Take Action Against Homelessness at ROOTS Young Adult Shelter

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ROOTS Young Adult Shelter is focused on making direct impact. Working with youth experiencing homelessness in Seattle allows us to fight injustice at its origins. Race, class, education, sexual orientation and gender are among the many layers of oppression leading to the homelessness of young adults. Forty percent of adults without homes said that they first experienced homelessness as a young adult. We are advocates against this cycle of oppression.

ROOTS Young Adult Shelter is located in the University District just off the Ave. With 45 beds, we are the largest homeless youth shelter in Washington and work with young adults, 18-25 years old, 365 days a year!

We provide a space for growth for our volunteers and guests. Social advocacy trainings prepare our guests and volunteers to work together. Volunteer shifts at ROOTS are flexible enough to work with any schedule. Becoming a volunteer is a great way to put your activism into action.

Activist Positions:

Evening Volunteer (8pm-11pm; any day of the week): This team works with the overnight volunteers to engage with guests while setting up the shelter, completing intake paperwork for new guests, and distributing hygiene supplies. Evening Volunteers work directly with our guests and help ensure the emotional and physical safety of the space. Guests and volunteers often play Uno, talk about their day and share their favorite new hobbies during this shift.

Dinner Meal Teams (7:30pm-11pm; any day of the week): These 3 to 5 volunteers come in every night and prepare meals, serve dinner and clean up our kitchen. We encourage our Dinner Meal Team to bring in food that they want to prepare in our kitchen. Serving warm meals in our own kitchen every evening is something we find deeply rewarding.

Overnight Volunteer (8pm-8:30am Sat-Thurs; 8pm-9:30am Fri): This crew works closely with Evening Crew and our guests. Overnight Volunteers are there to help with any of the Evening Crew tasks and engage with our guests. After lights out, at 10:30 pm, Overnight Volunteers rotate through 2-hour "awake" shifts, sleeping the rest of the time with bedding and a mat we provide. During each "awake" shift, the Overnight Volunteer is responsible for helping to monitor the space, doing walk-arounds of the room every 10 minutes, being available for guests who require emergency assistance, and completing guest laundry. In the morning, Overnight volunteers work with the Morning Floor team to help our guests start their day. This is a great way to spend the most time impacting your community and building connections.

Breakfast Crew : (6:15-8:30am Sun-Fri; 6:45-9:00am Sat): This team of 3 to 4 to come in every morning to hot breakfast, serve guests, and clean up our kitchen. Volunteers typically bring the food that they prepare during their shift and are encouraged to create dishes they love. Breakfast Crew makes the meal that starts each guest’s day off right.

Morning Floor (6:45am-8:30am Sun-Fri; 7:15am-9:30am Sat): This team of volunteers come in every morning to engage with our guests while distributing hygiene supplies and cleaning up the shelter space. They work directly with our guests to create a safe space for everyone both physically and emotionally. Morning Volunteers build connections with their community and create a positive way for our guests to start their day.

Want to get started? You must fill out an application and attend an orientation before you volunteer! This is a crucial step to receive your welcome packet and get everything you'll need before your first night! You can find the volunteer application here: http://www.rootsinfo.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-application/. Orientations are held the second Wednesday of each month. Email volunteer@rootsinfo.org to RSVP!