Thank you so much for your interest in Volunteering at Casa Esperanza Homeless Center! Here at Casa Esperanza we are working to expand our capacity to involve volunteers into the day to day operations of the center, and there are many opportunities available to you depending on your interests. We are always accepting new volunteers, whether you can come in just one time or would like to develop a long running position.
Community Kitchen: The Community Kitchen serves some 500 meals each day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All of these meals are completely free to members and community members, and made completely from donated foods. Volunteers play an integral role in making sure that these meals continue to reach those who need them most.
-Food Donations Volunteer: There is help needed unloading food donations that the kitchen receives daily, and this occurs from 11:00 am to 2 pm. This volunteer works very closely with Community Kitchen staff, and requires some heavy lifting and moving around in tight spaces. If you have a vehicle that can transport food (truck, van) from local grocery stores, we are in need of additional help on the weekends.
-Food Prep Volunteer: Everyday of the year Casa Esperanza provides hundreds of meals at no cost to community members. In addition, the Community Kitchen now also serves free lunches at two off-site facilities in the Santa Barbara area, Monday through Friday. The kitchen is looking for volunteers with kitchen experience who would be willing to come in and help the Chef prepare these extra meals on weekday mornings. The meals are prepared in the morning time, volunteers needed from 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
-Food Service Volunteers: Volunteers are always needed to help the small staff to prepare and serve lunches and dinner. The Community Kitchen is currently looking for volunteer groups (3-6 people needed per meal) who can consistently cover one lunch shift per month consistently. Monthly shifts needing to be filled are the 2nd and 3rd Saturday and every Sunday from 10:30-12:30.
-The Dinner meals which are the highest priority for volunteer help are Saturday nights, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm.
Day Center: Would you rather work directly with the homeless community members the Center is dedicated in serving?
-There is a need for volunteers to assist the front desk staff Monday through Fridays, speaking and working with members, helping them find help where needed. This would be a position with much more flexible scheduling, depending on your interests. The day shift front desk volunteer will work from 8:00 am – 11:30 am, and in the evening from 4:30-7:30.
-A volunteer is needed to sign in members for the lunch meal, from 10:45-12:30 everyday of the week, and is a position where you will have a high level of member interaction.
-Computer Lab monitor, Wednesday morning from 8 am – 1pm, to supervise members who use the computer facilities.
Street Outreach: In addition to providing services to members in the center itself, there is a street outreach team that goes around Santa Barbara daily to talk with homeless people, and inform them of some of the resources that are available to them, with Casa Esperanza and other locations.
-For this position the Street Outreach Coordinator, Jaan, is looking for volunteers who can commit to at least one 4 hour shift per week.
