Help People Who are Homeless, Right Here in Our Community

One on the most asked questions I see in our community is, "Where can we find a community service opportunity for our whole family?" I was able to get to know and meet Kelly from the non-profit outreach known as Eight Waves. And now, here's another outreach - Matthew's Hope, a ministry aimed at helping the homeless community with plenty of great opportunities for the whole family to help.

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Matthew's Hope is a ministry with a mission to help the homeless community. As they state on their website, "Help Us, Help Them, Help Themselves". Matthew's Hope's overall goal is to help people who find themselves homeless to grow emotionally, mentally, spiritually, physically and vocationally. Here are three areas Matthew's Hope provides help, with the goals of each person achieving some growth and success.

1. Build dignity and trust by meeting basic needs like food, clothing and hygiene
2. Help with getting IDs, birth certificates, social security cards, food stamps and phones
3. Provide assistance with medical, dental, optical, financial direction, legal, and more.

You can view their quarterly online magazine here and learn more about their ministry here. Their latest magazine explains the challenges facing the homeless community and how Matthew's Hope is trying to be most effective. If you'd like more information about this ministry, be sure to check out the links.

Ways Your Kids Can Help

There are no minimum age restrictions for volunteering. However, Matthew's Hope kindly requests that parents accompany and supervise their children throughout their volunteer experience. Parents are also welcome to volunteer alongside their children. They appreciate those looking to volunteer with your family at Matthew's Hope! They welcome all ages to participate in their mission of serving the community.

Here are more ways the whole family can help:

• Donation Sorting and Stocking (On-site): Help sort and organize donated items at the Outreach Center (Monday-Friday).
• Outreach Preparation (On-site): Assist with preparing for their Tuesday and Thursday outreach programs (Monday & Wednesday).
• Meal Preparation (Off-site): Prepare breakfast, lunch sandwiches, or desserts for the Tuesday and Thursday outreach program, helping to feed up to 120 people. To participate in the crockpot meal program, please contact Dillon@matthewshopeministries.org to check available dates. Meals can be dropped off on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 am. Feel free to drop off your contribution and go, or stay and volunteer in serving the meals. That can be coordinated with Dillon.
• Outreach Support (On-site): Directly assist with the Tuesday and Thursday outreach programs (7:30 am - 12:00 pm). Please note that participants must be 16 or older or accompanied by an adult.
• Donation Drive Leadership (Off-site): Lead a donation drive to collect essential items for clients. They can provide a list of current needs upon request.
• Children's Project Leadership (Off-site): Organize a child-friendly project to benefit the community, such as a sneaker drive, inspirational craft creation, or coin collection for laundry services. They are always in need of men's shoes in all sizes, particularly sizes 9-12 (mesh tennis shoes preferred). They appreciate past efforts from student groups, youth organizations, and families who have organized donation drives for various items, including clothing, shoes, and food.
• Landscaping and Gardening (On-site): Help maintain the landscaping at our Transitional Homes or Firm Foundation School.

How Do We Get Started?

Matthew's Hope's standard office hours are Monday-Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Outreach volunteers are specifically needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:40 am to 1:00 pm.

To get started, please visit their website at https://www.matthewshopeministries.org/ and select your preferred volunteer location. Their volunteer coordinator will contact you within 48-72 hours.

Have another idea?

Please don't hesitate to contact Matthew's Hope if you needs ideas or suggestions for volunteering together. They are happy to help!