Welcome to the Heartland Divisional Headquarters located in Peoria, IL. We offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities including work with children, meal service, maintenance, and even administrative work just to name a few. Our campus here in Peoria is located on a city block between Jefferson and Adams and has multiple buildings each offering the public various programs - each program is in need of volunteer help! Without volunteers, we would not be able to do the work that we do. 

The first step in becoming a volunteer is to complete a Volunteer Application. This application can be completed by clicking the button to the right. Once we receive a completed application, you will receive an email confirmation with next steps. If you are unable to complete the online version, you can pick up a paper copy from our main administrative offices located at 401 NE Adams St., Peoria, IL.

If you will be doing community service hours with us, please complete a Volunteer Application. You will then meet with our Volunteer Services Manager to go over all of your paperwork and get your assigned schedule for hours. Please have your community service paperwork faxed or emailed to us as soon as possible so that we can track your hours and submit them to your agency upon completion. 

Feel free to browse our various volunteer opportunities listed below. If you have any questions, or aren't seeing a particular role of interest to you, please feel free to call our Needs Coordinator & Manager of Volunteer Services, Lindsey Reck, at 309-655-1306. She can also be reached by email at lindsey_reck@usc.salvationarmy.org.

Thank you for volunteering with the Peoria Salvation Army! Your helping hands make a BIG difference in our community!

Administrative / Office Work

Peoria is home to the Heartland Divisional Headquarters. This office, located at 401 NE Adams, is where our Divisional Commanders and support staff are located. We assist 24 Corps locations throughout the Division. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Front Desk 50 6/23/2017 9/1/2017

Child Care Center

Our Peoria Salvation Army Child Care Center located at 210 Spalding Ave. in Peoria has been operating since 1932. The Center is open to the public for kids ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. The center is nationally accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and we have earned a Gold Circle of Quality with the Illinois Quality Rating Program, ExceleRate Illinois.

We are in need of volunteers to assist the teachers with classroom organization, story time before naps, and nap time watching while the teachers have staff meetings with the director. Occasionally, we need assistance with administrative duties such as filing paperwork. 

All volunteers taking a role within Child Care must pass a background check and attend an in-person Safe From Harm training done at our location. 

For additional inquires, please contact the Volunteer Services Department at 309-655-1306.

Activity Shifts Start End
Classroom Assistant 100 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Classroom Reader 50 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Nap Watch Caregiver 6 7/5/2017 12/6/2017

Family Services

The Peoria Salvation Army offers a wide range or Family and Social Services to the public. We have two buildings that are open to the public Monday - Friday where they can inquire about shelters, rental assistance, utility assistance, public transportation passes, and Food Pantry assistance. These locations are our Family Services building located at 417 NE Adams and our Sylvia Fites Family Services building located at 414 NE Jefferson.

We are in need of volunteers in various roles including administrative type roles, warehouse assistance, donation sorting assistance, and shelter watch assistance.

Depending on the type of role, the volunteer must pass a background check and attend a Safe From Harm training done here at our location. 

For additional inquires, please contact the Volunteer Services Department at 309-655-1306. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Food Pantry/Warehouse Assistant 49 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Household Items Organizer 50 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Intake Receptionist - Family Services 50 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Laundry Services Volunteer 51 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Safety Net Administrative Helper 100 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Safety Net Monitor Assistant 137 6/22/2017 12/30/2017
Veteran's Outreach Center Greeter 19 6/23/2017 8/25/2017

Feeding Programs

The Peoria Salvation Army offers a daily feeding program Monday - Friday. Our lunch program is called Lunch with Love and offers a hot meal to the public out of the Sylvia Fites Family Services building located at 414 NE Jefferson, Peoria. We typically serve 60-100 people each day.

We are in need of volunteers who are willing to work in a commercial grade kitchen to help prepare and/or serve our meals. We offer various roles including helping our Chef prepare the meal as well as serving the prepared meal to our public population. 

For additional inquires, please contact the Volunteer Services Department at 309-655-1306.

If you are an individual or group interested in participating in our Dinner with Love program, which occurs every night of the week in the evening, please contact our Volunteer Services Department to discuss. This program is completely reliant on volunteer assistance meaning the volunteers supply the meal, serve the meal, and clean up afterwards. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Assistant Cook 50 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
General Kitchen Assistant 100 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Sandwich Maker 30 6/23/2017 9/1/2017
Soup Kitchen Server - Lunch With Love 37 6/23/2017 9/1/2017

Group Projects

The Peoria Salvation Army would be happy to accommodate a group for a one-time or on-going volunteer service date. We would need advance notice in order to prepare for your group and ensure the service time will be of most value to everybody involved. 

We often times need groups to help with lawn care, playground clean-up, warehouse organizing/cleaning, etc. If you do not see an opportunity that is of interest to you, we can try our best to accommodate to your interests and age group. 

Please have your point person for the group contact our Volunteer Services Department at 309-655-1306 to discuss. 

Activity Shifts Start End
Dinner With Love 192 6/23/2017 12/31/2017
Warehouse/Pantry/Kitchen 1

Internships

Activity Shifts Start End
Accounting/Finance Intern 0
Nursing Internship 1