Community Needs From: Gonzaga University

Under the direction of nursing and rehabilitation teams on several inpatient units, Mobility Volunteers encourage and support patients in improving their health and function through mobilization activities.

We help to start, expand, and support community gardens throughout Spokane and there is always a garden in need of additional helping hands. 

Soul Cart Volunteers provide much needed social and cognitive interaction with our long-term-stay patients.  This may include, chatting, reading, playing games, arts and crafts, spiritual support, help with self-care, or bringing your own gifts and talents to share.  The more our patients have the opportunity to interact with others, the less chance of boredom, melancholy, depression, and mental decline.  

Volunteers assist patients, families and staff in this busy unit, including helping patients navigate the check-in procedure and escorting or transporting patients to their procedure or hospital room. 

The Salvation Army of Spokane Food Bank assists more than 1,500 people per month. This is a client choice program, meaning that each client that comes through our doors gets to “shop” for their own food with dignity. This process relies on volunteers to assist clients and keep the shelves stocked with a variety of food choices.

Volunteers are needed Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays).  
Once applications are received and processed and orientation is completed, volunteers manage their own hours Monday through Friday, 8:30am through 5:00pm.

Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator to request a volunteer application and schedule orientation. 
Mary Gayle Johnson's contact information is:
-Direct phone number: 509 329-2721
-Email: marygayle.johnson@usw.salvationarmy.org

With integrity, ParaSport Spokane will provide training, recreational, and competitive opportunities for youth and adults with physical disabilities that promote success, self worth and independence. ParaSport Spokane uses adaptive sports as a catalyst for life.

Website: https://www.parasportspokane.org/

We offer several programs and gatherings, each of which is designed to bring people both with and without intellectual/developmental disabilities together, to build friendships. People with I/DD often travel through life in a separate lane. We think life is better when we’re together.

Website: https://www.sidebysidespokane.org/new-volunteers

Contact: david@sidebysidespokane.org or call 509-475-1885

To volunteer, follow these steps: 

Pair up with adults who have disabilities and form authentic relationships through weekly recreation activities. GUSR also plans advocacy and awareness-raising events throughout the year. 

GUSR is usually a year-long commitment

We're looking for friendly and reliable volunteers to support our front office on select days! This opportunity is perfect for college students looking to build valuable workplace skills, or community seniors who want to brush up on administrative tasks, learn something new, or share their professional experience.

As the first point of contact at Hillyard Senior Center, you’ll help create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for members and guests. Tasks include greeting visitors, answering phones, assisting with basic admin duties, and occasionally stepping away from the desk to help with programs or seniors in need.

Skills Needed:
Basic administrative or front desk/reception experience, a positive attitude, and a willingness to be flexible and helpful.

This is a great way to make a difference while gaining or sharing meaningful, real-world experience in a supportive and upbeat environment!

There are many activities offered at Providence Emilie Court. If you are interested in helping out we could find what works best for your schedule. We offer Bingo, Game Day, Exercise, Current Events (reading the news), Beauty Basket (manicures), Movies, Enertainment, Arts & Crafts and more. We could also pair you to be a one on one companion.

Completion of Memory work training

18 years of age or older

Apply at www.arc-spokane.org/volunteer

The Arc's Community Center operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Volunteers may teach crafts, elementary music, math, reading, and drama to members of the center, interact with them socially and recreationally or accompany them on day trips in the community. Our goal is to create an environment of learning social skills for our members and in turn, our members help create stronger advocates in all our volunteers. We strongly encourage that everyone should come one day into our Center, Your life will be changed for the better being with our members.

When a volunteer enters our program, they are trained with an hour orientation on what to except and to have any questions answered to help them feel more comfortable in our center. Along with the orientation into our program, volunteers will undergo a background check through DSHS. Those are completed and paid for by The Arc of Spokane.

There aren't any requirements on how many hours volunteers put in and days to come in are very flexible to individual schedules.  We invite anyone interested in coming into our centers to join our team. Whether it's just for a special event, on occasional breaks or having a regular schedule. We will work with you and find a good fit for your skills and talents.

Make a Difference in Your Community! Join Our Disaster Action Team Today!

People who are experiencing financial insecurity often have to choose between paying rent and buying groceries. Sometimes, they run out of food assistance (SNAP EBT) and food at the same time. With the high cost of food, it's important for the community to step in and help avoid hunger.

Spokane Helpers Network provides free emergency Meal Kits. Each kit contains the contents of a meal that feeds four. Every kit includes non-perishable protein (e.g., canned chicken), at least one carbohydrate (e.g., noodles, biscuit mix), a canned vegetable, and a canned fruit. When there are children in the home, we also try to include healthy snacks.

