Get Involved

Year-Round Volunteering

Any time of the year, you can volunteer! Support our HomeAid Family CareCenter—an emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness— through our HomeAid Cares Program opportunities or assist our in-office team with administrative opportunities.

FOR EVENT VOLUNTEERING, PLEASE VISIT OUR EVENTS PAGE.

Always Available

While our Diaper and Thanksgiving Meal Drives are seasonal volunteer opportunities, HomeAid has volunteer opportunities that are open year-round.

Whether you’re looking to directly serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness or you’re interested in supporting the behind-scenes work that drives our mission, we have options for you.

  • TEMPORARILY PAUSED 2024

    By serving dinner at our Family CareCenter you’ll have the opportunity to connect with the families who call the emergency shelter their home. Volunteers can also bring in food prepared in a professional kitchen to serve to the families. To learn more or set-up bringing dinner, email Engagement Coordinator Natasha Mayans at natasha@homeaidoc.org.

    Breaking bread: it’s the simplest and most human of ways to connect.

    After signing up, keep an eye on your inbox for our required online volunteer waiver.

    *All volunteers must 13-years-old or older. Any volunteer ages 13-17 must be accompanied by a legal guardian AT ALL TIMES.

    If you are unable to attend after registering, please notify staff within 24 hours.

  • Come to our HomeAid Family CareCenter in a group of 5-20 after the families have left for the day and help us: make lunches, deep clean the emergency shelter, assist with organizing, and/or do landscaping. You’ll get a tour of the facility, too!

    Depending on the time of the year, volunteers may also have the opportunity to decorate the shelter for holidays.

    CareDays can be done year-round, Monday through Friday, between 9:30 AM and 2 PM (approximately 1–2 hours, depending on group size). Contact us to coordinate.

  • CareKits are small care packages for our neighbors living on the streets, filled with snacks, water, socks, sunscreen, a poncho (seasonally), lip balm, and a 211 resource card. These are assembled by volunteers, and are then donated back to us, or kept by volunteers to hand out to people experiencing homelessness.

    You can collect the items yourself or donate $20/bag to cover the cost of supplies. Our drawstring CareKit bags can also be purchased separately for $2/bag.

    HomeKits are small to medium-sized move-in care packages for families who move on from our Family CareCenter to their next, more permanent housing option. We will provide the list of items each kit has, ranging from curtains to smaller kitchen essentials. These baskets are then given to families as they exit the CareCenter for their next opportunity.

    CareKit and HomeKit assembly is available year-round with flexible scheduling, depending on need. Reach out to coordinate.

  • Looking to give back or fill volunteer hours over a longer term?

    We’re looking for volunteers with experience in data entry and an eye for detail to provide additional oversight to help us clean up our CRM system. We also need volunteers to help with office organization, storage room upkeep, and general office support.

Sign-Up to Bring Dinner

TO OUR FAMILY CARECENTER

By bringing dinner to our Family CareCenter you’ll have the opportunity to connect with the families who call the emergency shelter their home. To comply with safety standards, food needs to be prepared off-site in a professional kitchen. To learn more or set-up bringing dinner, email Engagement Coordinator Natasha Mayans at natasha@homeaidoc.org.

Breaking bread: it’s the simplest and most human of ways to connect.

If you are unable to make your commitment, please notify staff within 48 hours of the day.

Keep an eye on your inbox for our required online volunteer waiver.

*All volunteers must 13-years-old or older. Any volunteer ages 13-17 must be accompanied by a legal guardian AT ALL TIMES.

Our HomeAid Family CareCenter

A refuge and place to call home for up to 17 families or 56 individuals experiencing homelessness in Orange County. Complete with wrap-around services including housing navigation and job training, as well as three meals a day, semi-private sleeping areas, and private bathrooms, our HomeAid Family CareCenter is our flagship shelter— it’s the first HomeAid-built housing project that is also HomeAid-owned.