“The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest worker.”

~Helen Keller

My friend Joe. Formerly homeless and now an HG volunteer!!

There are a number of ways that you or your organization can volunteer to help Homeless Gear provide aid to the homeless men, women, children, and families that we serve.

1. Organize food, clothing, gear, or hygiene drive at your work, neighborhood, school, church etc.
2. Help at monthly Sam’s Club Food Collection Event
3. Help at a distribution
4. Deliver & pick up donations
5. Sort, organize and stock donations
6. Participate in Night Street Outreach
7. Participate in the Transitions Advocacy Program

For additional information about any volunteer activity that is listed below or to sign up for an event, please call Eileen Corbiere, our volunteer coordinator, at 970-214-8734 or e-mail Eileen@HomelessGear.org. If you are volunteering for the very first time, please read, print, and sign the volunteer release form (HG Volunteer Release & Liability Waiver) and bring it with you to the event.

Organize an Outdoor Gear/ Clothing/Footwear/Hygiene/Non Perishable Food Drive:

Consider organizing a gear, clothing, hygiene or non perishable food drive within a group that you are associated (school, business, work, club, church, neighborhood etc).  This is a perfect volunteer activity for an individual, group, scout troop, business, or other community organization.  We can customize a product drive that would be most suitable for the group involved.  Call us and let’s talk about the possibilities.

Distributions:

We invite anyone who is interested to come and help us distribute gear and other critical items at one of our two distribution events.

• Homeless Families and Children Distribution: This event runs from 9 AM to 11:30 AM at the Murphy Center of Hope located at 242 Conifer Street in Fort Collins on the following Saturdays:

1. June 8, 2013
2. September 7, 2013

Since we serve as many as 400+ homeless and near homeless children and their families at this event we need volunteers to sign up for “shifts” (8:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 10:00 AM to 12:00  This will enable us to plan appropriately and also make the volunteer experience as meaningful as possible for you.  Of course you can work multiple shifts if you would like.

Please know that you can still just drop in if you didn’t get a chance to sign up.  We will never turn away volunteers.  Please contact  Eileen Corbiere at Eileen@HomelessGear.org or by call and talk with Eileen at  970-587-3556.

• Homeless Adult Distribution:  This event is held on the third Thursday of every month from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM at the Murphy Center For Hope located at 242 Conifer Street in Fort Collins (corner of Conifer and Blue Spruce).  Please contact Eileen Corbiere at Eileen@HomelessGear.org or by calling 970-587-3556.

Sam’s Club Collection Event:

One Saturday per month (11 AM to 4 PM), we collect donations, fire up a BBQ and interact with customers outside of the Sam’s Club in South Fort Collins. This is a fun and effective way for us to collect much-needed food-and-drink items, engage with the community and recruit new volunteers.

Collection Event Dates Are Scheduled For:

1. June 1, 2013
2. June 29, 2013
3. July 6, 2013
4. August 3, 2013
5. September 7, 2013
6. October 5, 2013
7. November 2, 2013
8. November 16, 2013
9. December 7, 2013
10. December 21, 2013

If you are interested in helping out, please contact Eileen by phone at (970) 587-3556 or by email at Eileen@HomelessGear.org.

Non Perishable Food & Take-Away Meals Program:

You or your group, class, troop, church or business can help in several ways: 

1. Collect and provide food & drink items
2. Provide cash or grocery store gift cards for us to purchase food & drink items
3. Provide completed ready to eat “take-away” meals
4. Deliver meals to facilities in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Longmont, Boulder and Denver

In addition, you can participate in one of our regularly-scheduled meal assemblies. From 1 PM to 3 PM on the Sunday after each of our Sam’s Club collection events, we gather at the Murphy Center for Hope (242 Conifer Street) to assemble much of what we have collected into take-away meals. Upcoming meal assembly dates include:

1. June 2, 2013
2. June 30, 2013
3. July 7, 2013
4. August 4, 2013
5. September 8, 2013
6. October 6, 2013
7. November 3, 2013
8. November 17, 2013
9. December 8, 2013
10. December 22, 2013

If you would like more detailed information on our Food Program including a list of the types of items we are collecting please visit the Non Perishable Food page of this website or contact:

David Rout, Homeless Gear   David@HomelessGear.org 970-682-3193

Street Outreach:

Homeless Gear Outreach is a program providing life-sustaining supplies and support to the homeless community throughout Fort Collins, while offering connection to programs which encourage movement toward self-sufficiency.  HG helps homeless individuals find and effectively use the services they need to get back on their feet and off the streets.  HG provides everything from short-term, emergency aid on the streets at night to long-term support by offering companionship through the process of navigating the path to self sufficiency.

Nights: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays

Hours:  Start Time: 7 PM  Ending Time:  10:30 PM

Homeless Gear is looking for volunteers to join its Street Outreach Team! As a member of the Street Outreach Team, you and a partner will go out in the evening to deliver clothing, food, and other emergency gear to the homeless population in Fort Collins, provide homeless men, women and children with information about and access to resources in the community, and form lasting and meaningful relationships with your less-fortunate neighbors.

This is a wonderful opportunity to serve your community, interact with and offer companionship to homeless men and women, and provide basic – and potentially life-saving supplies to those who need them most. Volunteers must be 18+ and commit to at least one shift per month, approximately 3.5 hours per shift. Contact David by phone at (970) 682-3193 or by email at David@HomelessGear.org.

Transitions Program:

Homeless Gear is recruiting volunteers to join its Transitions Advocacy Program! As an “Advocate Assistant,” you and two teammates will – under the guidance of our professional staff – provide personalized and regular support to one homeless man or woman as he/she navigates the path to self-sufficiency. This is an amazing and unique opportunity to make a tangible, positive and lasting impact in the life of a single homeless person.  Volunteers must be 18+ and commit to at least six months of service at approximately three hours per week. Contact David by phone at (970) 682-3193 or by email at David@HomelessGear.org.

Gear and Clothing Sorting:

We hold special group gear & clothing sorting events each month to process and organize many of the donations that we receive.  Sorting is done at the Murphy Center For Hope which is located on the corner of Blue Spruce and Conifer (near JAX Surplus on North College).  The address is 242 Conifer Street in Fort Collins 80524.  Call Eileen Corbiere at 970-587-3556 to schedule a date and time for your group to help with a sorting event.  If you would like to volunteer to sort on a regular and ongoing basis, that would be wonderful!!!

Class Projects:

• Organize a Hygiene & Grooming Drive
  • Deodorant
  • Disposable Razors
  • Shave Cream
  • Shampoo
• Assemble Individual First Aid Kits
• Create “Snack Packs”
• Come to our Children In Need Distribution and be a personal shopper assistant
• Organize a Diaper Drive

Join Our Team:

We are also looking for individuals to join the HG and CIN team of ongoing volunteers. If you have a desire to work with HG to help the homeless here is a list of things that would be very helpful with any amount of time, energy, interest, and experience that you might have available.  Many of these items can be done from your home or office and most can be done at any time your schedule permits.

• Gear Room Organizer
• Grant Writing
• Bulk Product Purchasing Research
• Marketing For Gear Drives
• Media Research & Contacts
• Gear & Clothing Sorting
• Delivery or Pick Up
• Manufacturer/Retailer/Wholesaler Contacts

For additional information about any volunteer activity or to sign up for an event, please call Eileen Corbiere, our volunteer coordinator, at 970-587-3556 or e-mail Eileen@HomelessGear.org.