Volunteer at DESC

A woman in a face mask sorts clothing donations
DESC volunteer Elmie Hill sorts through clothing at our Donation Processing Center.

Volunteers are essential to DESC—they allow our clients to connect to their community and make it a better place for all involved. Volunteers help in many different ways across the agency. DESC is a multi-service organization, with many opportunities to impact the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors: people experiencing homelessness, living with mental health issues and/or living with substance use disorders.

The DESC volunteer application process aims to match your interests to the needs of the organization, so that the time you spend with us may be as meaningful as possible. While the responsibilities of different positions vary, all positions require you to be dependable, have good communication skills and respectfully interact with people from a variety of backgrounds.

If you are unable to donate your time, you can still support DESC by making a donation!

What we typically look for in a DESC volunteer:

  • Willingness to serve presently or formerly homeless people
  • 18+ years of age
  • Ability to comply with DESC confidentiality and volunteer boundary requirements
  • Available to commit to at least one shift per week for six months
  • Complete a background check
  • Vaccinated for COVID

Attend Volunteer Orientation

Two members of PSONS sort and organize clothing
Nancy and Laurie of PSONS help with organizing clothing donations during a group volunteer project.

Attend a volunteer orientation to learn more about the services DESC offers, and how volunteers can help. We will conduct these orientations via Zoom or combine them with a training session if your specific role requires training.

UPCOMING ORIENTATIONS

WE HAVE NO GROUP ORIENTATIONS SCHEDULED AT THIS TIME

To attend, please RSVP by email.

We list some of our individual openings on Volunteer Match. Check them out and apply to any and all that interest you.

Find open opportunities!

Or contact us at volunteer@desc.org to learn more about current opportunities, how to apply or to ask about volunteering as a group.

EMAIL VOLUNTEER@DESC.ORG

You may also download and print a copy of our full volunteer application below.

Download our general application

Thanks again. You’re on the way to making a significant impact on the lives of the vulnerable and those that are experiencing homelessness.