Read below for details on how you can get involved with A Hand Up!
Individuals & Families
If you are looking to get involved in a meaningful way, we have many opportunities for individuals and families. Our A Hand Up program provides gently used furniture and household items to folks moving out of homelessness and into housing. Our trucks go out almost every weekday morning to deliver furniture to our newly housed clients and/or to pick up donated items to stock our warehouse. We also need help keeping our warehouse organized and running smoothly. We provide this service free of charge to our clients, and we need lots of volunteers to help make this possible.
Volunteers can sign up individually for open opportunities on our Signup portal, or we can reserve a day just for your group. The minimum age for volunteers is 12, and any volunteer under 16 needs to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There is no long term commitment required – you can sign up for as few or as many shifts as you like! Please email us at volunteer@journeyhomect.org for more information, or for a link to our Signup portal.
Most of our volunteer days involve moving furniture, some of which can be fairly heavy, but you should never have to move a piece on your own (unless it’s small, such as a lamp or box of linens). We try to have a small group of volunteers each move-in day to support each other in making sure the day goes smoothly and safely!
- Typically we have 3-4 volunteers going out every Tuesday – Friday between 10am-1pm to help pick up and deliver furniture and household goods. Currently, this is our greatest need for volunteers! This opportunity requires volunteers to have their own transportation to follow our box truck to destinations in the Hartford area
- Most Tuesdays & Thursdays 12-2 we have drop off time. During these times, volunteers can come to our warehouse and help organize household items into sets to go out to clients in need. Volunteers can also assist donors who come to drop off items, and sort these items to be put into their respective zones at the warehouse.
- On most Fridays, we also have volunteer hours at our warehouse from 12-2. During these times, volunteers can help keep our warehouse organized, tag items for delivery, make kitchen sets, and any number of other tasks needed by our warehouse to keep it running smoothly.
Corporations & Businesses
If you’re looking to get your employees involved in a meaningful team-building effort, we have a great opportunity for you! Our A Hand Up program provides gently used furniture and household items to folks moving out of homelessness and into housing. Our trucks go out almost every weekday morning to deliver furniture to our newly housed clients and/or to pick up donated items to stock our warehouse. We provide this service free of charge to our clients, and we need lots of volunteers to help make this possible.
For groups of employees, this is a great way to work together and to do something that truly makes a difference. We can accommodate group sizes from 6 – 24 people. Volunteers meet at our warehouse in West Hartford to help load our box truck with the clients’ furniture, and then follow the truck to the various client addresses in the general Hartford area and deliver the furniture items.
If you are interested in reserving a day of volunteering for your company or organization, please email us at volunteer@journeyhomect.org
Ready to volunteer? Give us a call at 860.808.0336 or click the button below!
Schools
If you and your school are looking to get involved in a meaningful way, we have a great program for volunteer groups! Our A Hand Up program provides gently used furniture and household items to folks moving out of homelessness and into housing. Our trucks go out almost every weekday morning to deliver furniture to our newly housed clients and/or to pick up donated items to stock our warehouse. We provide this service free of charge to our clients, and we need lots of volunteers to help make this possible.
For schools, this is a great way to get involved, and do something that truly makes a difference in your community! There are three ways that you can help.
The first is to reserve a move-in day for your group. Our trucks go out almost every weekday morning, and also have some weekend options available. We can accommodate group sizes from 6 – 24 people. Volunteers meet at our warehouse in West Hartford to help load our box truck with the clients’ furniture, and then follow the truck to the various client addresses in the general Hartford area and deliver the furniture items. Volunteers do need their own transportation to follow our box truck (carpooling is encouraged), and the minimum age for this opportunity is 12 (anyone under 16 needs to have a parent or guardian with them).
The second way to help is to hold a drive for household items, in which you collect items for our clients that have recently moved into housing after experiencing homelessness. Many times, the clients move in with only what they can carry. So collecting sheets and towels, toiletries and cleaning items, or kitchen utensils and pots and pans would be a great way to help them get back on their feet. Or even collecting CVS, Dunkin Donuts, or Stop and Shop gift cards to give to clients would be a great way to help them when money is tight.
A third way to get involved would be to help create a craft or gift for the clients that are moving into their new homes! A welcome home wreath, a picture frame, a mug with their name on it, or even letters to give them wishing them good luck would be a great gesture and a cozy touch to add to their home.
We encourage you to have fun with this – be creative! Think of new ideas on how you can help those in need. You’ll be amazed at how many people want to help, how rewarding it is, and what a difference you can make in the lives and comfort of other people.
Ready to volunteer? Call us at 860.808.0336 or click the button below!