ALL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
To apply for any of the volunteer opportunities, please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form or register online for select activities. Email Sarah if you have registration questions.
You’ve Got Talent!
Can you juggle, play the piano, paint pictures or crochet? Is your dog truly man’s best friend and looking to be friends with others? If you have something special to offer that doesn’t quite fit into one of our listed volunteer opportunities, please let us know! Fill out the volunteer interest form and tell us more in the comments section.
Adult Rehabilitation Center
Family (Thrift) Store Helper
The Adult Rehabilitation Center of The Salvation Army offers men suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction the opportunity to regain their self-respect and acquire the life skills needed to take their rightful place in society. The main funding for the center comes from income generated at Family Stores. You can be a part of this amazing program by volunteering at a store. Help prepare merchandise for sale, organize merchandise on shelves and racks, and remove older items that have not been sold. See how old, unwanted items can create a treasure for someone else.
Dates: Monday – Saturday
Times: Flexible, 3 or more hours during store hours
Locations: Bloomington, Burnsville, Elk River, Hastings, Minneapolis and St. Paul
Emergency Disaster Service
Disaster Phone Bank Volunteer
During times of disaster, local TV stations have been generous in allowing The Salvation Army to have a phone bank during the newscast to raise money for disaster relief. We are looking for volunteers to be on call to help answer phones, fill out donation forms and be on camera should the need arise. Phone banks are usually announced for the same day or next day. On-call phone bank volunteers would receive an email and/or phone call with the times and location of the event. You may choose to accept or decline the invitation. Volunteers will be trained and provided with a shirt to wear on camera. 10 volunteers are needed for each shift.
Dates: TBA
Times: Depends on the station, one shift for the 5/6 p.m. newscast and one shift for the 9/10 p.m. newscast
Locations: TV stations in Minneapolis, St. Paul or Eden Prairie
Click here to sign-up online for this activity
Social Services
Food Shelf Helper
Prepare well-balanced food bags and distribute the bags to families waiting for their orders. Help unload donations and stock shelves. Keep food pantry clean and remove expired products. Be able to lift at least 30 lbs and stand for long periods of time.
Dates: Year round, Monday – Friday
Time: 3 hours or more between 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Locations: St. Paul, Minneapolis, Burnsville
Meal Service Assistant
Assist in preparing, serving and cleanup of meals at our Harbor Light Center, The Salvation Army's homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served everyday, year round. Individuals or groups of 5 - 6 volunteers are welcome.
Qualities desired: Feel compassion for others; sensitive to issues of homelessness and aware of diverse cultural backgrounds and differences; must be 16 or older; if under the age of 18, must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
Dates: Year round, Sunday – Saturday
Times: 6:30 – 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 4 – 7 p.m.
Location: Harbor Light Center, Minneapolis
Caseworker
In Buffalo, The Salvation Army’s emergency services program’s purpose is to meet the immediate needs of clients in Wright and Sherburne counties. Areas of assistance include rental/mortgage assistance, utility assistance, food, clothing, furniture, transportation and other miscellaneous emergency services. As a caseworker volunteer you will meet with families and individuals who have appointments at our emergency service office, assist with initial intake forms and provide a listening ear.
Dates: Year round, Monday - Friday
Time: Flexible, office hours are 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Typically 2 – 5 hours per week
Location: The Salvation Army Wright/Sherburne County Social Service Office, Buffalo
Mentoring Adults
Barnabas Pen Pal
The Salvation Army Barnabas Pen Pal program seeks to link Christian volunteers with inmates for the purpose of making contact through the written word. The relationship is meant to provide the inmate with spiritual guidance and personal encouragement. Inmates are often very lonely as most families have given up on them and they need to know that someone cares. Pen pals use aliases and all letters are routed through The Salvation Army to ensure volunteer safety.
Dates: Ongoing, year round
Time: At least one letter a month
Location: Flexible
Job Coach
The Salvation Army Minneapolis Harbor Light Center provides emergency assistance, shelter, housing, chemical dependency treatment, transitional housing, health care services and spiritual support to its clients. At the Harbor Light Center, the Basics of Life Training (BOLT) program is a comprehensive residential program for individual men who are dealing with homeless issues or who are recovering from chemical dependency. One of the focus areas for the BOLT program is vocational skills. To help the men in the program, volunteer job coaches can assist with resume writing and interview skills during the business class. Volunteers will be working in small group settings and also doing one-on-one training with the individuals. Volunteers need to be at least 25 years old, willing to work with the homeless, and able to make a minimum of a six month commitment.
Dates: Thursdays, year round
Times: 10 a.m. – Noon
Location: Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, Minneapolis
Computer Lab Supervisor
The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center provides emergency services, shelter, housing, chemical dependency treatment, transitional housing and spiritual support to the homeless. In the center is a computer lab for the clients to use. The computer lab supervisor will monitor usage of the lab including logging clients into workstations, fixing simple computer problems, answering questions regarding web searches or basic computer skills, and helping to maintain cleanliness in the lab.
Dates: Flexible, available year round, Monday – Friday
Time: 2 or more hours, one or more times a week between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Location: Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, Minneapolis
Bingo Coordinator
Once a month, the women staying in the transitional shelter at Harbor Light enjoy a fun and relaxing evening playing bingo. Up to four volunteers each month can help setup the bingo room, call out numbers, choose the type of bingo game to play, hand out prizes, and clean up the room at the end of game night. Volunteers need to be sensitive to the issues facing homeless women, such as mental illness, addiction, and physical disabilities.
