Opportunities From: Orange County United Way

Mercy House is looking for Life Skills Facilitators to provide clients with skills that can enrich their lives.  For example, a person with knowledge or expertise on nutrition and health, financial planning, resume building, job searching, networking, scrapbooking, etc. can share tips/strategies with our clients.

Life Skills classes take place on Tuesday andThursday evenings from 7:00-8:00PM in the living room of our shelters.

Volunteers are responsible for creating a curriculum and teach class once per month.  Classes can include handouts, small groupdiscussions, video presentations, guest speakers, powerpoint presentations, etc.

We are currently in needof:

CPR Selfdefense Nutrition Setting boundaries (Parenting) Stress management Conflict resolution Credit repair Healthy living Budgeting Emotional Management (Coping Skills) Grocery Shopping Cooking Resume Writing Job Searching Relationship Disclosure (of HIV status) Going back to school after years on not being a student

*All Life-Skills classes have been booked, we will need Educators beginning in March.

A critical position! Volunteers serve as the first point of contact for families and individuals looking for assistance, by staffing the phones and our front desk. Good communication skills, a strong desire to help others, and excellent judgment are required.

Bilingual Office Volunteers are especially needed to help translate for clients (most needed languages: Spanish and Farsi).

This position requires 10 hours of training and a minimum six month commitment. Volunteers work two to three hour shifts once a week.

Did you know that all 28 of Families Forward's transitional homes are fully furnished by donations from our local community?  We gladly accept the following new items: Linens, kitchen towels, cooking tools and utensils, dining utensils, bath towels, cleaning equipment, cleaning products, and toys. We also accept toiletries, telephones, gently used baby equipment (car-seats, high chairs, cribs, changing tables), and small appliances (toasters, small table-top microwaves). All donations must be clean and in good working condition.

We also accept furniture items that are clean and gently used with no rips or holes. These furniture items are for immediate use in our homes and must be in good condition. Because of limited storage space, we cannot accept everything. Acceptable furniture donations may include:

Mattresses and bed frames (twin, full or queen size only) Bunk beds, dressers Night stands Armoires Bookshelves TV stands TVs less than 5 years old Sofas and love-seats Chairs Desks Dining tables and chairs Coffee and end tables (no glass tops) Area rugs in good condition Paintings and pictures Lamps and shades

Appliances must be no more than 5 years old and in working order. They may include washers, dryers (gas only), and ovens. We do not accept King size mattresses or bed frames, sleeper sofas, or dishwashers.

Thomas House offers an engaging opportunity for volunteers called Serving Supper. On Thursday nights our parents attend a mandatory life skills class. They get home from work and often do not have the time to prepare dinner for their families before they have to go to the class. We ask different groups of volunteers come with food for the shelter and arts and crafts or activities for the children on Thursday nights. It is family friendly, kids of all ages are welcome to attend with their parents.  

We are looking for groups of people (businesses, churches, youth groups, etc.) to plan a dinner for our kids and their parents! Pot lucks are most welcome and we also have a BBQ! Dinner should serve about 50-60 people.

 

Bring the whole family for this fun and interactive evening!

The Regina House program is looking for Play Hour Attendants to enhance children’s natural creativity and curiosity and work to enhance their socialdevelopment.  Volunteers are needed to play with children whose ages range from newborns through 10 years old and to make sure they are safe while their mother's attend life skills classes.  The mothers are on the premises in case of an emergency.

Playhour takes place on Tuesday andThursday nights from 6:45-8:15pm. Live Scan must be completed

The program staff at our Wakeland Property Facilites is looking for individuals specializing in tutoring children or adults.

Volunteers are needed Monday-Thursday from 2:00-5:00, however, the volunteer may choose a day(s) that works best for their schedule.

Live Scan must be completed if Volunteer is over the age of 18 years.

Thomas House needs new bedding, blankets, sheets, towels, etc. Our familiies take these personal items when they move out of the shelter. We go through them like crazy!

 

We also need any type of furniture and small appliances so that the families that move out of the shelter can have items to furnish their new apartments!

Purpose: Through our Homelessness Prevention Initiative (HPI), Thomas House Shelter works intensively with families on the verge of eviction to help them reach financial stability through rental assistance and budget mentoring. As part of the road to independence, we require adults in our program to work with expert Financial Mentors recruited from professional positions in our community. Meetings are scheduled based on availability of families and volunteers.

