Volunteer
Volunteer with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Coalition
Volunteering your time to work directly with people experiencing homelessness is one of thebest ways to learn about homelessness and help to meet immediate needs at the same time.There is a lot of “behind the scenes” work (filing, sorting clothes, cutting vegetables, etc.) to bed one at shelters and other direct service agencies. Think about what you do best and the kind of setting in which you work most effectively—with individuals or groups, with men, women, or children, and so on. Be patient—many service providers are under-funded and understaffed. Staff members are often overwhelmed with trying to meet people’s basic needs or coping with emergencies. Let them know how you can help, when, and for how long, and give them time to figure out how to work you in. Remember that service providers need help at all times of the year—not just holidays—and will appreciate regular volunteers who can be counted on to show up. At the same time, don’t commit to more than one visit or task until you’re sure you have found a place to which you are able to make a long-term commitment.
Here are some ways you might help LAHSC:
• Work at a shelter. Take an evening or overnight shift. Help with clerical work such as answering phones, typing, filing, or sorting mail. Serve food, wash dishes, or sort and distribute clothes.
• Offer professional skills directly or assist in job training. Direct service providers may be able to use many services and skills, including secretarial, catering, plumbing,accounting, management, carpentry, public relations, fundraising, legal, medical,dentistry, writing, child care, counseling, tutoring, or mentoring.
• Share hobbies. Teach your hobbies to a group of people staying at a homeless shelter.Ask them about their hobbies and have them teach you.
• Invite people experiencing homelessness to a community event. Invite people who areexperiencing homelessness to a worship service, public concert or picnic, city councilmeeting, etc.
• Work with children. Assist programs like LAYN that are coordinating events such as field trips, picnics or art workshops for children staying in homeless shelters. Find out if thereare children who could benefit from tutors or mentors.