Dates: Last Wednesday of every month, year round
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Location: Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, Minneapolis
Book Club Coordinator
The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center provides emergency services, shelter, housing, chemical dependency treatment, transitional housing and spiritual support to the homeless. For the women staying at Harbor Light, a monthly book club gathering is an opportunity to visit, learn and enjoy each other’s company in a healthy environment. Volunteer book club coordinators will select the book, promote the monthly gathering by creating flyers, develop or find discussion questions, and lead the discussion. Volunteers would also find copies of the books for the women to use. Around 10 – 15 copies of the selected book would need to be donated, and Harbor Light has information on getting donations if needed.
Dates: Flexible, year round
Time: Flexible, Harbor Light Center is open between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Location: Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, Minneapolis
Youth Activities
After-school Tutor
Do you remember your three “R”s? Can you help a child with his? Spend your afternoons tutoring elementary – high school age kids during the school year. If your favorite “R” is arithmetic, then your talents are in high demand!
Dates: September – early June, Monday – Friday
Time: 2 hours in the afternoon/early evening, 2 or more times a month
Locations: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Maplewood and Brooklyn Park
Day Camp Activity Guide
Have fun this summer and share the fun with kids at one of our Salvation Army Worship and Service Center Day Camps! Help camp leaders guide children in arts and crafts, games, field trips and meals. Bring a group that is ready to lead an exciting activity for a day!
Dates: Monday - Friday, June - August
Times: 3 hours or more between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Locations: Minneapolis, St. Paul and Brooklyn Park
Senior Services
Manicurist
The Adult Day Center in Maplewood is a gathering place for seniors where they promote participant wellness through an individualized plan of care and stimulating program of physical, social and recreational activity. The volunteer would provide manicures to those individuals that are interested. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.
Dates: Year round, Monday – Friday
Times: 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Lakewood Worship and Service Center, Maplewood
Senior Activity Assistant
Have you ever seen how much fun the clients at the Adult Day Center have throughout the course of a day? Have you ever wanted to participate in that kind of fun? The Activity Assistant is just the volunteer position for someone like you! The Activity staff of the ADC plan the activities. Our volunteers assist us in getting the clients involved and engaged in a variety of different activities. This position helps set up for different activities during the day and helps the clients participate in these activities.
Dates: Year round, Monday - Friday
Time: Minimum 1 hour between 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., one-time for small groups or on a regular schedule
Location: Lakewood Adult Day Center, Maplewood
Outing Driver
This volunteer position is a wonderful opportunity to assist participants of the Adult Day Center while they are on an outing outside of the center. As the outing driver, you will be asked to drive to already chosen locations and return to the center within the time allotted. Maps will be created to the sites if it is a location you are unfamiliar with. At the outing location (after parking the bus), you will be able to enjoy the outing – Como zoo, History museum, restaurants, etc – while assisting the Adult Day Center staff in keeping the participants safe and enjoying the outing. At the conclusion, you will get the bus, drive it to the loading area and assist in helping the participants into the bus. You will get so much enjoyment from giving the participants a safe and fun outing experience. A commercial driver’s license along with a good driving record is required. The bus is provided by The Salvation Army. Volunteers do receive free admission/meals at outing events.
Dates: Outings take place once a week, Monday – Friday (dates vary)
Time: 2 – 5 hours between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (time depends on outing)
Location: Lakewood Adult Day Center, Maplewood
Outing Assistant
At least once a week clients at the Adult Day Center may choose to go on an outing to a show, program or museum. Past outings have been to the Como Park Conservatory, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Steppingstone Theatre. As a volunteer, you would be an extra set of eyes to make sure everyone is accounted for, and you could help walk with clients or push wheelchairs. You would also have the opportunity to enjoy the outing and get to know some great people! Help is also needed for volunteers to be on-call for this opportunity to fill in when other scheduled volunteers are unable to make their shift.
Dates: Outings take place once a week, Monday – Friday (dates vary)
Time: approximately 4 hours between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Lakewood Adult Day Center, Maplewood
Seasonal Opportunities
Back-to-School Shopper (August)
Each year hundreds of children go to school unprepared to learn. The Salvation Army is determined to help families in need by providing back-to-school clothes through the Leaders Launching Learners program. Volunteers help to escort children through a store, assist in selecting clothes, and track the cost of the items to keep it within the budget.
State Fair Parking Attendant (August - September)
If you enjoy directing traffic, taking people’s money, and telling people to park wherever you want them to, perhaps you should consider this volunteer opportunity. Booth Brown House, a shelter for youth, turns its yard into a parking lot during the Minnesota State Fair and needs your help in order to raise needed funds.
Toy Shop Family Registration (November - December)
As part of The Salvation Army ClearingHouse, families pre-register to participate in the annual Christmas Toy Shop. Volunteers help with data entry or take phone registrations from families seeking assistance. After the registration, volunteers are needed to help troubleshoot by answering client questions and making corrections in the database.
Bell Ringer (November - December)
You, too, can be a red kettle-keeper, a bell-ringer, a bright smile-giver, this Christmas season. Join the tradition of giving and discover what a joy it is to know that you’re making a difference in your community. It is never too early to sign up to be a bell ringer! Sign up online or call 651-746-3519 to register.
Christmas Toy Shop Elf (December, registration opens September 15)
This Christmas, escort parents of disadvantaged families while they select Christmas gifts for their children at the Toy Shop. Find an added meaning in restocking tables and bagging toys, knowing that because of your volunteered time and energy a child will have a brighter Christmas morning.
