Volunteer
Why Volunteer?
There are many good reasons why volunteering is a good idea. Whether you volunteer by yourself, or with a group...YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
VOLUNTEERING is a great way to:
Get involved in the community
Gain knowledge and experience
Share your knowledge and experience with someone else
Offer assistance to others in need
Read first-hand accounts of volunteer experiences with the Shelter.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Adopt-a-Family
- Meal Preparation
- Office Assistance
- Collect Items from Wish List
- Funds Solicitation
- Child Care During the Day or Evening
- Organize Donations for the Shelter Free Store
- Sponsor a Party or Group Activity
- Help a Family Move Into New Housing
- Paper Products Drive
- House and Ground Helpers
- Special Events Volunteers
- Administrative Daytime Help
- Join Shelter Sensational Group
- Help with Run for the Money
- Sell Shoe Pins
- Conduct Art and Craft Projects
Public Awareness Opportunities
Education and Public Awareness are key in ending domestic violence. Here are two ways you can do your part to help put a stop to abuse among our families:
- Distribute Domestic Violence Materials at your place of business, church, school, or civic group.
- Have The Shelter's Public Education Specialist speak to a business, church, school or civic group about Domestic Violence, Violence in the Workplace, or Teen Dating Violence.
Volunteers are needed in the following areas:
- Office Volunteer - helping with general office work, organizing shelter closet areas, shopping for supplies, picking up medications, assist with bulk mailing, copying, clerical, answering the front door, greeting guests and accepting donations, collecting newspaper clippings
- Poster Distribution - hanging posters around Gaston County
- Organizing donations - organize closets and work at Shelter storage site
- Fundraising - may become involved in various fundraising events by giving time, efforts or material
- Truck and Driver - assist moving clients into their houses after leaving the shelter or other miscellaneous projects
- Special Project Volunteer - provides ongoing support and supervision to all volunteers - use your own ideas
- Special Maintenance - clean up days on the outside and inside, redecorating, painting and yard work
- Reading Reaches Mentor - read to children or help with homework , be a positive role model, take an active role in influencing a child and their life
- "Done in a Day Projects" - for church groups, companies and organizations to do special events, fundraisers, miscellaneous shelter projects indoor and outdoor
- Children's Programming - coordinated children's programming, special events, one on one mentoring, help with activities and trips planned
- Shelter Volunteer - provide direct services to shelter clients; assist staff in the day to day operations of the shelter
- General Shelter Operators - sorting donations, helping with special events, holidays and other various assignments around the shelter
- Training volunteers
- Volunteer guidebook
- Holiday Help - collect gifts for adult clients such as fragrance/bath and shower sets, day planners, watches and gift certificates to local shops or other items. Prepare food baskets. Donate hams or turkeys for holiday meals.
- Fundraising - solicit donations of cash and in-kind
Volunteer Ideas
- Provide arts and craft projects with stamps, sponge painting, writing stories and story telling to children
- Decorating and designing bulletin boards for children each holiday
- Host a birthday party (on call basis) with all the trimmings
- Tutor children with homework on a regular basis
- Adopting a shelter child (may be during a short period of time) while residing in the shelter
- Instruct classes to our ladies and children (teach them a skill you know)
- Decorate the shelter for holidays with your imagination and ideas
- Hold a paper product drive
- Host an evening social at the Shelter for residents (use your own imagination)
- Organize a shopping event where local businesses contribute a percentage of their profits for one day to the shelter
- Sponsor a domestic violence awareness vigil at sunset. "The candle burns for women everywhere whose lives are affected by violence."
- Make and donate therapy dolls to aid children in counseling sessions
- Adopt a room
- Prepare a shelter meal
- Collect items from the wish list
- Mend torn clothing
- Organize a coin drive, bake sale, craft sale and donate proceeds to the Shelter
- Need an attorney to volunteer
- Be on call to help staff with special events
- Gathering information needed for programs
- Speak to your physician and dentist and encourage them to have brochures in their offices
- Collect items such as bleach, Polaroid Spectrum film, laundry soap, oil changes, Home Depot gift certificates, Wal-mart gift certificates, pre-paid phone cards, purses and wallets, children's non-violent movies, children's journals, ink pens, etc.
Financial Contributions
Make checks payable to:
The Shelter of Gaston County
Department of Social Services
330 North Marietta St.
Gastonia, NC 28052
If you would like to become a volunteer or have someone from The Shelter speak to your organization, please call 704-810-6492 or 704-810-6493.
Thank you for your support!!
For additional information, download a Volunteer Application.