Get Involved! Community Volunteers Can Make the Difference

The Health, Housing & Homelessness Department and the Office of Civic Engagement are launching new opportunities for the community to get involved with the City’s efforts to address homelessness. Recurring and one-time volunteer opportunities at city shelter facilities are now available on the city’s volunteer platform, oneabqvolunteers.com.

“We live in a compassionate community and I know everyone wants to see people in need connected with the resources that will help them,” said HHH Director Carol Pierce. “We also have the great fortune of a strong Civic Engagement apparatus and online platform that makes it easier than ever for folks to find a way to help.”

As Thanksgiving approaches, the department is recruiting volunteers to serve a Thanksgiving Day meal at the Family Housing Navigation Center and Westside Emergency Housing Center. These volunteers will work in partnership with Heading Home, who operates both facilities. Another volunteer opportunity this month is to help unbox & organize supplies at the Family Housing Navigation Center on November 28, 2023.

            Sign up to serve food to Families

            Sign up to serve food at the WEHC

Ongoing opportunities at all the city shelter sites include managing and sorting the donation rooms to ensure that guests can easily access the clothing and other items they need.  Another way to work with shelters is to lead arts and crafts and other activities that keep guests and their children engaged.

“There are so many ways for people to get involved,” said Homeless Public Outreach Volunteer Coordinator Rachael Hernandez. “If you’ve got a skill set we can put it to work. For example, we just purchased 490 new beds and mattresses for the WEHC and we’re going to need help putting those together.”

Sign up is open now for the “Building Hope One Frame at a Time - Bed Building Event” starting on January 3.

In addition to opportunities at shelter sites, the City is also launching the ‘WARMT-HHH for all’ winter clothing drive. The drive will help guests at WEHC, Family Housing Navigation Center, and the Gateway stay warm this winter. New and used coats, sweater, scarves, blankets, and gloves for adults and children can be dropped off at the Desert Sky Café on the first floor of City Hall as well as the North Valley APD Substation.

All current and future volunteer opportunities as well as the clothing drive are available on the newly created Health, Housing & Homelessness volunteer page. Opportunities with other community partners can also be found on the Civic Engagement site.