Families with Young Children

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Homelessness

Types of Help Needed: Activities with Agency Clients, Food Preparation and distribution

Service Opportunity Details: Volunteers needed to help host Host homeless families at one of the north shore congregations. This is perfect for families with children at home. It also works very well with couples (friends or sharing the same house). This includes welcoming the guests as they arrive for their evening. Providing dinner and sharing with the guests. If you have children they can play with or read to the guest children after dinner. It is a wonderful experience. Doing God’s work no more than 20 minutes from home. See the video of Kenilworth Union Church families reporting on their experience on the kuc.org look for Family Promise.

Location: Various North Shore communities

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Young Adults, Adults

Frequency: One-time, periodic

Frequency Details: This commitment can be for one evening and require as little as 2 hours of time. Scheduled in advance.

Contact Info: Liaison and Board Chair: Richard Day, 847 722 4714

Other Information:

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Homelessness, Domestic Abuse, Food Insecurity

Types of Help Needed: Events and projects, In-kind Donations

Service Opportunity Details: Sarah’s Circle readily accepts donations of toiletry kits. These kits supplement the services and items provided at Sarah’s Circle, as women often rely on them when they are not in our space. Sarah’s Circle accepts toiletry kits in quantities of 25 or more. These must include: soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion (all travel sized). Other items may (but are not required to) include: toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, q-tips, Kleenex, cough drops, etc. All kits provided should include the same items.

Location: Chicago-North Side

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Young adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: One-time, Periodic

Frequency Details: Volunteers can provide toiletry kits on a one-time basis or periodically.

Contact Info: Staff: Dakota Chisholm, Volunteer Coordinator, 773-728-1014 ext. 314

Other Information:

People Served/Type of Services: Community Services

Types of Help Needed: Events & Projects

Service Opportunity Details: Support and volunteer at any of Breakthough’s annual events. Greater Food Depository Hunger Walk: gather a group and walk to help Breakthough earn money for its food pantry. Annual Benefit: host a table. Christmas Store: organize a gift drive or volunteer at the event.

Location: Chicago-East Garfield Park

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children Families with teens Teens Young adults Adults Groups

Frequency: One-time

Frequency Details: The Hunger Walk—9/7/2019, 7–11:30 a.m., Annual Benefit—10/25/2019, Christmas Store—12/14/2018

Contact Info: Staff: Jenny Kieser, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, volunteer@breakthrough.org, 773-346-1772.

Other Information:

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Food Insecurity

Types of Help Needed: Food Preparation and Distribution

Service Opportunity Details: Volunteers plate, serve and bus tables in restaurant style service. Donations of food for dinner are also welcome.

Location: Chicago-Rogers Park

Volunteer Ages: Families with teens, Teens, Young adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: Periodic

Frequency Details:

Contact Info: Staff: Maggie Williams 773-262-2297, ext. 23;
Kenilworth Union Volunteer Coordinator: Betsy Moerschel

Other Information:

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Life Transition Support, Homelessness, Support for formerly incarcerated individuals

Types of Help Needed: In-kind donations

Service Opportunity Details: An individual could organize a supply drive or reach out to businesses to ask for donations of specific items. A wishlist can be found here. Many of the items are for when new residents arrive. Volunteers could assemble welcome care packages for a new resident (or a year’s worth of new residents!) from the suggested items. These could include new sheets and towels, new comforter, PJs, toiletries, a shower caddy, and a backpack. Approximately 35 women come to Grace House each year, and 80 men come to St. Leonard’s.

Location: Chicago-Near West Side

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Teens, Young adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: One-time, Periodic

Frequency Details: This can be a one-time project, or a commitment to once every 6 months, or once a year.

Contact Info: Staff: Volunteer Coordinator, 312-780-3196

Other Information: St. Leonard’s volunteers often remark that they receive more from the experience than they give. We invite you to experience this first-hand.

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Life Transition Support, Food Insecurity, Support for formerly incarcerated individuals

Types of Help Needed: Food Preparation and Distribution

Service Opportunity Details: A group or family prepares a meal for a dinner for St. Leonard’s House (20-30 people) or Grace House (10-15people), serves it to the residents, visits with them during the meal, and cleans up. This is a wonderful opportunity to sit and share a meal with someone who might at first seem very different than you. It is a chance to see how much you actually have in common.

