Volunteers donate thousands of hours of service each year, and are an important part of fulfilling our mission. Without volunteers, our staff simply couldn’t provide the services and programs our clients need. Below are the following opportunities that volunteers can participate in:
Serve Dinner
Prepare and serve dinner at the Main Shelter (4-6:30 p.m.); Safe Haven, our mentally ill homeless shelter (4:30-5:30 p.m.); and Patriot House (4:45-5:45 p.m.). This opportunity is available seven days a week.
Dispensary
Work in our dispensary, where we distribute toiletry items (such as soap and shampoo) to our clients in the Main Shelter. The dispensary is open seven days a week from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Playgroups/Parties
Organize a playgroup or host a holiday-themed party for the children in the Lowdon-Schutts Building. Please note that we do not allow children under 18 years of age to volunteer in the women and children’s building. Playgroups are held Monday through Friday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Breakfast baggies
It’s the most important meal of the day and we’d like you to help us keep it that way. Drop off baggies at the Shelter with breakfast snacks such as doughnuts, coffeecake, bagels, muffins, prepackaged cereal, granola/ breakfast bars, etc. Between 250 to 500 individually packaged items are requested per group. This opportunity is available seven days a week. The baggies can be dropped off seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Dessert Days
Bring dessert such as cookies, cupcakes or slices of cake for the Main Shelter. Although we can’t bake the desserts at the Shelter, your group can host a cookie/cupcake decorating party at the Shelter before your desserts are handed out. Please bring a minimum of 600 desserts. This opportunity is available seven days a week. Times are flexible. The desserts can be dropped off seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tarrant Area Food Bank
At the Tarrant Area Food Bank, your family/organization can work on behalf of the Shelter and earn credits for our kitchen. Each volunteer who works at the food bank earns $5.15, which goes toward the Shelter’s food account. Volunteers work only three hour increments. This is an amazing opportunity, especially for large groups (up to 10 volunteers). By participating, your group is helping PNS feed the hundreds of homeless that we serve each and every night. To participate, your group must have three or more people and volunteers must be 16 or older. Volunteers will be sorting and boxing food, so please wear close-toed shoes. Please call PNS volunteer coordinator Meredith Moore at 817-632-7415 or call the Tarrant Area Food Bank at 817-332-9177 ext.109 to schedule your group to volunteer. Don’t forget to tell them you’re with the Presbyterian Night Shelter! Tarrant Area Food Bank is located at 2600 Cullen Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76107 Please contact the Food Bank for times and dates.
Activities Facilitator
PNS is looking for volunteers who are interested in facilitating recreational activities for each of the buildings. These activities include arts and crafts; a reading/book club, playing board games, hosting a movie night, etc. Dates and times are flexible. Activities can be held seven days a week and times are flexible.
Life-skills Facilitator
Because PNS has so many clients moving out of the Shelter and into their homes, the Shelter would like to offer life-skills training. This includes good communication, time management, problem solving, financial literacy, cooking, healthy living, etc. This opportunity is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Administrative Volunteer
This volunteer will perform duties such as answering phones, filing, copying, sorting mail and helping with day-to-day functions. This opportunity is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Client Mentor
Each month, PNS has about five to 10 clients moving out of the Shelter and into their own homes. A client mentor is responsible for meeting with a client who has moved and helping them transition into society. A mentor should meet with his or her client at least once a month and assist him or her with finding a church, support groups and becoming involved at the local community center. This opportunity is available seven days a week. Times are flexible.
Speaker’s Bureau
In an effort to increase awareness about the Shelter and homelessness, PNS is looking for volunteers to assist in community education and promote agency recognition by working a variety of community events or resource fairs. Volunteers are also asked to present information about PNS to businesses, churches and other community organizations. This opportunity is available seven days a week. Times are flexible.
Tom Thumb’s Good Neighbor Program
Support the Shelter every time you grocery shop. This opportunity allows Tom Thumb shoppers to link their Rewards cards to the Presbyterian Night Shelter’s account, and when you make a purchase, that amount is automatically credited to PNS’ account. It’s free to sign up – all you have to do is shop! To sign up, go to a Tom Thumb store and fill out a Reward Application form at any courtesy booth and indicate that you would like to link your card to PNS. Presbyterian Night Shelter’s account number is 9763.
eBay Giving Works and MissionFish
Helps us fundraise at the click of your mouse! Through eBay’s Giving Works program and MissionFish, an online fundraising program, you can help PNS a number of ways: put an item up for auction and donate a portion of the proceeds to the Shelter or donate to the shelter directly. To participate in the program you will need a PayPal account. To find out more about the program please visit www.missionfish.org or call Meredith Moore at 817-632-7415.
>> To complete the volunteer application, code of conduct and background form, click here.
