Family House volunteers make our house a home. From welcoming patients and caregivers to preparing warm dinners for guests after a day of medical appointments, our volunteers create a sense of comfort and normalcy in this very unnormal time. Family House offers volunteering opportunities that are flexible with your schedule, and each makes a serious impact.
Individual House Volunteering
Each shift, House Volunteers have unique opportunities to interact with guests while performing routine tasks that help Family House operate. Requirements include:
- House Volunteers commit to at least two shifts per month. Most volunteers work consistent schedules (i.e. every week/twice a month).
- “Floater” volunteer shifts are also available if you cannot make a regular weekly commitment. Floaters manage their own schedule using Family House’s volunteer management system, Bloomerang Volunteer.
- House Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.
Group Volunteering
In addition to individual volunteer opportunities, Family House has volunteer opportunities for groups. Group volunteering timelines can be adjusted on a case-by-case basis. Requests to adjust timelines can be expressed in the comments of your sign-up form. Group volunteer opportunities include: group dinners, group baking, grab-and-go snack bags, and pantry/hygiene drives.
Group Dinners
Groups of 3 to 15 people are invited to prepare dinner for our guests Sunday through Thursday. Dinners run from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM to allow for cooking and clean up. Home-cooked meals are the most impactful in brightening days and bringing comfort to our guests, truly embodying our “a home away from home” philosophy.
- Groups should arrive at 3:00 PM to prepare dinner and serve the meal between 5:30 and 6:00 PM
- Groups are responsible for bringing their own supplies and should expect to serve approximately 90 guests
- Dinners generally include: Salad, Entree, Side Dish, and Dessert. We recommend including a vegetarian option, but this is not required.
- SERV Safe Certifications verify that a person-in-charge has sufficient food safety knowledge to protect the public from foodborne illness.
- If no one in your group is certified, Family House will make arrangements to have an appropriate staff member present for your dinner
Group Baking
Groups of 3 to 15 people are invited to prepare freshly baked goods for our guests. This is the perfect activity for first-time volunteers, as it offers more scheduling flexibility than dinner. For guests returning to Family House after a long day at the hospital, the sweet aroma can provide instant comfort and the taste of home.
- Baking opportunities are available Sunday through Friday with arrival times between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM
- Groups are responsible for bringing their own supplies and should expect to serve approximately 70 guests
Grab-And-Go Snack Bags
Groups are invited to drop off snack bags or assemble snack bags on-site for our guests that routinely travel to and from local hospitals. A great team-building exercise, these snack bags provide busy guests with quick access to some necessary nutrients to get through the day.
- Opportunity to assemble snack bags on-site in the John & Gertrude Petersen Family Room or assembled off-site and delivered at a prearranged time
- Snack bags usually include the following pre-packaged items: granola/protein/nutritional bars, water/juice, mini puzzles or game, raisins, chips, fruit snacks, etc.
Pantry/Hygiene Drives
Groups are invited to drop off pantry and hygiene items at Family House. Keeping our kitchen stocked, pantry filled, and personal hygiene items readily available helps us provide our guests with everything they need during their stay, no matter how unexpected it is.
- Please consider collecting low-sodium and low-sugar options for our guests and and patients with chronic health conditions.
- For sanitary purposes, we accept only travel-sized and individually packaged toiletry items to distribute to our guests and patients.
