Join our Shelter Family - Volunteer!
Spend the Night
Two volunteers assist our Resident Manager each night by serving the
evening meal, handing out supplies, and just being a friend to our guests.
Volunteers can turn in for the night
once our guests are in bed. The Resident Manager stays on the premises
the entire time that the shelter is open. In the morning, the volunteers
and Resident Manager will set out breakfast and give our guests a smile
as they head out for the day.
Read the Volunteer Guide (3 page pdf).
To learn more or to volunteer, email info@sishelter.org or
call Shelley Alperin at (404) 724-0078.
Prepare a Meal
Volunteer cooks prepare
a delicious hot kosher meal for 18 people every night. Meals can be
as simple as hot dogs and beans or as elaborate as you will find in
a top class restaurant. The love that our cooks put into their meals
is deeply appreciated by our residents and volunteers. In fact, we have
overnight volunteers who specifically request the night when their favorite
cook is doing the honors! To find out more about preparing a meal—or
making a monetary donation toward the purchase of a meal--contact Annette
Easton at (404) 874-5365 or annett-z@mindspring.com
P.S. Even if you don't have a kosher kitchen, you can help either by
working with someone who does or by donating a breakfast of kosher instant
grits, oatmeal, milk, and orange juice.
Special Volunteer Opportunities
It takes a community to run a shelter. If staying overnight or cooking
a meal does not fit in your schedule, there are plenty of other volunteer
opportunities. Just call LaTonya Wilkerson at (404) 873-3147 ext. 225 and
we will find a way to use your unique talents.
Special volunteer opportunities include:
Evening Speakers
Once a week, we hold an
evening program to help inspire and motivate our residents.
Last season, this discussion series featured an author, a poet,
a rabbi, a judge, a nurse, a former resident, a successful
businessman, and a professional speaker among our honored list
of 15 presenters. We observed a sense of renewed pride and
dignity in the residents who attended these lectures. They
commented on how special and important they felt when these
prestigious members of the community shared their wisdom with
them.
Do you have a talent to share or know of someone else who
would be an interesting speaker?
Food Bank and Costco/Sam's Shoppers
We need
shoppers to go to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and/or
Costco/Sam's to shop for shelter supplies. Most helpful would
be volunteers willing to shop at least once a month for the
season.
Sunday Afternoon Volunteers
We attempt to
open early (2:00 to 3:00 PM) one Sunday per month to allow
the residents the chance to come in early and relax. On these
days, we also try to have special programs such as beauty makeovers
or manicures. Sometimes we just watch a video and have popcorn.
Volunteers make it possible for our guests to enjoy some down
time.
Holiday Volunteers
We are open on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and need volunteers to help keep the shelter
open during the daytime hours. Volunteers would assist either
the Resident Manager or the Shelter Director. Having the shelter
open 24 hours on these three days when so much of Atlanta is “shut down” is
a special gift to our residents.
Shelter Set-up and Break-down
Each fall,
we have to prepare the shelter for our residents, and each
spring, we have to prepare the shelter for the off-season.
We look for groups of volunteers to spend an afternoon or evening
getting the shelter ready for the next season.
Handy Person Renovations
If you can paint, build a cabinet, fix a broken door handle,
lay tiles, or are just all-around handy, we can really use
you in our continued effort to improve the shelter environment.
Emergency Dental Services
Most seasons, we have residents in need of emergency dental
help. The local clinic usually has a 6-month wait, and someone
needing a root canal or tooth extraction can't wait that long.
Several dentists have been friends of our shelter over the
years. We don't want to take advantage of their generosity,
and therefore we are always looking for more professional volunteers.
Fundraising Committee
We pride ourselves in running the Shelter in an extremely
cost-effective manner, but we rely on donations to make ends
meet.
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