Hunger & Homeless Volunteer Opportunities

Please contact me, Mona Lotfipour '11, the 2009-2010 Hunger and Homelessness intern at the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement if you are interested in any of the opportunities listed below or if you have any more ideas for F&M's involvement in the area of hunger and homelessness in Lancaster.

These are not the only opportunities that will exist throughout the year but they are some excellent organizations in need of help, especially right now. Please consider taking some time to volunteer and talking to your friends about volunteering!
The Ware Institute can provide group transportation if needed.

Thanks!

Mona Lotfipour '11

WATER STREET RESCUE MISSION
LOCATION:  210 S. Prince St, Lancaster, PA 17604
PHONE:  717-393-7709
SPECIFIC NEEDS: F&M Students are needed to serve meals from 4:30-6:30 on the following dates:
    September 16, October 14, November 11, December 9
The Mission has been feeding the hungry for over 100 years!  A donation for as little as $2.36 will provide a hungry homeless person with a healthy meal. The mission serves breakfast and dinner every day to the homeless or people living on the edge in Lancaster county. Dinner is from 4:30-6:30. Help is needed to setup, serve and cleanup.

Holiday meal help is always welcome. Holiday meals (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) are served from Noon-6 p.m. People are needed to help serve and clean up meals. It's very easy to do as they cook for you and have a regular staff that just needs help serving. The people are very thankful and love to talk to the volunteers.

CLARE HOUSE
LOCATION: 344 E. Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA 17602-2708
PHONE: (717) 291-5145
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Assistant is needed from 5:30-8:00 every Wednesday evening.

Clare House serves homeless women and children by providing a temporary home in a caring environment, life skills programs and aftercare support leading to self-sufficiency. Volunteers are needed to assist in babysitting Wednesday evenings so the mothers can attend a group meeting.

ST. ANNE'S CHURCH Brown Bag Lunch Program
LOCATION: 929 North Duke Street, Lancaster, PA 17602
PHONE: 717-392-2225
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Set up and servers are needed between 10:30 am-1:00 pm M-F
Serves 80-100 brown bag lunches to residents of Lancaster who wouldn't otherwise eat lunch that day. They serve lunch everyday and need 2-3 volunteers from F&M quite regularly.

LANCASTER CO. COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
LOCATION:  344 N. Marshall St., Lancaster, PA 17602
PHONE: 717-291-2261
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Assist with their Food Banks, volunteer or participate in the annual CROP Walk, help at their clothing banks or community meals. Assistance is needed at various times during the day.
Lancaster County Council of Churches has been providing ecumenism and outreach to Lancaster County for over 60 years.

MEALS ON WHEELS
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Volunteers are needed as delivery individuals or the individual to take meals into the homes. A car is not necessary to assist with the program.
Meals on Wheels is a nation-wide program that delivers meals to individuals to their home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. Because they are housebound, many of the recipients are the elderly.

POWER PACKS 
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Volunteers are needed to help pack bag lunches and help with distribution.
Power Packs provides packs of food to families whose children are at risk of going hungry on weekends when the schools' Free Lunch Program is not available to them. Recipes for low-cost nutritional meals and the ingredients to prepare them, staples such as soup, peanut butter and cereal, as well as tips on nutrition, shopping and cooking are provided.

CLOTHING BANK VOLUNTEERS
Location: 344 North Marshall Street
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Volunteers are needed to help assist clients and stock clothing.
The clothing bank is open Tuesday & Friday mornings from 9:00-12:00. During this time, volunteers can have a hands-on opportunity to work with families coming in for clothing. Volunteers can aid clients in finding clothing; sort clothing donations; stock clothing racks/shelves. 

Sorting clothing donations and restocking the clothing racks can also be done Monday through Friday from 9:00am - 4:00 pm. Volunteer groups as well as individuals are welcome.

FOOD BANK VOLUNTEERS
Location: 344 North Marshall Street
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Packing food orders
This opportunity is available Monday through Friday from 9-4 and Wednesday evening from 4:30-7:00.
Volunteer tasks could include: packing food orders for families in need; helping to distribute food orders at the food bank; stocking food bank shelves; sorting food donations.
 
WEEKEND MEAL PREPARATION
Location: Various sites
SPECIFIC NEEDS: Volunteers for preparation, serving, and cleaning.
This is a hands on opportunity available on Saturdays and Sundays between 4:30 and 6:30pm. It involves full meal preparation, serving the meal, and clean up after the meal. This is a great opportunity for groups (min of 8 people required -- 15 max.)

Please contact us for available dates.Contact HUNGER to volunteer to help in ANY of these areas.