We are seeking partners who can collect non-perishable food and assemble Meal Kits (in plastic grocery store bags).

Our volunteer delivery drivers will make sure that the Meal Kits are distributed to hungry households in Airway Heights, Spokane, Mead, and Spokane Valley.

Any number of Meal Kits would be helpful.

People who are experiencing financial insecurity often find it very difficult to afford hygiene products. At the same time, every adult deserves to go to work or classes ready to perform; every child deserves to be clean and ready to learn at school.

Spokane Helpers Network provides free Hygiene Kits for men, women and children.Each kit contains basics such as toothpaste/toothbrush, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, soap, and razor.

We are seeking partners who can collect hygiene items and assemble Hygiene Kits (in gallon plastic bags).

Any number of kits would be helpful.

Our members have a heart for struggling people who are experiencing temporary financial challenges. They volunteer their time; they donate items for distribute to low-income households; they make financial donations. 

Many of our volunteers donate new items needed for Meal Kits (non-perishable food) and/or for Hygiene Kits (toothpaste, tooth brushes, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant).

Some volunteers help assemble Meal Kits and Hygiene Kits.

Other volunteers deliver free Emergency Meal Kits, as well as Hygiene Kits, to households in Airway Heights, Spokane, Mead, and Spokane Valley.

And, still others, help with behind-the-scenes admin tasks.

We hope you will join us in serving the low-income community in the greater Spokane area!

The Catalyst is an emergency supportive housing program that provides safe, private, dignified spaces to both men and women where they may temporarily live while taking steps to exit homelessness. Robust care coordination is provided onsite with access to housing-focused opportunities, connections to behavioral health services, primary care, and public benefits.

Volunteers are needed for our mentor program. Volunteers will spend one on one time with our participants by having a meal together, playing basketball outside, playing games, or just visiting. Other volunteer opportunities include serving meals, helping with activities or working on our donation closet. 

Interested volunteers should start by completing our online volunteer application found here: www.cceasternwa.org/applynow. Please indicate that you would like to help at Catalyst. 

Want to do something that's unique and emotionally rewarding? Have an affinity for folks with special needs and/or horses? Then Free Rein is the place for you! 

Our facility offers therapeutic riding lessons for adults and children with disabilities. Lots of volunteers are needed to help these riders stay safe on the horse.

This is a great way to stay involved with a community, work with animals and feel like you're supporting the quality of life for someone whose experience of life might be vastly different than your own. It's a fun and active place to be and is definitely therapeutic for everyone! Not just the riders ;)

Please e-mail volunteer@freereinspokane.org to sign up or for more information!

Requirements for volunteering directly with horses and riders

 We'd love to meet you! Contact us at the above e-mail address to sign up or for more info!

Being a volunteer at the Spokane Dementia Community Cafe offers an opportunity to serve community members who experience some form of memory loss, Alzheimer's disease or other dementia and a companion. You will be an integral part of creating a safe, inclusive, and engaging atmosphere for people with memory loss and their care companions. Cafe volunteers plan, implement, and assure a positive experience during cafe events and activities.

Key Activities:

•In collaboration with staff confirm, set up, and clean up the café space each month.

• Meet and greet café attendees at the door, sign them in, welcome them and provide name badges and parking passes.

• Facilitate member engagement in conversation and activities at monthly gatherings.
• Assist in planning and organizing monthly café activities.

• Help organize and distribute Association materials and information to group members and assure a positive experience for attendees.

• Connect people with additional Association services and volunteer opportunities by proactively making referrals to Alzheimer's Association programs & free 24/7 Helpline

When Mother Joseph and the Sisters of Providence founded Sacred Heart Medical Center in 1886, it was a small, 31-bed facility built along the Spokane River. Since then, we’ve become a major regional medical center featuring the best doctors, specialists and staff around.

We’re home to a regional cancer center, a transplant center, the only Level II Pediatric Trauma Center and Level IV NICU in Eastern Washington, specialty care, support groups and more. That means you don’t have to travel across town or across the state to find world-class medical care – because we’re right here, close to home.

Volunteer Link: 

Welcome to Volunteer Services (providence.org)

This is an awesome service learning opportunity if you like the farm life, horses and working with special needs children and adults (mostly children)! We also look for interns who can support on the administrative side. Being able to do both is a huge bonus! 

We are a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting disabled children and adults through the progressive approach of equine assisted therapy. You can check out our website at www.freereinspokane.com or search YouTube to see what we do! 

Please contact Nicole at volunteerfreerein@gmail.com if interested or for more information! 

