There are some very helpful non-profit organizations (NPOs) with certain needs when it comes to volunteers. To help them—and to help people wishing to volunteer—we are providing this information. We hope individuals will see which agency might be a good fit for volunteering at.
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CARE FOR REAL
Care for Real welcomes volunteers who speak Arabic, English, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, or Vietnamese, and other languages. Technology skills are also helpful for some projects.
Care for Real is not just about food! Though they are often referred to as a “food pantry,” they have other ways they help people in their area. They also have a “clothing closet” and a “pet pantry.” Details can be found on their website regarding hours and services (www.careforreal.org).
Homeless persons should request “No Cooking” bags when they go to the food pantry and specify any special needs (e.g., cannot have much sugar, no sweets like cookies, no pork). Personal care products are available also. Staff and volunteers are known for being uber-patient and listening to the needs of homeless and other clients who have special needs.
So where are they located? They have two locations: Care for Real Edgewater is at 5339 N Sheridan (Bus # 151, 147, Red Line Bryn Mawr). Care for Real Rogers Park is at 1545 W Morse (Bus # 147, 22, Red Line Morse). Kate Polgar, Director of Community Engagement, has been with Care for Real over three years and provided many clear details to help people considering applying to volunteer. Food packing and food distribution are two of the major activities they need help with, and they need anywhere from 5-10 additional volunteers each shift every day.
They can use help every day. “Because we operate seven days a week, we can work with most schedules and desired frequencies, Ms. Polgar explained. “We have volunteers that serve anywhere from once a month to several times a week.” They welcome new volunteers, and it takes about a week for all of the needed training and info to be learned by the new people. Ms. Polgar added, “We work with youth, family, teen and student volunteers. “
Please call and present your volunteering information—telling them if you have a group, chaperones, and what ages and affiliation you might have. They can tell you the details and requirements, such as information on masks and vaccines.
Ms. Polgar stressed the flexibility of the agency in welcoming new volunteers to help with their essential work.
For more info, contact them at: volunteer@careforreal.org, 773-769-6182. See also this page: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R7kV6EFRMKQxABI92VP4mXxUvyWBshERpAX7ArrQEU/edit?usp=sharing
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CASA CENTRAL
Casa Central welcomes volunteers who speak English—and of course Spanish is very helpful also because of the agency focus on helping Latinos.
An agency focused on providing assistance to individuals and families, Casa Central needs volunteers for a variety of events. One-on-one activities with clients are on hold for volunteers right now because of COVID-19 rules, but there is plenty else to help with are other kinds of events going on at this well-known agency!
It should be noted they still provide a wide variety of volunteering opportunities because they are so involved in the community. Casa Central is located at: 1343 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60622. The facility is on California, between Division and North—directly east of the park—in Humboldt Park. The closest CTA connection is: Bus Route 94, Stop: California & Evergreen.
Note that vaccination and masks are required for volunteering. The persons at Casa Central in charge of the various can provide more information on the important topics for health and safety at the events.
Agency information is available in both English (https://www.casacentral.org/) and Spanish (https://www.casacentral.org/espanol/) on their website. The main phone number is: (773) 645-2300, and the general email is: info@casacentral.org volunteer contact info listed below here. Spanish is a plus if you are looking to volunteer at Casa Central!
The mission of Casa Central makes clear the direction of their work: “Casa Central transforms lives and strengthens communities, with a special focus on Hispanics. Our network of social services propels a diverse population of all ages toward self-sufficiency and a higher quality of life” (https://www.casacentral.org/our-story/mission-values-impact/).
Detailed information on Casa Central for this article was provided by Richard Finlay, Advancement Officer, who is also the volunteer coordinator, and Frank Perkins, Vice President of Advancement, who is also a team lead. They explain that social services for the “full life cycle” are the focus of Casa Central: Early Learning, Violence Prevention, Adult Wellness, Senior Care, and Housing.
You may read about their programs on their website. “Casa Central delivers an innovative spectrum of services, strengthening families and supporting growth at every stage, from children to seniors” (https://www.casacentral.org/our-programs/).
To make an impact in these areas, staff at Casa Central lead and participate in a very wide range of activities—all of which can make good use of volunteers. As examples, staff—and volunteers for Casa Central—participate in these kinds of activities: Kelvyn Park Career Day, Market Days, and the Little Village Independence Day Parade. Getting their name out there is an important activity, and providing information about Casa Central programs and resources for community members at a variety of events such as those mentioned above is an essential part of the work volunteers can help with.
An important activity is coming up on Thursday, September 22: “The Career Day at Casa Central!” Six volunteers are sought for 4-hour shifts that day. Potential volunteers should mark their calendar for that one and contact Mr. Finlay or Mr. Perkins to get more information about volunteering for that and get their name on the list! Here is the contact info: rfinlay@casacentral.org – 773-645-2478 and fperkins@casacentral.org – 773-645-2447.
There are also various activities aimed at “employee engagement” service which also require volunteers—with from 2 to 10 volunteers needed and mainly two-hour shifts. Coffee service and coffee bar activities for employees are included—must be great people if they love coffee!
By the way, they accept volunteers of all ages, including students and adults. Leaders for groups with leaders are okay, but not required. Training takes less than an hour.
The impact of Casa Central is great indeed, and in 2021 they helped 5,584 families and individuals in their programs. For more details, please see the summary of their last-year work at: (https://www.casacentral.org/assets/1/6/FY21_Impact_Summary_Report-compressed.pdf)
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CONCLUSION
Both Care for Real (with its international flavor) and Casa Central (with its focus on familias Latinas) are looking for some helpful persons to volunteer. Please contact the people above if you think you might be a good fit!