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So many Ways for Our Valued Volunteers to Serve

by Shelly Carton, Yolanda Sethi, and Kris Olson-Garewal

Did you know, The Homing Project has many opportunities for eager and dedicated volunteers?

First, we have an immediate need for a Demonstration (Demo) House Coordinator.  The Demo House is our Pallet-64 micro-shelter that is mounted on a trailer and easily travels to churches, malls, book festivals, craft fairs, and civic group events.  By interacting with the micro-shelter, people immediately understand the idea behind The Homing Project.  When they see it, touch it, and step inside, it can be easier for people to understand the importance of the “housing first” model for pathways out of poverty. In addition, the Demo House is an important source of individual donations.  The Homing Project (THP) is seeking a volunteer to 1) do outreach and 2) schedule potential sites for the micro-shelter to make an appearance.  After our Demo House Coordinator schedules the micro-shelter display event, our Volunteer Coordinator will take it from there.  Interested, but unsure if you can commit?  Please contact Yolanda (volunteers@thehomingproject.org), or Kris (jk.olsongarewal@thehomingproject.org) with your questions. 

Second, we need volunteers to work with Mark Leinhos, our Chief Technical Officer (and Chairman of THP’s Board of Directors) to manage our website and other social media.  Those interested in learning more about what this entails should contact Mark for a chat (mark@pcsarizona.com). 

Third, there is plenty of office work required to keep THP running smoothly behind the scenes. 

• Help Kris Olson-Garewal, our CEO, apply for grants.

• Help with volunteer coordination

• Follow up with potential donors of in-kind goods and services.

• Answer the emails in our organizational email account.  For most of these, there is already a standard response, others should be referred to the appropriate Board member.

• Write a short weekly email to the board members and coordinators updating them about what's happened this past week.

• Write short articles for the monthly newsletter.

• Assist the CEO and other board members and officers with scheduling meetings.

• Apply project management principles to the work of THP to ensure smooth sailing.

If you'd be willing to take on any of these tasks (or any task you have noticed neglected) get in touch with volunteers@thehomingproject.org.  You can work from your own home, the library, or alongside Kris at her dining room table. 

Finally, there are several site-specific tasks that we will accomplish together once construction permits come through.  These include: 

Please contact Yolanda at volunteers@thehomingproject.org to be notified after the permits come through and a site schedule is made for these tasks. 

Once the village is up and running, we will need cooks, mentors, outreach to obtain food from community low-cost food programs, and teachers of life skills (e.g. budgeting, housekeeping, gardening, home repairs, anger management, etc.) to help residents progress toward becoming self-sufficient permanent home residents with jobs that pay a living wage.  Other possible activities include curating movie night, card games, exercise programs, and sandlot volleyball. 

Please get in touch or come to the THP volunteer meeting held at 10:00 AM, in the Children's Chapel at St. Philip’s Church of the Foothills (on the NE corner of Campbell and River, park in the north parking lot) the last Saturday of every month (with the exception of this month: it already happened on December 21, due to the holidays). 

To everyone who sold and/or bought tickets for the Jim Click Raffle.  

The Homing Project sold over 700 tickets!