Location: Budget Mentors meet with program participants in our administrative office located in southeast Garden Grove.

Key Responsibilities:

Hotline monitor: attend to calls and conduct phone interviews Help clients attain financial stability Teach basic skills needed to maintain healthy financial status Assist clients in understanding their credit report Establish a concrete plan for debt repayment and monthly savings Work with client to create a monthly budget using receipts and bills

Reports to: HPI Case Manager

Length of Appointment: Financial Mentor meets with adult at least twice/month for a minimum of three months.

Time Commitment: at least 4 hours/month

Qualifications: Background in personal finance; fluent in Spanish

Support: Financial Mentor meets with Case Manager to discuss responsibilities of position and completes the requisite paperwork before being assigned to a family. For training purposes, Financial Mentor is paired with the Case Manager for initial intake session to learn what is expected from him/her in this role.

Age Requirement: 22 and up 

Laura’s House encourages volunteer involvement and the development of community resources to enhance our programs and build closer ties with the community. In addition to providing support to clients and their families, volunteers help increase the knowledge and understanding of domestic violence our community. We love our Laura’s House Volunteers!

The BEST way to get started in the Laura’s House Volunteer Program is to attend a Volunteer Orientation. These Orientations are held twice a month—one offered in the evening and another during business hours each month.

We are limited to 15 attendees per Orientation, so please sign up online as soon as possible: http://laurashouse.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/ If you click through the link and do not see the above dates, they have been removed from the listing because they are at full capacity.

Please be prompt. We will be unable to admit attendees who are late to the Orientation.

Orientation Location: 999 Corporate Drive, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694
Click here for a map: http://www.laurashouse.org/contact.html

Once a volunteer has attended a Volunteer Orientation and completed an application, your email address is added to our Volunteer Connection Monthly Newsletter. This newsletter goes out during the last week of each month and outlines our volunteer needs in the coming weeks and months. Volunteers are then directed to sign up for opportunities through the Volunteer Local website: http://laurashouse.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/

Opportunities include:

Administrative/Office Volunteer Event Volunteer Outreach Volunteer Resale Store Retail Volunteer

Some of our Volunteer Opportunities require the 40 Hour Domestic Violence Advocacy Training because of their direct service role with our clients. Completion of this training does not guarantee a position, but allows a volunteer the opportunity to interview for a position when a timeslot becomes available. Each volunteer must provide a copy of their 40 Hour Domestic Violence Advocacy Training Certificate, complete a background check, and in some roles provide TB Test results.

Opportunities include:

Childcare Volunteer Hotline/Support Volunteer House Coordinator Volunteer Transportation Volunteer

The 40 Hour Domestic Violence Advocacy Training hosted by Laura’s House is scheduled 2-3 times a year. More information regarding the training and instructions on how to sign up are available on our website: http://www.laurashouse.org/40hr-training.html Space is limited.

Thank you for your interest in the Laura’s House Volunteer Program. Volunteers contributed over 8,108 hours in 2012. Your service helps maximize contributions and support made to Laura’s House, helping to increase our capacity—thank you! For any questions concerning the Volunteer Program please contact Melanie Galloway, Development & Volunteer Coordinator, mgalloway@laurashouse.org

 

This Wish List is a strategic and focused list of items we can use immediately to provide the best possible care and services to our clients. Your donations are critical gifts that save Laura's House thousands of dollars each year, in turn helping to dedicate the greatest amount of our resources directly to individuals and families relying on us!

 

http://www.laurashouse.org/wishlist.html

We are talking to you, bakers! Everyone deserves to feel special on their birthday. We are looking for volunteers to bake our parents and children birthday cakes. Cakes should feed about 12-15 people with candles :) Themed cakes are encouraged!

 

"Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for people; it does for me."

-Audrey Hepburn

Assist clients with job search. Duties include:

Resume building Job search Internet navigation Interview coaching

Computer lab hours are: Monday 4-6pm, Wednesday 4-5:30pm and Friday 4-5pm.

To find out how you can help contact us at: 714-558-8600 or Tobi Aclaro @ tobi.grandmashouse@gmail.com.