Children's Activities at the Shelter

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Volunteers are needed to help children ages 1 to 17 with crafts, games, and activities that our staff will plan. Our shelter provides emergency housing for up to 8 families with children at a time. Most children's activities have between 5 to 15 children in attendance at a time.

Volunteer Responsibilities and Activity Information:

• Volunteers are needed between 4:30pm to 6:30pm on Wednesdays.
• Volunteers will help set up and clean up the activity. (Staff will provide guidance.)
• Volunteers will interact with the children and help them participate in the activity.
• Children come and go during the event.
• Volunteers will do 2-3 sessions of the activity to allow all children to participate as they arrive home to the shelter for the evening.
• If you would like to plan or bring a craft or activity, please just let us know. We'd love your help in planning.

Volunteers:

• All ages are welcome to volunteer. Youth 14 years of age and younger should have an adult on site with them while volunteering.
• 4 volunteers maximum per day / per event. Child volunteers are included in our 4 volunteer limit. (Please sign up children volunteers, too.)

Questions:Contact Jennifer McCall at Jennifer@familiesforward.org or by phone at 515-243-7456.

About volunteering: A volunteer orientation is provided when you first arrive to help, including an overview about poverty in the Des Moines metro. We provide a unique cultural and economically diverse volunteer experience.

Information for First-time Volunteers:

Here is information for when you arrive:

• Location: New Directions Shelter - 3001 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, 50312.
• Parking: The driveway is on the west side of the building and shared with the Cortez apartment building. Just come down this drive, wrapping along the edge of the building to access the parking lot behind the shelter. Park and walk back to the front door to enter the building.
• Check-in: You must ring the doorbell at the front door to let staff know you are there.
• Casual Dress Code: T-shirts and jeans/shorts are fine.
• Personal Items: Leave valuables at home or locked in your car.
• Orientation: This will be done when you first arrive.
• Not Handicap Accessible: There are stairs to get into the building and it is not handicap accessible. Please let us know if this is a concern.

Note: This program does not accept court-ordered community service.

Large Group Volunteering for Children's Events: If you have a larger group that would like to help with a children's event, please email Missy Reams at Missy@familiesforward.org.

About Families Forward: Families Forward (previously Bidwell Riverside Center and Hawthorn Hill) has four main programs: Bidwell Pantry, Child Development Center, New Directions Shelter (emergency housing), and The Home Connection (long-term housing). For over 100 years, our mission has been to provide compassionate, life-changing assistance to families and their path to self-sufficiency.