Location: Chicago-Near West Side

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Teens, Young Adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: One-time

Frequency Details: The evening would need to be mutually agreed on by St. Leonard’s and the volunteer group, ideally at 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday or Sunday. Holiday luncheons are also welcome (New Year’s, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, etc.)

Contact Info: Staff: Volunteer Coordinator, 312-780-3196

Other Information: St. Leonard’s volunteers often remark that they receive more from the experience than they give. We invite you to experience this first-hand.

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Food Insecurity, Homelessness, Domestic Abuse

Types of Help Needed: Food Preparation and Distribution

Service Opportunity Details: Provide bagged lunches for 50 women. Sarah’s Circle only accepts 50 or more sack lunches. These should consist of a variety of meat sandwiches and at least 5 vegetarian sandwiches, healthy snack, optional fruit, and optional healthy beverage. Each pre-bagged lunch can have a different item, we just ask that each includes a balanced meal. Please scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance with the volunteer coordinator.

Location: Chicago-North Side (4750 N. Sheridan Road, Suite 220)

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Young adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: One-time, Periodic

Frequency Details: Volunteers can provide lunches on a one-time basis or periodically.

Contact Info: Staff: Dakota Chisholm, Volunteer Coordinator, 773-728-1014 ext. 314

Other Information: If serving, must be 13 years of age or older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Education/Child and AdolescentDevelopment, Healthcare, Domestic Abuse, Children, Teens, Mental Health

Types of Help Needed: In-kind donations, Events and projects

Service Opportunity Details: In-Kind initiatives currently organized internally by Lawrence Hall have the opportunity to be led by volunteers, either in helping to plan or execute them. They include: Back to School Supply Drive: Ensuring all 600+ of the youth in school (Kindergarten-College) receive a backpack filled with supplies needed to succeed at the start of the school year. Turkey Drive: Ensuring all Lawrence Hall families in critical need receive a Thanksgiving box filled with all food items to prepare a Thanksgiving Dinner. Coat Drive: Ensuring all of our youth have a warm coat during the cold months. Holiday Gift Drive: Ensuring all 700+ of the youth in our programs have a gift to open during the Holiday Season. Foster Care Holiday Party: Volunteers are needed to help provide food, beverages, decorations and cookies for the annual Lawrence Hall Foster Care Holiday Party hosted for our Foster Care families and children each December.

Location: Chicago-Ravenswood

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Teens, Young Adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: One-time, Periodic

Frequency Details: Generally occur September through December.

Contact Info: Staff: Laryssa Sykes; Hailey Nicewanner, Youth and Volunteer Engagement Supervisor, 773-769-3500.

Other Information:

People Served/Type of Services: Urgent Services, Food Insecurity, Homelessness

Types of Help Needed: Events and Projects In-kind Donations

Service Opportunity Details: All year round La Casa Norte partners with individuals and groups who want to organize a drive, fundraiser, or activity/events to support the youth and families experiencing homelessness.

Location: Chicago-Humboldt Park, Logan Square

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Teens, Young adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: One-time, Periodic, On-going

Frequency Details:

Contact Info: Staff: Jasmine Hernandez, 773-276-4900 x254

Other Information: Examples of needed items include new socks and undergarments, men’s professional clothing, home ac cleaning supplies, toiletries/personal hygiene items, coats*, toys*, and back-to-school items*. (*seasonal needs)

People Served/Type of Services: Education/Child and Adolescent Development, Children, Teens

Types of Help Needed: Fundraising

Service Opportunity Details: Agency’s Annual Walk-A-Thon (in October) and Annual Gala (in March) offer many opportunities for volunteer involvement including committee participation, planning, soliciting financial support, donating auction items/experiences, and attendance at events. Groups can support the events by organizing a team for the Walk-A-Thon or purchasing a table at the Gala.

Location: Chicago-Rogers Park

Volunteer Ages: Families with young children, Families with teens, Teens, Young adults, Adults, Groups

Frequency: One-time, On-going

Frequency Details: Depends on the type of participation volunteer chooses.

Contact Info: Staff: Gretchen Nord, Director of Communications and Special Events, 773-465-6011 ext. 114, gretchen@familymatterschicago.org

Other Information: