Housing & Homelessness
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Contact
Melissa Buckley, Executive Director; 175 S Park Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-525-7380
Mission
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters and emergencies.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Disaster Action Team Member--Respond to local house fires and other disasters with housing, clothing, and food for victims.
- Teaching CPR/First Aid classes
- General office support, (website management, clerical tasks, janitorial work)
Required Skills
Dependability; commitment to our mission; completed volunteer application and clean background check; bilingual English-Spanish helpful but not required.
Skills Learned
Volunteers will learn about how non-profit work improves community safety and welfare and will potentially gain life-saving skills through CPR and First Aid.
Training
We offer a video that welcomes volunteers to the American Red Cross and a volunteer handbook with policies and our mission. Training occurs on an "as-needed" basis.
Volunteer Types
Individuals who can come on a regular basis, occasionally when convenient, or once to help with a big project. Volunteers who can earn credit (service-learning) by working at Senior Round Table are welcome.
Contact
Jeff Mathias at jeffm@bmaccww.org
Mission
To cultivate innovative services, in partnership with our community, to empower low-income people to meet their vital needs and achieve self-sufficiency.
Volunteer Opportunities
We need volunteers for food drives, long-term care, adult literacy, pro bono legal counsel, and neighborhood revitalization projects.
Required Skills
Compassion for others; willingness to work with people from all backgrounds, especially low-income individuals; bilingual helpful but not required.
- Food drives: Ability to sort different products and lift 25 or more pounds.
- Literacy: Good reading and tutoring skills (some volunteers help adults prepare for GED exams).
- Long-term care ombudsman program: Attentive listening and clear communications skills.
- Commitment to Community neighborhood revitalization: Enthusiasm for events and projects such as clean ups, youth activities, painting, and a Christmas tree lighting ceremony
Skills Learned
Organization, teaching, community outreach, understanding other cultures, compassion, and discovering the joy of improving others' lives!
Training
Varies by program.
Volunteer Types
Individuals who can come on a regular basis and groups or individuals who can help once with a big project.
Contact
Tracy Palmer, Development & Outreach Coordinator; 1520 Kelly Place Suite 140, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-529-4980; tracyp@bmacww.org
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers can contribute to the Housing Department by landscaping, helping residents with landscaping and household tasks, moving furniture, collecting hygiene items, visiting elderly residents, organizing enrichment activities for children in our programs for homeless families, adopting families for Christmas, and delivering food boxes to elderly residents.
Required Skills
Visiting residents requires patience and sympathy, while household tasks requires physical mobility and strength. Those who lead children's activities need lesson-planning skills. Food box deliver requires a driver's license and transportation (or bicycle with saddle bags) and ability to lift heavy boxes.
Skills Learned
Compassion; pedagogical skills; understanding of other cultures, the elderly, mentally ill, and developmentally disabled; landscaping; donation coordination; discovering the joy of improving others' lives!
Training
Basic training and ongoing support provided by Housing Staff.
Volunteer Types
Individuals who can come on a regular basis and groups or individuals who can help once with a big project.
Contact
Jeannette Regalado, Volunteer and Donor Relations; 202 W. Birch, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-525-7153 ext. 114.
Mission
Offering hope and restoration to the poor and homeless in our community by providing food, shelter, spiritual guidance, and programs for life-change.
Volunteer Opportunities: Food preparation, cleaning, organizing donations, childcare, maintenance, van driving, chapel leadership, nursing, teaching, and community outreach.
Required Skills
Willingness to care for the poor and homeless.
Skills Learned
Compassion for those with less, organization, and collaboration.
Training
On an "as-needed" basis.
Volunteer Types
Individuals or groups who can come on a regular basis or help once with a big project.
Contact
Renee Harms, Walla Walla Area Director; 29 E Sumach, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-204-1291; rharms@habitat-tcp.org
Mission
Helping families build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope through decent, affordable housing.
Volunteer Opportunities
Primarily new home construction. A work day may include foundation work, framing, painting, installing floors, siding, roofing, and more.
Required Skills
Both skilled and unskilled volunteers are welcome-experience is not necessary, as we will teach the required tasks for the day. (You must be at least 16 years old to volunteer for construction at our worksite.)
Skills Learned
Various construction skills, depending on phase of work.
Training
On-site.
Volunteer Types
Individuals and groups are welcome. Pull together your friends, your family, your co-workers and have fun making a difference. We welcome all types of groups, including corporate, faith-based, non-profit, education, civic and community.
Contact
Celia Landa, Volunteer Coordinator; 1520 Kelly Place Suite 180, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-529-3377; celia@helplineww.org; or Liz McDevitt, Executive Director; 509-529-3377; liz@helplineww.org
Mission
Helpline serves as the front door to help for poor and homeless individuals and families in Walla Walla County. Our job is to connect people struggling to meet basic needs with the community resources needed to achieve stability. Trained, caring staff and volunteers meet with clients to assess needs and screen for eligibility of available local resources. We provide direct assistance with a variety of essential needs, and when appropriate make referrals to a wide network of local social service agencies.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Client intake: Meet directly with clients to coordinate assistance.
- Resource navigation: Volunteer in our case management program.
- Front office: Greet clients, file information, answer phones, and enter data.
- Donations: Organize and track food, clothing, and other in-kind goods.
- Custodial: General maintenance duties to ensure a safe, clean environment.
- Committees and special projects: Share your talents by joining one of our boards or community committees, such as Communications, Finance, or Fundraising.
Required Skills
Compassion; computer skills; bilingual in Spanish helpful; desire to help people in difficult circumstances.
Skills Learned
Empathy, interview skills, need evaluation, understanding of the life situation of the homeless and poor, social work experience, and how to establish personal boundaries.
Training
Our Volunteer Coordinator trains new volunteers at our location. We also provide monthly training opportunities and a volunteer manual.
Volunteer Types
Individuals who can come on a regular basis or who can help with a project on occasion.
Contact
Rosanna Morgan, Administrative Services Director; 501 Cayuse Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-527-4542; rosannam@wallawallaha.org
Mission
We create housing choices and energize neighborhoods, focusing on providing opportunities for families of low to moderate income to prosper.
Volunteer Opportunities
Grounds maintenance
Skills Learned
How neighborhood needs and housing work.
Volunteer Types
Individuals and groups who can come help out once with a big project
Contact
Anne-Marie Zell Schwerin, Executive Director; 213 S. First, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-525-2570; aschwerin@ywcaww.org
Mission
To eliminate racism and empower women.
Volunteer Opportunities
Reading to children; helping with kids' activities while moms are in support group meetings; sorting donations; cleaning toys; misc. maintenance projects; weekly grocery shopping for childcare programs; office work; helping on childcare fieldtrips; making presentations to girls in Mariposa program.
Required Skills
Positive attitude; flexibility; Spanish language skills are a plus; confidentiality; ability to pass background check; must enjoy working with children.
Skills Learned
Organization; problem solving; working with groups; learning about community organizations and the culture of a nonprofit organization.
Training
There is no regular schedule at this point. Orientation and training will occur prior to volunteering starts.
Volunteer Types
Individuals or groups who can come on a regular basis, occasionally when convenient, or once to help with a big project.