Our volunteers are central in our efforts to achieve our mission of ending homelessness in Montgomery County. We rely on our community partners to help us in many ways, ranging from preparing and serving hot meals to creating and conducting Health and Wellness classes, organizing and completing landscaping projects or visiting our sites with therapy dogs. If you are interested in volunteering, have time to spare, or have a specialty you can share, we would love to have you join us as we work towards our goal.

Interested in volunteering? Please follow the links below or contact us for more information.

General Volunteer Opportunities

Prepare Hot Meals: Volunteers can make and deliver hot  breakfasts, lunches or dinners to the HBCAC in Rockville.  Volunteers provide all necessary supplies.  Dinner and lunch are served 7 days a week (as available), and hot breakfasts are served on weekends only.  Meals must be able to be reheated in a microwave or conventional oven as there is no stove on the premises.  Serving of food may be arranged per special request.  This is a great project for groups, and SSL credit is available. Please click here for our meal program guidelines and information on SSL credit for this activity.

Prepare Bag Meals: Volunteers can make and deliver bag meals daily to the HBCAC in Rockville.  Volunteers provide all necessary supplies.  The bagged breakfast and lunches are given to residents as they leave the facility each day.  Breakfasts usually include a bagel, cream cheese packet, granola bar, fruit, and a juice drink. Lunches generally include a sandwich or two, juice drink, piece of fruit and another healthy snack.  No peanut butter and jelly please!  Another great project for groups, and SSL credit is available. Please scroll down for guidelines on the HBCAC meal program. Please click here for our meal program guidelines and information on SSL credit for this activity.

Organize a Collection Drive: Organize a drive in your neighborhood, school, congregation or workplace for items our programs need.  This is a daily, year-round need and items include canned food and non-perishables, new toys and books, board games, school supplies, bed sheets, etc.  Click here for more information on how to organize a collection drive. To see our wish lists click here . SSL credit is available.

Provide Vocational Mentoring/Tutoring: We are currently looking for dependable professionals with good communication skills to volunteer their time to the Back-to-Work project. This program provides vocational counseling and job skills training for men experiencing homelessness with the goal of helping them exit homelessness through employment and increased income. This program also includes GED, ESOL, computer and financial literacy classes and tutoring. Training is provided for qualified candidates.

Offer Specialized Help:  We also seek individuals with specialized professional experience to assist us in a variety of ways. From hair styling to yard maintenance to aerobics instruction to Cultural Diversity training, we depend on industry professionals to offer their services to our programs. Please contact us for more information.

Projects Related to Special Events: Are you getting ready for a B’nai Mitzvah, confirmation or other special event to which you would like to add a community service component? Please contact us for more information.

Seasonal Volunteer Opportunities

Organize a “Help the Homeless” Mini-walk- Help coordinate a Help the Homeless Mini-Walk with your school, congregation, or community group for MCCH. These walks help MCCH provide the much needed services to the homeless in Montgomery County.  Walks can be held between July 1st and November 7th, 2010. For more information on how to hold a mini-walk, please click here.

Cookie Kits for Families: This is a great way to help children and families experience a holiday ritual together that they might not be able to do otherwise. The kits should include everything to make cookies from scratch, including: baking sheets, cooking spray, sprinkles, batter ingredients, cookie cutters, colorful holiday cookie tins, and you may want to include your favorite family recipe.  You can even create your kit around a certain theme – like gingerbread or snowmen!

Holiday Gifts to Adults:  Safe Havens group homes serve single adults with mental illness who have been living on the street.  Upon request, we can provide you with a “wish list” that Safe Havens clients want and need. 

Gift Cards for Holiday Purchases: MCCH strongly believes that parents should be active participants in making the holiday special for their own children.  To that end, gift cards can be donated so that parents can purchase clothing and toys that they know their children need and want.  Using gift cards is also a great exercise in holiday budgeting for our clients. Gift cards from the following stores (all accessible to our families) are welcomed: Target, Toys R Us, and Kmart.

Administrative Office

Mass Mailings: MCCH's administrative office in Rockville occasionally needs volunteers to help with our mass mailings.  This is a great project for groups ages 8 and up and for people with disabilities.  Duties include: folding, stapling, labeling and sorting.  SSL credit is available.

Front Desk Greeter: MCCH is seeking reliable volunteers to help staff our reception desk. Volunteers will greet visitors, answer and direct phone calls, and help coordinate donation drop-offs. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Hours are flexible.

Interested in volunteering? Please contact us for more information.

Thank you for your interest in helping people experiencing homelessness!