Thank You for Becoming a Volunteer Today

“The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands.” Deut. 2:7

The Mission depends on individuals (and groups!) who simply CAN’T sit back and watch people struggle with poverty and homelessness. The gifted and loving hands of volunteers l ike you enable us to reach out to homeless and hurting men, women and children of the Northlands.

Volunteers MAKE THE DIFFERENCE for people we serve at Northlands Rescue Mission.

Volunteering Options and Ideas:

Rescued Treasures -Help our clients shop for needed clothing and personal items using our voucher system, sort donations, and help keep the store organized.

Bible Study -Offer godly examples for establishing healthy habits and a lifestyle of dignity through teaching the word of God. Kitchen -Prepare and/or serve a meal to our clients and the community, organize and clean the pantries, fridges and freezers.

Van Driver - Make trips to pick up donations, as well as transport men and women from the Mission to their workplace.

Kickstart Lab -Help clients as they further their computer skills, complete job applications and create resumes, as well as stay in touch with friends and family. Mentor Program - Provide a client with a mature Christian role model through one-on-one mentoring. –This is a minimum 6 month commitment. Kids+ Program -Fill bags with nutritious meals and snacks for area children to take

home over the weekend. Or drive our van to drop off the Kids+ bags to each school on the last day of school for the week. Join us today to bridge the gap from week to week for kids in need.

Main Office -Assist our Main Office staff members by answering phones, filing, sorting and distributing mail, answering questions from clients, guests and volunteers, and other office tasks. Chapel Service -Invite clients to encounter the Living God, embrace His forgiveness and passionately follow Him. Life Skills Classes -Share your talents and skills by teaching a class and providing our clients with the opportunity to learn a new skill or develop a new hobby. Quilting, game night events, guitar lessons & baking cookies are some of our past volunteer-led classes.

Cool Kids Care -See our Cool Kids Care brochure for ideas on how to get your school or youth group involved with Northlands Rescue Mission. Adopt a Room -Decorate one of our dorm rooms with wall hangings, paint, bedding, curtains and furnishings to help prepare a place for our homeless guests that we would be proud to share with Jesus. This is a great opportunity for groups!

Sponsor a Drive -Check out our current Urgent Needs list and host an event or drive to collect much needed items for men and women in need. (Just ask for Drive Ideas and Information) Activity/Movie Night -Host a weekly movie and popcorn night or game night with games available here at the Mission or provide a game from home that you love to play!

Work Projects -Help us keep a clean and well-maintained facility by assisting with cleaning and maintenance projects or by decorating a room to make it feel like home. Special Skills -Do you like practicing photography, graphics design, videography, crafts, or have another unique skill you want to use in serving people at the Mission? Talk to the Hospitality Department to learn how you may be able to fill a unique role!

Contact us at volunteer@jointhemission.org to schedule your volunteer time

   

Volunteer  Off  Site  You can make an incredible impact for the Mission without even walking in our doors! Three great options are:

1 -Volunteer for one of our off-site events that require a lot of help!

Some events are regular, like our Mission of Hope Banquet and Thanksgiving Meal in November, our Women’s Journey Luncheon in June, and baking Christmas cookies in November/December. Others, like summer BBQ’s, are more spontaneous and just as fun to volunteer for! Just contact our Hospitality Coordinator to serve.

2 –Become an Ambassador for the Mission Northland Rescue Mission’s Ambassadors increase awareness of issues related to homelessness and relay information from the Mission, like its mission statement, urgent needs, current prayer requests, how to get involved, volunteer opportunities, special events, and most of all, celebration for God’s blessings! We work hand-in-hand with these individuals in our community who feel called to be voices of help, hope and healing.

3 -Host a Donation Drive at any time of the year!

As a nonprofit Christian ministry, we rely on the generosity of people like you to help us meet the needs of the homeless and poor in our community. One important way you can assist us in our work is to help provide needed items.

Donation drives like the ones on the back of this page help offset our budget and are a fun activity for your coworkers, church or group. Simply bring the items to the

Mission at 420 Division Ave, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Or, a monetary drive can help us cover the cost of purchasing needed items.

Thank you for your loving efforts!

Great Donation Drive Ideas The Paper Chase The Mission uses reams of copy paper, postage stamps, sympathy and other greeting cards, and Post-it notes every day in our administrative offices. A drive for these items would be a great way for your workplace to get involved!

The Great Scrub Up It’s vital to the health and self-esteem of our clients to keep our facilities clean and inviting. Help us collect 45- to 50-gallon heavy duty garbage bags, powdered laundry detergent, Windex, stainless-steel cleaner, Pine-Sol, bleach, bathroom cleaner, disinfecting spray, AA and D batteries and commercial mop heads.

Kids+ Drive Provide food for area children in need by filling bags with meals and snacks to take home over the weekend. Join us today to bridge the gap from week to week for kids in need by gathering instant oatmeal, cereal, crackers, chips, pretzels, fruit/vegetable cups, fruit snacks and pudding cups that are easily separated into individual serving sizes. ***Note: Due to the rise in peanut allergy cases, most schools now have peanut free campuses. Please take care when shopping for any of these items to assure that they do not contain peanuts or other tree nuts. Thank you!

Urgent Needs Check out our current Urgent Needs list and host an event or drive to collect the up-to-date Most-Needed items for our clients.

Stock the Pantry Collect staples such as rice, sugar, cans of fruit and vegetables, pasta, tomato sauce and coffee. Food from these drives will be used to serve meals in our dining hall and to fill food boxes for families in need.

Medicine Chest Comfort those who are suffering from illness by collecting over-the-counter, medicine: Tylenol Ibuprofen Benadryl Non-alcoholic cold and flu medications Cough drops Sinus medication Antacids Foot powders and creams. Items will be distributed to homeless men and women throughout the year. This makes a big impact: Clients use the items to improve their health.

Hygiene Drive Help us stock up on items that are used every day, like shampoo and body wash, razor and shaving cream, or toilet paper. (No travel size bottles, hotel bottles, or bar soap please) Items will be given to the men and women staying at the Mission who are in need of these very essential supplies.

Bus Tickets Getting around town without a car is important when trying to interview for a new job, or get to work on time. Help homeless men and women as they rebuild their lives by hosting a drive for public transportation. Single ride tickets or 10 ride tickets would be the most useful for people starting work.