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Volunteers
Without volunteers, Dorothy Day House could not exist. Here are some ways to help out:
Kitchen volunteers:
Kitchen volunteers are organized into crews comprising 8 to
12 people. Most crews work one day a
month (ex. 4th Thursday).
Volunteers arrive at the kitchen shortly after noon, and get to work preparing
the meal, which is served from 3:15pm to 4:45pm Cleanup is usually finished by 5:30pm. No special culinary talents are
required. If you want to volunteer in
the kitchen, you will be assigned to a crew and should be willing to make a
commitment to work one day a month. For
more information, please contact Betty Ballard (743-7368) or Annie Orr (748-1991).
Current Kitchen Volunteers (and prospective volunteers): We're currently
in need of a few people to step up and serve as coordinators. Coordinators
oversee one of the regularly scheduled kitchen crews. If you could help
here, please call Betty or Annie.
Shelter volunteers:
Shelter volunteers arrive at 9pm at the same time as the guests.
Assisted by a shelter coordinator, who is always present at the
beginning of the evening, they check in guests and pass out linen and
towels. The shelter coordinator leaves around 10pm, at which time the lights go
out. Shelter volunteers do a load of guest laundry in a commercial washer, and
can generally catch a few hours sleep (a bed is reserved for the volunteer,
or they can sit up in a chair) prior to getting the guests up at 5:30. Guests and volunteers leave shortly after 6am.
Shelter volunteers are generally men, and volunteer no more than one
night per month. If interested, please contact Joe Simons at 746 7189.
More info for prospective volunteers is in the attached shelter brochure. Click here to see brochure.
Overflow shelter (winter months):
During the winter, the First Congregational Church of Danbury hosts an
overflow shelter in Pilgrim Hall. Volunteers are needed to spend the
night. For more information, call Annie
Orr at 748-1991.
Monthly general cleaning:
Although it is the responsibility of each kitchen group to
leave the kitchen clean prior to
departing, a group of especially dedicated volunteers meets the first
Saturday of each month at 9am in the kitchen for some serious in-depth cleaning The group cleans the walls, shelving, fans,
refrigerators, etc. If you would like to help out on a Saturday, please call Joe Simons at
746-7189 to make sure the group is meeting.
Ideas for elementary and high school aged children:
Here are some things you can do to help out at Dorothy Day House:
1) Conduct a food drive. See the "wishlist" on our
for ideas
2) Make sandwiches -- since we only have volunteer help for one meal a day,
we provide takeout sandwich bags for our guests. Every day we need 60 sandwich
bags containing two meat sandwiches and a dessert plus 50 additional peanut
butter & jelly sandwiches. Some outside groups (such as girl scout troops)
will make sandwiches and bring them down to Dorothy Day House. If interested,
you can contact Annie Orr at 748-1991.
3) Have a bake sale or other event to collect money
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