Volunteering

Looking to roll up your sleeves to pitch in for a good cause? You’re in the right spot! HOPE 4 Youth provides meaningful one-time and long-term volunteer opportunities that allow you to make a difference in the lives of the young people we serve. We welcome your help with creating meals, sorting supplies, mentoring and more. There’s information about becoming a volunteer listed below our opportunities.

Already have a volunteer account? Log into our volunteer calendar to schedule your next gift of time.

Current opportunities

These jobs are for volunteers who want to serve on a regular basis and can be done individually or as part of a group:

* New lunches added!

Volunteers are needed to provide a fully prepared lunch or dinner to youth visiting our Drop-In Center. The meal can be prepared at home or purchased from a local restaurant. Volunteers can drop off the meal or stay to serve it. This is a great option for families and a fun team-building opportunity for companies and service organizations.

Lunches are needed Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They should be dropped off by 11:30 a.m to serve at noon. Dinners are needed Monday thru Friday, and should be dropped off by 4:30 p.m. to be served between 5-6 p.m. For all meals, plan to provide a meal for 14-16 people on Monday – Thursday, and 8-10 people on Fridays.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, these individuals or small groups of volunteers bring in breakfast food to share with the 12 young people residing at HOPE Place, our transitional housing facility in Coon Rapids. They also help out with the light office work and organizing needed at the HOPE Place front desk.

Breakfasts should be simple, requiring little or no refrigeration or heating. Think treats with a healthy side. Examples include:

  • Pastries and seasonal fruit
  • Muffins and bananas
  • Bagels with cream cheese options
  • Breakfast bars and apples
  • Donuts, coffee and juice

Volunteers should arrive at 7 a.m. and have breakfast ready for the youth by 7:30 a.m. Breakfast should remain available until the end of the shift at 11 a.m.

In addition to time spent getting to know the young people who stop by for breakfast, these volunteers manage the front desk of HOPE Place, tracking the comings and goings of residents and guests, restocking food pantry supplies and tidying the welcome area. 

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys being part of positive conversations and treating hungry young people to a yummy meal. It’s a simple way to show the youth we serve that they are valued and supported. 

HOPE Place Breakfast Club volunteers are needed for all Saturday and Sunday mornings, including holidays. 

We pride ourselves on creating a safe and clean environment for the young people who spend part of their day with us. Twice a week, our clean-up crew volunteers work in groups of 2-4 to deep clean the HOPE 4 Youth Drop-In Center, including office areas and the bathrooms. 

Volunteers as young as 13 years old can volunteer with a supervising adult. Children are not allowed to be cleaners. This is a great option for families with older children and is a fun team-building opportunity for companies and service organizations. 

Deep cleanings happen twice a week before or after hours of operation at the drop-in center, so it cannot be done between weekdays between 2-7 p.m. 

Hours vary for this position.

Sorters meet and greet donors as they drop off items at the HOPE 4 Youth Donations Center. They check donations for quality, then record and store the items. Sorters also organize and stock the clothing closet and food pantry. 

Sorters who are at least 16 years old can volunteer with a supervising adult. Children are not allowed to be sorters.

Two shifts are available: Wed., 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and Sat., 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

These volunteers work with the Housing Heroes Lead Volunteer to help move young people into market-rate housing. Volunteers load furniture and household items into apartments for young people. They also pick up items being donated by the community and move them into storage. 

Housing Heroes support volunteers must be at least 24 years old, able to lift 40 pounds and pass a background check.

Hours vary for this position.

These opportunities are specifically for individuals who want to help the 16- to 24-year-olds we serve: 

Mentors welcome young people to the HOPE 4 Youth Drop-In Center and assist them with accessing the food pantry, clothing closet and other resources. Mentors help with a variety of questions, including ones about employment.

Mentors are good listeners who are non-judgmental and able to mediate and resolve conflicts in a respectful manner. They enjoy working with 16- to 24-year-olds.

Mentors must be at least 24 years old, submit to a background check and agree to complete 8 hours of training within their first 60 days of volunteering. 

There are three weekday shifts available: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 2-5 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.

Greeters are stationed at the HOPE Place front desk to create a welcoming and safe environment for residents and guests. They interact with young people who are coming and going and keep a headcount on evenings and weekends. 

Greeters are good listeners who are non-judgmental and able to mediate and resolve conflicts in a respectful manner. They enjoy working with 18- to 23-year-olds. 

HOPE Place greeters must be at least 23 years old, pass a fingerprint background check and complete 6 hours of training within their first 60 days of volunteering.

Hours vary for this position.

In conjunction with the HOPE 4 Youth Program Manager, the Housing Heroes Lead Volunteer serves as the main contact for our program to provide youth moving into market-rate housing with furniture and other household items. 

The lead volunteer maintains an inventory of items in storage and works with community connections to obtain donations when needed. This person also coordinates the pickup of donated items and organizes teams of volunteers to move young people and their supplies into housing. 

Hours vary for this position, which requires excellent communication and organizational skills. 

The lead volunteer must be at least 24 years old, able to lift 40 pounds, pass a background check and complete 8 hours of training within the first 60 days of service.

This is a great opportunity for a person who loves to crunch numbers. This volunteer will log, track and verify information about the demographics of the young people being helped and the services delivered at our drop-in center. This position requires strict confidentiality. 

This volunteer must be at least 25 years old, complete a background check and agree to do additional training. 

Shifts are Monday mornings from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Do you have a skill that isn’t represented on the lists here? Perhaps we can create a new volunteer opportunity.

Be sure to note your special skills when completing our online volunteer application. We’ll work to find a place where HOPE 4 Youth can benefit most from your time and talent.

Becoming a volunteer

The first step to becoming an individual volunteer (or the lead volunteer of a group) is to complete our online volunteer application. After submitting it, you will get a confirmation email and more information from Nikki Kalvin, our manager of community engagement.

We invite all new volunteers to attend A Look Inside HOPE, which is offered throughout the year. These hour-long meetings include a tour and are a great way to learn more about our programs and services.

A quick note about background checks: All volunteers who work with youth are required to pass a background check. You will be given a link to a background check during the volunteer sign-up process.

Ready to go? Access the online volunteer application.