Our office hours are currently M-F, 10:00am - 6:00pm         Office phone: 509-979-1468

Alzheimer's Association Community Representatives are community engagers that raise awareness of Alzheimer's Association programs, provide disease information and link consumers to Alzheimer's Association services.

This is a great position for someone who is self-motivated, comfortable reaching out to community members and community organizations, has strong verbal and written communication skills, and is 18 or older.

The time commitment is variable and flexible. We ask volunteers in this role to reach out to individuals or organizations weekly and attend 3-5 community events as a representative of the Alzheimer's Association.

The Alzheimer's Association will provide all necessary training.

For CEL students specifically

We are people with and without intellectual disabilities, sharing life in communities belonging to an International Federation. Mutual relationships and trust in God are at the heart of our journey together. We celebrate the unique value of every person and recognize our need of one another.

L’Arche’s mission is to make known the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities especially as they are revealed through mutually transforming relationships. At L’Arche, we are people with and without intellectual disabilities who live and share community life together in 2 homes near Gonzaga while engaging in our diverse cultures and working together toward a more human society.  We belong to an International Federation of almost 150 communities in nearly 40 countries representing all the major faiths of the world. Mutual relationships and trust in God are at the heart of our life together where we celebrate the unique value of every person and recognize our need of one another.

The Evergreen Club, run by Frontier Behavioral Health, provides social and vocational recovery to adults with mental illness through work and socialization.  Members choose one of three units with which to works: café, thrift store or business unit.  The members develop meal preparation skills, organizational and budgeting skills, clerical skills, and to participate in and learn administrative tasks. Community Engaged Learning students are needed to help volunteer alongside these workers. Volunteers choose a unit they are interested working in and help support members in their jobs. Students will work side by side with members and staff to promote the Work Ordered Day. Students can plan and facilitate social programs, educational presentations and activities to promote health and wellness. The Evergreen Club is open Monday through Friday 8:30 – 4:30 and Saturday 11-2. Call 509-458-7454 to request a volunteer application. 

COVID protocol: Frontier Behavioral Health maintains a ‘Safe Work Plan” that all staff, members and students must adhere to. In compliance with Governor Inslee’s 8/9/21 Proclamation which mandates COVID vaccination for all workers in a healthcare setting, FBH will require all employees, volunteers (including students) and contractors to be fully vaccinated by October 18, 2021, unless the individual is approved for a medical or religious exemption. At this time everyone is required to wear a mask. Medical and religious accommodation request forms are available.

Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS) strives to provide enjoyable specialized and adaptive recreational activities for individuals with disabilities. Our purpose is to create positive experiences that develop appropriate leisure and social skills in our participants.

Students can participate as volunteers in classes or recreational events for individuals with developmental disabilities. (A schedule of classes and events will be provided.) Students can select classes of interest, and plan to attend regular class sessions as a classroom volunteer. Students can also participate as volunteers in the TRS Skiing Program. Assistance is needed for adaptive skiing programs (mobility limitations), developmental disabilities skiing programs (cognitive limitations). Individuals with minimal skiing proficiency can be of assistance with these events, which include alpine and Nordic skiing. (Skiing Program trainings schedule will be announced.) Please contact Alice Busch to discuss background check and other required forms. Students will visit with Alice Busch (Recreation Supervisor) to discuss skills and interests.

Crisis Telephonists answer all calls that come in at First Call for Help. They are expected to provide supportive listening, information and referral resources, crisis intervention, and when needed, link consumers to professional staff.

Approximately 30 hours of training is provided to all telephonists prior to them answering the crisis line. Telephonists will be trained to operate all phone and computer equipment used on the job, as well as skills in supportive listening, referral resources, suicide assessment and crisis de-escalation. While on the job, telephonists will also learn about the mental health system and how it works in our community.

Duties: To become one or more of the Residents' trustworthy and reliable friend by getting to know them personally, sharing yourself personally if you wish and visiting them often to the point where they anticipate your next visit of quality and attention. So many of our Resident's need this service more than one could imagine.

If interested, you would need to come in to fill out the volunteer paperwork & go through orientation. We would then pair you with a Resident who might not get many visitors or who does not participate in many of the activities offered here at Providence Emilie Court.

We ask that companions visit once a week, the date and time would be whatever worked best for both the Resident and the volunteer.

As part of our activity program we like to offer one or more educational presentations per month. We would like to have a volunteer(s) that would like to present a topic that would be relevant to Residents at Providence Emilie Court. It could be related to health issues, legal issues such as living wills, etc.

If presenting educational topics would be of interest to you, we could have volunteers present one topic a piece, or have a volunteer(s) who present multiple different topics.