Home-visit volunteer
Paired with an experienced volunteer for your first eight visits. Requires a background check, two training sessions and a driving licence.
Commitment: two visits per month, typically weekday evenings.
Get involved
Four hours a month changes a household’s year
Volunteering, in-kind donations, drop-off points and partnership enquiries — everything you need to start is on this page.
Pantry volunteer
Sorting, restocking, packing boxes and loading the van. The easiest way to start — no background check needed for warehouse-only shifts.
Commitment: one 3-hour shift, weekly or fortnightly.
Phone & intake volunteer
Answering the assistance line, logging requests and making follow-up calls. Can be done from home after training.
Commitment: one morning per week.
Skills volunteer
Plumbers, electricians, tax preparers, translators (Spanish, Arabic, Kinyarwanda) and anyone who can fix a furnace in January.
Commitment: on call, as your schedule allows.
Workplace teams
Half-day group packing sessions for companies and student groups, capped at 14 people. Book at least three weeks ahead.
Popular in November and December — plan early.
In-kind donations
Non-perishable food, unopened toiletries, new socks and underwear, working small appliances, and coats in wearable condition.
We cannot accept: opened medication, used mattresses, CRT televisions.
How volunteering starts
- Send an enquiry. Email or call and tell us roughly what you would like to do and when you are free.
- Come to an orientation. Held the first Thursday of each month, 5:30 pm at Magazine Street. Ninety minutes, no obligation afterwards.
- Screening if needed. Anyone entering a home or handling household data completes a Michigan background check. We pay the fee.
- Shadow shifts. Your first two shifts are alongside someone who has done it for years.
- Choose your rota. You pick your slots in the shared calendar; nobody chases you.
Drop-off points
- 752 Magazine Street, Lansing — Mon–Thu 9:00–16:30
- Eastside community hall — Saturdays 10:00–13:00
- Holt partner church car park — second Sunday, 8:00–12:00
- Okemos library lobby bin — library opening hours, non-perishables only
Current most-needed items
Updated 2026-07-30. Checking this list before you shop genuinely helps us.
Canned proteinRice & dried beansCooking oilInfant formulaDiapers size 4–6ToothpasteLaundry detergentNew socksWinter glovesShelf-stable milkPeanut butterReusable shopping bags
Partner with us
Parishes, schools, employers and local businesses — we are always looking for another drop-off point and another warm handoff for referrals.