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Intake Account
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Could someone talk me through my options OR I don't see the role I was told to sign up for?
This application is for anybody who is interested in an ongoing volunteer role with one of our programs. Typically, people commit to serving ~4 hours a week for 6 months to a year. You then would have the option to sign up for another year or to take a step back. These roles require screening and your attendance at an orientation.
If you are not interested in serving on a weekly basis (or want to get started right away), please feel free to check out our Volunteer Calendar to see individual opportunities where you can simply "sign up and show up" right away!
Or, if you spoke to someone who works at Catholic Charities about volunteering for a specific program or doing a specific internship but don't see that option in the list, complete this application. There is a place in the application where you can tell us who you talked to and what you hope to do.
Either way, if you complete this application, we will give you a call to talk through the roles that are available!
Anchor Behavioral Health Cafeteria Volunteer
Volunteers will greet people and give them boxed breakfast and lunches. We provide these meals 5 days a week: Monday - Friday. The people coming for the meals are regular clients of Anchor Behavior Health programs. The Program serves people who are vulnerable to a number of conditions, including food insecurity and isolation. We provide these meals to make sure they get nutritious meals twice a day and have the opportunity to engage with a community of caring people.
Impact of the Volunteers:
Volunteer engagement will foster positive relationships with our consumers and help them feel like valued members of the community. The Cafeteria Volunteers will be supervised by the Admin Clinic Manager who will ensure proper training, development, and support while the volunteer is on-site.
Duties & Responsibilities:
The Cafeteria Volunteers will
- Receive meals from the contractor and ensure that there are at least 25 meals available to serve consumers.
- Engage with consumers in chit-chat as they come for their daily for breakfast and lunch
- Check each consumer’s ID for verification and record the consumer’s name in the male log.
- Track number of consumers that come in per day for breakfast and lunch to ensure that we have enough meals to provide.
- Clean the eating area – wipe down the tables, sweep the floor – after each consumer has finished eating and lock up the kitchen before leaving.
- At the end of each shift, the volunteer should submit the breakfast/lunch log to the Admin. Clinic Manager.
Qualifications:
Volunteers should:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Have a friendly demeanor and desire to serve others
- Ability to remain calm is stressful situations
- Be able to lift at least 25 lbs.
- Adhere to an appropriate. casual dress code (no distressed or revealing clothing).
Desired Skills, Experience & Characteristics:
- Bilingual (Englis-Spanish) is a plus, but not required.
Volunteer Benefits:
Volunteers will become more familiar with the Anchor Mental Health community of clients and Catholic Charities work with this community. Volunteers will be part of a small and effective team who make a difference for people who are marginalized by society.
Support:
Volunteers will receive training and support from on-site staff.
Time Commitment:
We are looking for volunteers who can commit to serving at least twice a month, every other week, the same day of the week, for a year.
Breakfast service is roughly 1 hour. Lunch service is also roughly 1 hour.
Location:
Volunteers will serve in-person at Anchor Mental Health, 1001 Lawrence St., NE, Washington, DC 20017
Residential street parking is available within 3-4 blocks of the building.
Anchor is accessible by public transportation. The Brookland Metro Station is 3 blocks walk.
Staff Liaison:
Admin Clinic Manager
202-635-5957;
Next Steps:
- Complete the application at the green button to the right
- Have a brief, informal Get to Know You conversation with Catholic Charities Volunteer Office staff member
- Talk with the staff liaison for this role to match mutual expectations
- Complete the required screening, e.g., criminal history check (not disqualifying)
- Attend volunteer orientation
- Schedule your service
Angel's Watch Shelter Volunteers
VOLUNTEERING AT ANGEL’S WATCH SHELTER
Angel’s Watch Shelter provides women and families who are fleeing domestic violence or experiencing homelessness with safe and secure emergency housing, daily living necessities, comprehensive case management, and one-on-one assistance in securing new homes. Angel’s Watch seeks to foster an atmosphere of hope in which possibilities for new beginnings are seen and realized. The work of volunteers is essential to this mission.
Volunteering at Angel’s Watch Shelter offers an opportunity to:
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Contribute to the Angel’s Watch culture of caring.
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Support the residents’ sense of being by offering a calm and structured environment.
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Gain insight into the challenges faced by people living on the margins of independence.
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Be part of a highly functional team.
Angel’s Watch Shelter seeks volunteers who are:
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Cheerful, outgoing, and optimistic, and have a calm demeanor.
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Compassionate and understanding of people experiencing homelessness.
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Able to see and value the dignity of every person.
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Able to recognize people and remember names.
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Able to juggle multiple tasks at once.
Angel’s Watch Shelter volunteers are required to:
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Be at least 18 years old.
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Demonstrate the personal and technical skills required for the particular position.
Support for Angel’s Watch Shelter volunteers includes:
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A staff mentor and onsite training.
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Participation in the Catholic Charities Volunteer Orientation.
Time, duration, and location of service commitments:
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Are based on the requirements of each volunteer position.
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Occur partially or completely on-site at Angel’s Watch Shelter.
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Allow for flexibility, when possible, to accommodate volunteers’ schedules.
Current Volunteer Opportunities:
Volunteers will help with one or more of the following activities:
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Welcome Team Volunteers are the first welcoming faces at Angel’s Watch Shelter. They greet residents and vendors at the front desk, liaison with and support other volunteers, help with projects and activities, and engage daily with residents.
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Angel’s Watch Turnover Team Volunteers help welcome incoming families by working together to clean and lovingly prepare the Family Rooms that will be these families’ temporary homes.
