part of a group, we ask for the group leader to participate in our onboarding process then share all appropriate information with each member of your group. Thank you!

Individual & Small Group Opportunities

Meal Program

Are you looking for a fun activity to do with your family, friends, colleagues, or faith community? Does your child need service learning hours? The Delores Project is seeking individuals and groups to provide and serve meals for our guests seven days a week. To support our meal program you can serve a meal, provide a meal, or provide and serve a meal - whatever works best for you! You’re welcome to sign up once or as many times as you would like.

This is a great opportunity for small groups. If you plan to volunteer on-site at the shelter, please limit your group to 6 volunteers due to the size of our kitchen.

Meal Server

Serving a meal and joining our guests to eat is where many volunteers get their start and requires no financial contribution. We are looking for caring individuals and groups to assist with meal service at The Delores Project. We believe that in extending true hospitality, our guests will begin to believe that they are worthy of care and regard. As a meal server, you will play a key role in raising the level of hospitality that we provide our guests each day. This is approximately a 2 hour time commitment (11am-1pm or 5:45pm-7:45pm). We ask you to:

    • Finish preparing the donated/planned meal
    • Follow all food safety guidelines (review Meal Program Information)
    • Clean and set up the dining room for meal service
    • Serve the meal to guests
    • Put away leftovers and clean up the meal prep area following meal service

Meal Provider

Help us to nourish our guests by providing a healthy, balanced meal. You are welcome to cook a meal in our commercial kitchen at the shelter (check out our Kitchen Inventory), cook a meal in your home, or order a meal from a restaurant to be delivered to the shelter. If you are dropping off a meal, we are happy to finish the meal on site. We ask you to:

    • Plan a menu with a main dish, side dish(es), salad(s), any accompanying condiment(s), and dessert as your budget allows
    • Purchase ingredients and prepare the meal
    • Provide 40 servings
    • Follow all food safety guidelines (review the Meal Program Information)
    • If you are just planning to drop off/deliver a meal to be served by other volunteers or our staff, please do so no later than 11:00 am for lunch or 5:45 pm for dinner

Reserve your spot to provide or serve a meal:

Sign Up!

Provide A Service

Our guests and residents have limited access to transportation and a limited budget, so you can help our community by volunteering your services on-site. Offer your services to our guests and residents. Services that are most frequently requested:

  • Hair cut
  • Massage

Please email volunteer@thedeloresproject.org to learn more.

Large Group opportunities

Special Projects

Our spaces often need special attention, including sorting/organizing donations, deep cleaning, painting, or seasonal yard work. This is a great way to get involved with a group of 10+ from your workplace, school, or faith community. Please email volunteer@thedeloresproject.org to learn more.

Donation Drive/Freezer Meals

A great option for folks who have less predictable schedules is to host a donation drive or freezer meal party! Collect items on our Current Needs list, or create and drop off easy freezer meals for staff to heat up when we do not have a meal provider. Please email volunteer@thedeloresproject.org to learn more.

Other Information

FAQs

 

Q: How old do I have to be to volunteer?

A: We welcome volunteers of all ages. Serving a meal is a wonderful opportunity for families to volunteer together.

For volunteers who are under 18, please complete our Volunteer Agreement with your parent or guardian. If you are 16 or older, you are welcome to volunteer independently. We ask that a parent or guardian accompany any volunteers who are younger than 16 years old and that the adult assign their young person(s) age-appropriate tasks.

 

Q: Do you accept volunteers who need to fulfill community service requirements?

A: In most cases, yes! Our policy for court-ordered community service is to welcome volunteers who do not have a violent or drug-related offense.

 

Q: Can only women volunteer?

A: We welcome volunteers of all gender identities and gender expressions, including women, men, transgender individuals, and nonbinary individuals. We ask that you are sensitive to our community of unaccompanied women and transgender individuals, and respect the dignity of everyone while you volunteer.

COVID-19 UPDATE:

We still need volunteers! Our biggest need is for meal providers and servers - for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. The Delores Project is committed to the health and well-being of our volunteers, staff, and guests, and we've implemented a comprehensive response plan to keep our community safe.

As a result of the pandemic, the shelter is open 24/7 and we reduced the number of guests from 60 to 35. We made these changes, along with other enhanced safety procedures detailed in our Coronavirus Response Plan, to meet the needs of shelter guests, follow recommendations by the CDC and local public health officials, and protect the health and safety of The Delores Project community.

If you are not feeling well or have knowingly been exposed to the virus, please stay home and let us know by email to volunteer@thedeloresproject.org.

Read our full Coronavirus (COVID-19) Volunteer Response Plan:

Please send any questions to volunteer@thedeloresproject.org.