We Need You!
With only five full-time and six part-time staff members at RAM, we rely heavily on our generous volunteers to help us do the work that needs to be done while allowing us to keep financial costs down. We know that time is our most precious commodity and we are so thankful for people who chose to spend time with us.
We have so many wonderful volunteers, but since we are open seven days a week it takes many people to keep our kitchen, shelter and offices running smoothly. We’re always looking for people willing to jump in and help out!
Take a look at our volunteer opportunities here and call our Volunteer Coordinator, Allison Martin for more information, schedule a tour or apply to volunteer! You can also fill out our form in order to get more information too!
Reception Desk Volunteer– We need a morning person and an afternoon person for this job. The two shifts are from 8 am to Noon or Noon to 3 pm. Volunteers sit at our front desk and make sure each guest signs in upon arrival at RAM. The volunteer also answers the telephone, completes some simple record-keeping on our computer, distributes laundry soap to guests using our washing machine and records donations when they come in. It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s actually quite simple. Plus, this is a great sit-down job if you are unable to stand for long periods. Reception desk volunteers work closely with our Shelter Manager and are an essential part of helping us complete the work that needs to be done each day. Volunteers serve from once a week to once a month and usually have a set schedule.
Kitchen–
Food Preparation Volunteers–We typically have four volunteers arrive at RAM at 9:30am each day to help our Kitchen Manager cook the day’s lunch. We are sometimes referred to as a “Soup Kitchen” but soup isn’t the only thing served. Our kitchen managers use what we have in our refrigerators, pantry and freezers and combine that with fresh vegetable and fruit donations to create a healthy, well-balanced meal each day. Food preparation volunteers serve the meal on out serving line to our guests. These volunteers are individuals who come because they want to serve and are very dedicated. Many people come once a week on a particular day, while others come once or twice a month.
Dining Room Volunteers–In addition to our Food Preparation volunteers, we have another crew of volunteers that arrive at 11:30am each day. These volunteers are responsible for working in our dining room while lunch is being served. There are usually 4-5 people that help do this job. Responsibilities include pouring drinks, serving desserts, keeping the bread or fruit baskets filled on each table, keeping the tables clean and keeping an accurate count of the number of guests we serve. These volunteers are usually a group of people that come together and have an assigned day of the month to serve.
Substitute Kitchen, Dining Room or Desk volunteers–We realize that some people can’t commit to volunteering on a regular basis but would be available from time to time. Currently, we are in need of people who would like to serve as a substitute volunteer. We need substitutes weekdays and weekends.
Administrative Office volunteer–We need one person each day Monday through Friday to work in our office from 9 am to around noon. These volunteers assist our Emergency Financial Aid office by reviewing applications and doing the necessary work in order to help our clients. This volunteer works behind the scenes and is a vital part of our team.
Youth Volunteers–We can only allow youth ages 13 and older to serve. Typically youth volunteers help by serving in our dining room during the lunch hour. We need between 4-6 volunteers in our dining room. Due to the small nature of our space, we are not able to accommodate large groups and suggest dividing them and bringing each smaller group on different occasions. If you would like to bring a youth group to RAM, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator to schedule this in advance. We typically schedule groups about six weeks in advance.
Our doors are open seven days a week and on all holidays. There are over 3,500 volunteer slots that need to be filled each year. WE NEED YOU!