Volunteers are the heart of our mission as we strive to end the cycle of homelessness. Our work is made possible entirely through the generous support of individuals and organizations from the community who give of their time and talent.
Important Volunteer Updates
At this time, most on-site volunteer opportunities are suspended until further notice, and available on-site volunteer opportunities are only open to current Light House volunteers. We have additional offsite opportunities listed below as well, which are available to all.
Meal Service Support
Looking for a fun way to support The Light House and our Light House Bistro social enterprise? We are in need of meal service support and are looking for volunteers to provide dinner for our residents through a meal catered by Light House Bistro. If you have interest in providing this service 1 time or on a monthly basis, please connect to the volunteer office, by emailing volunteers@annapolislighthouse.org.
2021 HOLIDAY GIFT DRIVE:
Put a smile on our residents’ faces by donating a holiday stocking, children’s item, community client item, or gift card this holiday season. Click here for instructions and sign-up.
FULL: 2021 Thanksgiving Box Donation Drive
Every year, The Light House collects Thanksgiving Boxes to distribute to our community’s most vulnerable. Thanks to the generosity of our community, our 2021 drive is now full and sign-up has closed.
A few ways YOU can continue to support The Light House now!
Become a Student Volunteer
- CLICK HERE to view or download our student information packet.
- Are you a student who has already completed your service? CLICK HERE to fill out the Student Impact Reflection Form.
- PLEASE NOTE: All forms that require a signature must be submitted by email to the Volunteer Office for signature (volunteers@annapolislighthouse.org). Volunteer Office signature will be provided upon completion of volunteer service and completion of the Student Impact Reflection Form. Staff onsite at Light House will not sign service hour verification.
Donate UNBagged Lunches
- We distribute approximately 100 unbagged lunches daily to our residents and community clients who are in need of food. Unbagged lunches are available at any time for anyone who comes to our doors hungry.
- SIGN-UP HERE and select what month/day you would like to bring in UNbagged lunches.
- CLICK HERE to view our most current UNbagged lunch instruction sheet.
- PLEASE NOTE: The Light House is no longer serving the lunch in brown paper bags and asks that volunteers refrain from packing sides, water and sandwiches together. Volunteers should only assemble the sandwiches offsite and wrap them in individual sandwich bags. This is still essential for our operation and we will use these sandwiches and additional items to serve our community clients.
- To provide UNbagged lunches, volunteers must complete the sign-up.
- Interested in including artwork or notes with your donation? Please click here to view our guidelines for Light House Kindness Notes.
Donate Online
In the coming months, our neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty will be those hardest hit by this crisis. We are committed to serving as many struggling individuals and families as we possibly can, and your donations are essential to these efforts.
Start An Online Fundraiser
Support The Light House today by creating your own fundraising page to share through social media or email. This is a great way to engage your friends, family and acquaintances to become involved in our mission of rebuilding lives in our community. Fundraising pages can be easily created and shared online and best of all, every donation made online goes directly to The Light House! Start fundraising now or you can view our Online Fundraising How-To Guide to learn more.
Click here to get started!
Donate Food And Supplies
View the full list of donation items we can accept along with our adjusted guidelines by visiting our Needs page.
Steps For Becoming A Volunteer
- Complete Our Volunteer Application
- Attend An Orientation
- Complete A Background Check
- Sign Up For A Shift Through Our Volunteer Information Center (VIC)
Before starting your application, please keep in mind the following:
- You must complete all steps and be approved before signing up for a volunteer shift.
- We are not accepting court referred volunteers at this time.
- If you are volunteering with a group, only the group leader is required to attend an orientation but we encourage others to attend.
- For the safety of our shelter staff, clients, and our volunteers, in-house volunteer positions require a background check.
- You must be 18 years or older to volunteer as an individual. Volunteers ages 11-17 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in our facility.
- Making bagged lunches or holding a food donation drive do not require attending an orientation or filling out a volunteer application, and also provide community service hours for students. In order to participate in the bagged lunch program, volunteers must read the instruction sheet and sign-up through the sign-up link listed below. Service hours will not be verified without signing up.
On-site Opportunities
Below is a list of general on-site volunteer opportunities. For a more detailed list of our on-site volunteer opportunities, please click here.
Meal Service – Breakfast or Dinner
Breakfast is served at 7:30am on weekdays and 8:00am on weekends year round, thanks to our wonderful volunteers. Groups that participate in the meal program purchase the ingredients, prepare and serve the meal to our residents, and store the leftovers. Please plan to serve 50-60 residents during the weekdays, and 30-40 residents on the weekend.
Dinner is served at 6:00pm daily, year round, thanks to our wonderful volunteers. Groups that participate in the meal program purchase the ingredients, prepare and serve the meal to our residents, and store the leftovers. Please plan to serve 50-60 residents during the weekdays, and 30-40 residents on the weekends.
