ROOTS is a young adult emergency shelter that provides up to 45 guests per night, between the ages of 18-25, with a safe place to sleep, warm meals and other essential services. Volunteers are needed to help facilitate shelter tasks but most importantly provide social support and build meaningful relationships with the folks who stay with us. You must be at least 18 years of age to volunteer with us.


Saturday Evening Shift (7pm-11pm, each Saturday): ROOTS Saturday evening volunteers socialize with guests and build community while also working with staff and other volunteers to ensure the emotional and physical safety of the shelter space. From 7pm-8:30pm volunteers will disinfect all shelter beds, deep clean the shelter space, and prepare the space for guests. When shelter opens at 9:00pm, evening volunteers serve pre-made meals, hand out hygiene supplies and bedding, sign guests in and out of restrooms, and supervise guest activities such as computer time and smoke breaks. Most importantly, Saturday evening volunteers spend meaningful time with guests chatting over dinner, playing board games, and watching TV together. Saturday evening volunteers help to ensure our shelter runs smoothly and efficiently while also providing guests with a sense of safety and stability during their time here.

To ensure the safety of all guests, volunteers, and staff, we require all volunteers to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and to wear face masks throughout the duration of their shift. Volunteers are free to bring in their own face masks or other PPE, and we can provide gloves and disposable face masks on-site. The wellbeing of our volunteers is of the utmost importance, and we only ask you to commit to volunteering if you are safely able to do so. Upon arriving to each shift, your Volunteer Supervisor or other staff will ask you questions listed on the ROOTS COVID-19 screening guide and will take your temperature. Staff and guests are screened in the same way upon entering the space. We appreciate your understanding in this process.

If you are interested in signing up for this position, fill out an application on our website at:

http://www.rootsinfo.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-application/ for your own welcome packet and all the information you will need to volunteer with the organization.