Volunteers are an invaluable part of SOME.
However, due to the coronavirus, we have cut down on our volunteer numbers to allow plenty of space for social distancing protocols. For example, SOME’s Volunteer Services staff now assist the Dining Room staff to prepare breakfast to-go containers for guests and hand out meals in the parking lot from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m.
We now only have two new, behind-the-scenes volunteer opportunities that take place at 71 O Street, NW. They will both occur between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., after most, if not all, clients are gone for the day.
- Help make to-go lunch bags for next-day guests
- Help our donations department.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can view open shifts at SOMEinc.VolunteerHub.com.
Volunteer Improvements Coming Soon
The Volunteer Services department is looking forward to bringing back all of our volunteer opportunities with a new feel. In the meantime, they are making a lot of changes and improvements, such as crafting a new handbook, creating new policies, updating handout resources, changing the look and feel of the volunteer website, and most importantly, working with SOME’s other programs to create new volunteer opportunities at their locations.
One department that has been particularly impacted by the lack of volunteers in SOME’s Material Donations team. Luckily for SOME, donations are up because our donors recognize that clients are more in need than ever before. But it has been a challenge for our small donations team to keep up with the sorting, packaging, and distribution of much-needed supplies, such as PPE and cleaning/hygiene items, food pantry bags, and clothing.
Under normal circumstances, the Material Donations staff would have five to 20 volunteers helping with these tasks each day. We have been able to slowly bring back small groups of volunteers to help with sorting, which has made a world of difference.
Everyone at SOME is incredibly grateful for the volunteers that have given their time during the coronavirus public health crisis. We look forward to bringing back our full volunteer corps once it is safe to do so.