Please Note: Most of the breakfast and dinner opportunities are covered by faithful and dedicated volunteer groups from community churches, organizations, and businesses, but we regularly have a few spots open each month. If you are a group leader who would like to sign-up to serve a meal at The Light House for the first time, we kindly ask that you first attend an additional 30 minute kitchen orientation session before signing up. These sessions are held on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Please email volunteers@annapolislighthouse.org to sign-up for a session.
Client Choice Pantry Volunteers
Our Client Choice Pantry offers non-perishable and fresh food, donated by local business, volunteers, and organizations, to community clients in need. Volunteers set-up and organize items, help clients pick out and pack food items while the pantry is open, and clean up leftover product once the pantry is closed. There are multiple shifts available during weekdays.
Organize and Distribute Bagged Lunches
In conjunction with a hot lunch that we provide daily to residents and community clients, we distribute bagged lunches to supplement the other meals in a day. Volunteers organize the bagged lunches by sandwich type, distribute two to each client, and store the remaining lunches at the end of the shift. Shifts are Monday-Friday from 10:00am-12:00pm.
Safe Harbour Resource Center Host
Our Safe Harbour Resource Center offers various crucial resources for community clients in need, such as case management services, free shower and laundry facilities, and other basic needs. Volunteers will help community clients with laundry and other basic needs, as well as assist staff with light data entry of services provided. There are many shift options available Mondays through Saturdays. Volunteers are required to attend one shadowing shift prior to signing up, which must be scheduled by emailing volunteers@annapolislighthouse.org
Carol’s Clothing Closet
Our community clothing closet is an incredible resource for our residents and community clients to receive articles of clothing that are both work appropriate and suitable for everyday wear. A minimum of two volunteers are required at all times for each shift. The closet will not open otherwise.
Clothing Closet Volunteer: Volunteers assist clients in picking out outfits, as well as organizing clothing donations. There are multiple shifts available during weekdays.
Clothing Donation Volunteer: Volunteers are also needed to receive and organize clothing donations from the community. There are multiple shifts available monthly.
Front Desk
The front desk is the first thing people see when they walk into our organization. Volunteers are needed to monitor the doors, answer phones, greet residents, clients, and other visitors, and assist the Resident Assistants with small administrative tasks. Volunteers are required to attend one shadowing shift prior to signing up, which must be scheduled by emailing volunteers@annapolislighthouse.org
Financial Empowerment, Adult Basic Education, Computer Literacy, and GED Assistance
Many of our residents, B.E.S.T. students, and alumni are working to develop the skills they need to reach self-sustainment. Volunteers can work in a group or one-on-one setting to help clients develop reading and financial skills, study for GED testing, and advance in workforce development (such as resume writing, cover letter building, conflict resolution, basic computer skills, etc.). Volunteers are required to attend additional training prior to volunteering.
Off-site Opportunities (no orientation required)
Make Bagged Lunches
We distribute approximately 100 bagged lunches daily to our residents and community clients who are in need of food. Bagged lunches are available at any time for anyone who comes through our doors hungry.
- Sign-up to bring in bagged lunches for: February, March, or April.
- Click here for instructions on how to prepare and deliver bagged lunches.
- To provide bagged lunches, volunteers must complete the sign-up.
Volunteer recognition and/or community service hours will not be provided if you do not sign-up.
Community Service Hours for Bagged Lunches: For every 50 bagged lunches donated, 4 hours of community service will be given to one individual. If more than one person makes the bagged lunches, the hours can be divided between the participants. Example: If two people make and donate 50 bagged lunches, each person can receive 2 hours of community service.
Hold a Food Drive
Over 75,000 county residents struggle to access fresh, healthy, and affordable food each year. The need is great, and we are determined to serve as many food insecure individuals and families as we possibly can. You can help keep our Client Choice Pantry shelves stocked by sponsoring a food drive! Visit the In-Kind Needs section of our website for instructions and to see what food items we can accept.
Other Ideas for Students
In order to volunteer at The Light House, you must be 18 years or older. Students who are 11-17 years old may volunteer with adult supervision, once the adult completes the application process. If you would like to help the homeless community without going through the application process, please click here for ideas on other ways to help.
Pro Bono Services
- Do you have a special skill and would like to volunteer your time? Please contact the volunteer office if you have time in your schedule to give. Email volunteers@annapolislighthouse.org or call 443-569-4211.
- Some areas of interest to The Light House: Handyman services, gardening/landscaping, technical and computer services, dental services, credentialed Therapist, legal services, exercise trainers, and nutritionists.
Already A Registered Volunteer?
- If you have completed all the steps to volunteer at The Light House you will be able to login to our Volunteer Information Center (VIC), where you can sign up for one many Light House volunteer opportunities, update your profile, and track your hours.