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New Home Team Volunteers help Angel’s Watch residents search for and move into stable and secure new homes. Under the direction of a case manager, volunteers work with each client individually to locate a new home that meets the client’s needs.
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Special Project Volunteers collaborate with the Program Director to plan and implement events and activities that bolster community engagement. Volunteer activities are determined by the current needs and interests of the community and available resources.
Next Steps:
- Complete the application at the green button to the right
- Have a brief, informal Get to Know You conversation with Catholic Charities Volunteer Office staff member
- Talk with the staff liaison for this role to match mutual expectations
- Complete the required screening, e.g., criminal history check (not disqualifying)
- Attend volunteer orientation
- Schedule your service
Angel's Watch Dinner Prep & Serve
Can you imagine your family living without a safe and comfortable place to sleep, eat, and do all the things that keep your family functioning -- meals, the laundry, homework, planning ahead? That would be a crisis. It would be a very hard way to live. Angels’ Watch Shelter provides safe, emergency, housing and necessities for women and families who are experiencing homelessness. The program mission involves volunteers in delivering services. Residents who volunteer in the shelter often express feelings of self-worth and belonging.
The Dinner Prep & Serve Team volunteers prepare and serve dinner to roughly 24 families (70 people).
Impact of the volunteer:
- Improve residents’ sense of being a priority in a calm and structured environment (e.g., not crisis)
- Improve efficiency of the Angel’s Watch operation
Duties & Responsibilities may include:
Individuals and small teams of 3-3 to volunteers to work together to
- prepare a nutritious dinner for approximately 70 people.
- Follow the recipes and the groceries on-hand
- Serve the meals cafeteria-style to the families.
- Clean up the dining room and kitchen so it’s ready for the next day.
Qualifications:
- Volunteers must be at least 18 years old
- Be able to lift and carry >10#s
- Be able to learn to use a commercial kitchen: oven, dishwasher, sinks, refrigerator, pots and pans
- Complete Catholic Charities screening: application, present government ID (or alternative), up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination and booster record, criminal history check, reference check, and volunteer orientation
Desired Skills, Experience & Characteristics:
- Cheerful, outgoing, optimistic, and calm demeanor
- Compassionate and understanding of people experiencing homelessness
- Recognize the dignity of each individual
- Able to recognize people and remember names
- Able to juggle multiple tasks at once
Volunteer Benefits:
- Volunteers will contribute to the Angels’ Watch culture of caring that gives residents a sense of hope for acquiring housing and stability for their families
- Volunteers will gain insight into the challenges people living on the margins of independence
- Volunteers will join a highly functional team
Support:
- Volunteers will have a staff mentor and point of contact
- Volunteers will receive training in front desk operations
- Volunteers will become familiar with the Angels’ Watch shelter and team who operate it
Time Commitment:
- 3-hour shifts, 4:30PM-7:40PM
- shifts available Monday - Sunday
- On-site at Angels’ Watch Shelter
Location:
- This is an in-person volunteer opportunity
- 11670 Doolittle Dr, Waldorf MD
- Parking is available on-site
- Walkable from bus stop
Next Steps:
- Complete the application at the green button to the right
- Have a brief, informal Get to Know You conversation with Catholic Charities Volunteer Office staff member
- Talk with the staff liaison for this role to match mutual expectations
- Complete the required screening, e.g., criminal history check (not disqualifying)
- Attend volunteer orientation
- Schedule your service
Harriet Tubman Hope Corps Member
Harriet Tubman Shelter Hope Corps Member
Brief Description of the project:
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Catholic Charities low-barrier shelters offer emergency housing to women over the age of 18. The Shelters are open from 5:00 PM to 9:00 AM and offer a hot dinner, access to case management, showers, feminine toiletries, and a bed each night.
Hope Corps Members act as leaders for other volunteers and will be integral in providing support to volunteer groups at Harriet Tubman Shelter, ensuring smooth operations when staff are busy attending to the needs of the people we serve.
Impact of the volunteer:
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Hope Corps Members will enhance the overall volunteer experience by being a knowledgeable presence, answering questions, and ensuring volunteers feel supported and informed. Their impact will be evaluated through feedback from volunteer groups and staff and the overall efficiency of site operations during busy periods.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Welcome and orient volunteer groups upon arrival.
- Provide tours of the facility and answer questions about the space and the services provided.
- Assist with coordinating volunteer activities and ensuring tasks are completed as planned.
- Step in to support service activities when staff members are occupied.
- Maintain communication with staff to stay updated on daily priorities and needs.
Qualifications:
- Minimum age: 18 years.
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
- Comfortable interacting with diverse groups of people.
- Basic knowledge of the services offered by Catholic Charities (training will be provided).
- Physical ability to move around the service site and assist with various tasks.
- Willingness to undergo additional training for the role.
Desired Skills, Experience & Characteristics:
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Experience in a volunteer or customer service role is a plus.
- Ability to adapt to changing environments and tasks.
- Friendly, approachable, and reliable.
Volunteer Benefits:
- Opportunity to develop leadership and coordination skills.
- Experience in a dynamic and supportive community service environment.
- Networking opportunities with other volunteers and staff.
- Increased awareness of community needs and service programs.
Support:
- Comprehensive training provided to familiarize with the physical space and service operations.
- Ongoing support and supervision from the Volunteer Engagement Office.
- Access to staff for assistance and guidance during volunteering hours.
Time Commitment:
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Ongoing Volunteers: Minimum commitment of 6 months, with 4-6 hours per week. Volunteering can be scheduled on weekdays, weekends, and evenings as needed.
Location:
- Location will vary depending on the volunteer’s preference and the needs of the programs
