Individual Opportunities
We ask individual volunteers to consider weekly 4-hour shifts for the following positions (see additional information below this list).
Greeters/Receptionist: In most of our facilities, volunteer receptionists answer and manage the telephones and reception area, welcome visitors and clients, and provide information as needed. Receptionists may begin the client intake process and receive and record donations. At the Carrboro Services building, two Crisis Intervention receptionists are needed during each shift, with one handling appointments and the other handling walk-in clients.
Closet Organizer. Each facility receives donations, but keeping them organized and making sure donations are at the right facility is an on going task. Closet Organizers will be responsible for a single facility (even a single closet) making sure it is well organized and properly stocked on a regular basis.
Project History. This is a flexible and ongoing effort to collect oral histories among our clients. In addition to Interviewers (which we help train and orient to the project first), we need a Coordinator to help oversee the people who are doing the interviews and the selection among our clients with our social workers.
Handyman/woman. Our facilities are served by a staff member responsible for larger maintenance issues, but about once a month a number of smaller needs will pile up and could benefit from someone able to knock out a few at a time. Examples might be to hang bulletin boards, use a handcart to move filing cabinets, check smoke detectors, replace light bulbs, or perhaps hang shelves in a closet. Someone with an interest and a bit of ability/experience with such tasks can make a valuable contribution if they can reliably make themselves available once a month for maybe half a day.
Data Entry. We have a lot of data that we maintain for our operations, and much of it still needs to be entered by hand from paper forms, People with a great attention to detail and willingness to work on somewhat repetitive tasks maintaining this data may be useful at more than one of our facilities.
Dishwashers. Individuals (or couples) can help in our Community Kitchen and in our Men's House to make sure that dishes are washed at and after meals served at those facilities, especially all the cooking pots and pans, and trays.
Food Drivers: Volunteers help IFC staff with regular weekly commitments of food donations from grocery stores and other establishments for the Food Pantry and Community Kitchen. Volunteers must have a driver’s license in good standing, and may or may not be called on to use their own vehicle, depending on the type and size of delivery.
Kitchen Help: Able-bodied volunteers are needed to help with various non-meal-preparation sorts of tasks especially at the Community Kitchen. For example, sorting and arranging or stocking food as it is received in the kitchen, cleaning, and other tasks at the direction of the kitchen coordinator. These positions are generally required during daytime non-meal hours, or into the evening at we close-up.
Community Kitchen Meal Monitor: For the mealtime hours, serve as a liaison for volunteers and guests during a meal, remind guests of building policies and procedures as needed (where to lock up belongings, direct to waiting areas and restrooms, etc), contact staff in case of an emergency, report any problems, and be available to answer questions. Also work with volunteers and staff to ensure the kitchen and dining areas are appropriately cleaned. These are needed just from 11:00am-12:30pm for lunches or from 6:00-7:00pm for dinners.
Client Interviewers: Interviewers meet with clients at the Carrboro Services building to gather information about the client and their request. If the client is eligible, the interviewer will fulfill the request and provide food, clothing, and/or bus passes. Where appropriate, they also will refer individuals to other IFC programs and community agencies. The ability to handle a certain amount of multi-tasking help volunteers in these positions.
Pantry: Volunteers are used to stock the Pantry supplies from donations received; attention to detail is crucial. Volunteers may also be needed to separate large commercial bags of staples into family-sized portions.
On-call Substitutes (Client Interviewers, Greeters, Food Drivers): Substitute volunteer positions are ideal for those individuals who cannot make a regular commitment. Substitute volunteers—whose responsibilities are the same as described above—are “on call” for other volunteers who cannot do their shift because of illness, accidents, school breaks, summer vacations, meetings, or travel. Having an adequate supply of substitute volunteers helps IFC services to continue smoothly for those in need.
Residential Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to supplement staff at HomeStart and Community House facilities to assist with resident operations and help with guest needs. Some of the roles include Intake Assistants, Kitchen Assistants , housekeeping, client orientation, and assistance with homework assignments.
Administrative Help. Tasks around one of our offices likely require being self-directed with excellent accuracy and may include filing, organizing, returning calls, entering bits of data into a computer system, or other “behind the scenes” task that help other volunteers and staff.
We may ask for individual volunteers for short-term or periodic help with the following efforts:
Computer Help: There are occasional periods where additional computer skills help is crucial to the smooth operation of the IFC. We have a team setting up an agency-wide database for which additional help may continue to be useful in coming months.
Creative Help: Experienced writers adept at feature articles, photographers, artists, and those with social-media savvy have all made significant contributions to the IFC’s goals of helping the community by supporting our outreach efforts and improving the profile of our agency. If you have any of these abilities and are willing to use them on the IFC’s behalf, please let us know on your application.
Note that currently all medical and dental staffing is managed through our partnership with Piedmont Health Services and as such we are not in need of volunteers for these services.
