Volunteer at Berkeley's Youth Shelter!

Save to Favorites

Volunteer at Berkeley's only shelter for young adults! There are several different volunteer positions that you have the opportunity to get involved in! You can come to a volunteer orientation to learn more, get prepared to volunteer, and sign up for shifts as soon as next week! Get in touch to RSVP!

YEAH! was founded in 2002 as a community response to youth homlessness. At YEAH!, young people ages 18-24 can access case management, mental health supports, groups, social activities, seasonal shelter, food, ans basic necessities like food and clothing.

YEAH! opened on November 23rd this season, and we were set to close in early May. However, we recently recieved increased funding from the City of Berkeley, and we are now going to be open until June 30th! We would love your help in making sure we have volunteers for all the daily positions we need for the last three months of our now extended shelter season!

When the shelter opens at 8:00pm each night, youth have access to freshly cooked hot dinners, showers, and laundry, as well as hygiene products and clothing. We often have activities in evening, including games, movies, and community meetings. Youth are able to store personal belongings in a secure lockers, and utilize a mat with clean sheets to sleep on. Breakfast is available each morning before we close at 8:00am.

Below are the volunteer positions that are utilized when the shelter is open.

Cook & Serve Hot Breakfast
Shift Time: 6:30 to 8:30am on Saturday & Sunday
Commitment: Once a month
Volunteers cook hot breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. YEAH! provides pancake mix and eggs, but volunteer are encouraged to bring in additional food/ingredients to make breakfast even better! Volunteers cook breakfast, serve it, and clean up the kitchen at the end of the shift.

Serve Breakfast
Shift Time: 6:30 to 8:30am Monday through Friday
Commitment: Once a week
Monday through Friday breakfast volunteers serve "cold" breakfast which includes cereal, oatmeal packets, fruit, toast, coffee, etc. Volunteers also clean up the kitchen at the end of the shift.

Morning Shelter Assistant
Shift Time: 6:30 to 8:30am Monday through Friday
Commitment: Once a week
Assist staff throughout the morning with monitoring the space and keeping time. The volunteer keeps track of the shower schedule and who's accessing the clothing closet. Between 8:00 and 8:30am, assist the breakfast volunteer in cleaning up.

Provide Dinner
Shift Time: 6:00 to 8:00pm (may start earlier if previously arranged) every day
Commitment: Once a month
Volunteer groups can make a big difference by providing dinner! Groups plan a meal that follow the provided nutritional guidelines, purchase the groceries, and cook the meal at YEAH!'s kitchen to be served at 8:00pm.

Cook Dinner
Shift Time: 6:00 to 8:00pm every day
Commitment: Once a month
When there are not groups scheduled to provide dinner, volunteers cook dinner at YEAH! based off of a recipe and ingredients provided. Everything necessary to cook the meal is provided.

Serve Dinner
Shift Time: 7:45 to 10:15pm every day
Commitment: Once a week
Volunteers serve dinner every night in the shelter. The meal has already been cooked by other volunteers, and then servers communicate with them about what's for dinner, serve based off of nutrition guidelines, and then wash the dishes and clean the space after dinner.

Evening Shelter Assistant
Shift Time: 8:00 to 10:00pm every day
Commitment: Once a week
Assist shelter throughout the evening with monitoring the space and keeping time. At the beginning of the shift, the volunteer will check the space to make sure there are enough supplies and then begin to have youth sign up for showers. The volunteer keeps track of the shower schedule, laundry schedule, and who is accessing the clothing closet.

All volunteers must attend the orientation we are having before they are able to volunteer in the shelter! We hope you are able to join us!

Orientation:
Monday, April 11th

5:30pm to 7:15pm for dinner cooks, dinner servers, and breakfast volunteers

5:30 to 8:00pm for shelter assistants

Respond to this ad or email Amy at volunteer@yeahberkeley.org to RSVP and learn more!