Opportunities From: MEND

Description of Duties: Join us for our First Step Program! Every Thursday, we provide participants experiencing homelessness curated food bags, fresh fruit, clothing items (dependent on availability), and hygiene kits. We need your support in distributing these items to our participants. Your participation will add warmth to our welcoming environment, creating a moment of community care and support.

Specific Responsibilities:  

·       Set up tables and chairs for the distribution

·       Greet and chat with participants during distribution

·       Help organize food items on distribution tables

·       Distribute food items, clothing, and/or hygiene kits

·       Keep the area clean

·       Breakdown tables after program and help throw out any trash

 

Time Commitment: Thursdays, 8:15 AM to 11:15 AM (3 hours)

 

Qualification: Qualifications:

o   Ability to bend, reach, and grasp food items

o   Ability to lift 10-15 pounds

o   Kind/Friendly attitude

o   Customer Service Skills or Trauma-informed care knowledge

o   Bilingual Spanish/English is a great plus!

 

Dress Code: Volunteers should wear comfortable, clean, and professional attire suitable for a community event. Closed-toe shoes are required. Be prepared to stand and move throughout your shift. 

Covid-19 Vaccination and Masking: Regardless of vaccination status, masking is optional MEND will continue to provide masks for volunteers.  

Impact:Be part of Homeless Connect Day and make a lasting impact as a volunteer. This resource fair consolidates essential services into a single location to help the unhoused. You’ll be the essential first point of contact—welcoming participants, simplifying the registration process, and providing the steady guidance that helps participants navigate the day with confidence. Your volunteer service will help create a compassionate, welcoming environment where participants are accessing resources with dignity.

 

Description of Duties & Responsibilities:Volunteer roles vary and will be assigned to various needs and tasks throughout the event depending on real time event needs.  Registration & Welcome: Greeting participants, checking in participants, distributing material and providing event materials.  Resource Partner Assistance: Assisting partners with setting up booths, directing them to their assigned locations, and helping with equipment. Information Support: Staffing information desks, answering participants questions, and providing directions.Logistics & Setup: Setting up and tearing down tables, chairs, signage, and display areas.Crowd Management: Monitoring participant flow, managing queues, and ensuring safe access to areas.General Support: Serving as "floaters" to help with miscellaneous tasks, providing breaks for other volunteers, and keeping the space tidy. 

 

Skills/Experience/Resources/Certifications Needed: Volunteers should have a compassionate, friendly, and patient demeanor when interacting with participants. They must be comfortable standing, walking, and able to move up to 15 lbs. as part of their duties. Volunteers should have a teamwork approach, work cooperatively as part of a team, follow directions, and maintain a positive attitude throughout the event. Volunteers should be reliable and arrive on time.

 

Dress Code: Plain polo or casual crewneck shirts. Comfortable jeans, dress pants, khakis. Closed-toe shoes are mandatory for all volunteers, per safety guidelines for set-up and clean-up activity.

 

Age: This volunteer opportunity is open exclusively to individuals aged 18 and older.

 

Parking: Be advised only street parking is available for this event.

 

Covid-19 Vaccination and Masking: MEND follows the LA Public Health Guidelines for COVID-19 cases isolation and close contact.  While masking at MEND is currently optional, all onsite safety protocols are subject to change based on active health orders or elevated community risk.