Volunteer Opportunities
Working Directly with Guest Families
Come-Alongside Volunteer
Support individuals and families in need through mentoring, facilitating, and strengthening communication.
Retreat Home partners with social workers to match the right Guest Family with a Host family. Once the match is made, you are there to welcome this pairing to Retreat Home. During the guest family’s stay you will:
Help coordinate and run joint meetings (of Social Worker, Guest Family, Host Family, and you!) once a month.
Contact the guest family and the host family a couple times a month and ask them how they’re doing.
Help with the move-in and the move out of the host home, and into the guest family’s new home, after their stay is complete.
Retreat Home provides training, guidance, all paperwork, and connections. You just listen and encourage people, coordinate meetings and keep track of paperwork in this part of their journey. Your involvement can inspire hope and create lasting change.
“Helping individuals and families settle in with their host family, and coordinating the details to make their stay successful for everyone has been a great role for me.” Retreat Home Volunteer since 2023
Host Family
Host families provide space in their homes for a guest family’s temporary stay, and intentionally build relationship with the guest family during their stay.
Host families often have homes with extra spaces - bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas. Possibly kids have moved out, or you have a guest room or a “bonus room” that could be used by a displaced family who needs a temporary place to stay.
The average time of hosting is 3 weeks, the maximum stay for a guest family is 3 months, and hosts decide which months they are available.
We provide background checks, connections, paperwork, and structure that is needed for a safe and successful temporary stay. You get to meet the family, and they meet you, and all decide if it’s going to be a good fit, before anyone moves in. We help get your home ready, with supplies or furniture for a guest family to be comfortable.
You open your doors and provide hospitality for a special family.
Supporting Retreat Home
Research and identify businesses that partner with nonprofit organizations like Retreat Home. Complete the process to set up partnerships with businesses.
Time commitment: 3 hours per week for 3 months.
Fundraising with Businesses
Social Media
Design content and post weekly on Facebook and Instagram; post upcoming events, other news, and links to newsletters.
Time commitment: 1-2 hours per week for 3 months.
Newsletter Communication
Collaborate with Retreat Home staff to write and send newsletters two times per month via Mailchimp.
Time commitment: 4-5 hours per month for 3 months.
Building/Carpentry/ Handy-person
Help prepare host homes for guest use: repair, update, and add safety features to make homes suitable for families with children. Make repairs on current host homes as needed.
Time commitment: Available as needed. Estimated 2-3 times per year.
Furniture and supplies Volunteer
Periodically, we ask our community for gently used furniture for our guest families to use in their new homes. It’s helpful to have a volunteer who can:
Contact the guest families to make sure they have what they need for their new home, and help arrange (financed through Retreat Home) supplies to support their new home preparation.
Contact those with furniture to donate, coordinate the pickup, and deliver it to the guest family or to Retreat Home’s storage unit for future use.