Samaritan Ministries' isolation facility is currently seeking donations of food items like 'cup of noodles,' instant mac n cheese bowls, ramen cups, soups, and other individual meal items that can be eaten by just adding water and/or use of a microwave. These items, in addition to snacks (peanut butter crackers, peanuts, trail mix, candy), bottled water, and Gatorade are the most needed donation items right now. These items can be dropped off at Samaritan (there are tables outside for contactless drop-off) at 414 E. Northwest Blvd. anytime Monday-Sunday between 8:30 am-5:00 pm.
Samaritan Ministries is one of our local homeless shelters and was founded in part by Centenary members. In addition to its men’s shelter, Samaritan offers a soup kitchen and special programs for recovering substance abusers and the mentally ill. Centenary members support Samaritan in many ways, but as a church, we are committed to sending 6 overnight volunteers to staff the shelter and extend hospitality to its residents on the 2nd Friday of each month. To learn more, contact Tom Lawson.
In addition to the opportunity to be an overnight volunteer with the shelter, Samaritan also has a Soup Kitchen in need of Lunch and Dinner shift volunteers. If you are interested in helping out with their soup kitchen, you can sign up here.
The Samaritan Inn also has an Amazon Wishlist for things they are currently in need of. This is a great way to serve without having to leave your home if you are not comfortable being out and around others during this time. Check out their Amazon Wishlist for things they are currently in need of.
Located at Crossnore, the Food Bank Garden gives all that it grows to Second Harvest Food Bank. Spring is officially here and the Garden is busy planting, fertilizing, and composting! To volunteer at the Garden, you can sign up here.
New Story Church started eight years ago and is a mission church serving a number of people who are in recovery and those who have been hurt by the church in the past. They act as an overflow shelter in the winter and offer a free clinic that is currently booked for months.
Contact Scott Osterberg if you’re interested in helping in any of the following ways –
scott@newstorychurch.org
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Monday nights from 3:30-6:30, help with serving meals
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Sort clothes for clothing closet
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Prepare bag meals. Here is what goes in them: Fruit snacks, granola bar, peanut butter crackers, ramen noodles, a bag of chips.
The Community Care Center was started by two retired doctors in 2000 who envisioned a way for retired physicians to give back to the community. Before COVID, they were seeing close to 14,000 patients a year. They are in need of volunteers who are willing to help with financial screenings – checking information about income, assets, liability, etc, to verify they are qualified to be patients; taking patients back to various places; general errands; if you have experience in the medical field can help take blood pressures or temperatures. They are also in need of bilingual volunteers. Please contact Jim Robinson if you are interested in volunteering:
jamesrcc@triad.rr.com.
The Shepherd’s Center works to meet the fundamental and essential needs of older adults in our community. They are currently in need of volunteers who can assist with driving older adults to medical appointments or to the grocery store. This is a very flexible and meaningful way to serve our aging neighbors. If you would like to serve in this way, contact Vicki Poore, Volunteer Coordinator at (336) 748-0217, or email
vpoore@shepherdscenter.org. The Shepherd's Center is also having a Used Book Sale September 2-4. You can also visit their website to see what else is going on with the Shepherd’s Center. www.shepherdscenter.org.
Crisis Control Ministry is the largest emergency assistance provider in Forsyth county. They have been around since 1973 and started when local churches got together to pull funds to help those in the community. They provide assistance with rent, mortgage, and utilities, have a free pharmacy, and have a food pantry to help those in the community. If you are interested in ways in which you could help out, contact the Director of Community & Volunteer Relations at
volunteer@crisiscontrol.org for more information.
The Shalom Project serves the basic needs as well as those that address poverty in Winston Salem. Currently, they are in desperate need of cereal for their food pantry. They also are looking for volunteers to help out in their clothes closet – folding, hanging up, sorting, etc. Contact Eileen Ayuso if interested in volunteering:
theshalomproject@gmail.com
The Rescue Mission has been around since 1967 and their primary focus is offering men’s addiction programs that are scripture-based. They help men that come out of prison, jail, hospitals, detoxes, and those who are needing lengthier programs to help with their progress. There are opportunities to volunteer in multiple capacities from the food pantry to the clothing ministry and can be found here: https://www.wsrescue.org/volunteer/.
They are always in need of household items such as: toiletries, paper products, canned goods, picnic supplies, goody bags with snacks or treats, gift cards to local restaurants (drive-thru or order out), zip-top bags (all sizes), and fresh veggies. They welcome any kind of art supplies or craft projects (DIY ideas) and the members love to receive cards or notes to know they are still being thought of. They also welcome drive-by visits and anything to help spruce up the outdoors with flowers, pots, etc.
If you are interested in doing a home camp experience that would be outside, socially distanced, in their backyard, please let Rev. Meg Peters know and she will help coordinate with the homes.
Crossnore school and children’s home currently has forty-three kids in their care right now. Currently, the foster care team needs new suitcases or duffle bags. Something new for when the children leave or arrive at Crossnore.
Our partners with Forsyth Jail and Prison do transition work so that once released the inmates are equipped for a more successful re-entry.
GreeNest takes things that we all have been blessed with but can no longer put to good use and have found new homes for them. Those in our community who are transitioning into sustainable housing can use donated and gently used household items. In addition to furniture donations, they are in need of volunteers to help with the lifting and moving of furniture. If you are interested in volunteering, sign up here.
Horizons was founded in 1973 to support children living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and with complex health care needs. Horizons today serves both children and adults at our Rural Hall home, known as the Atrium. Horizons also provide a home for adults at our Arches home on Bethabara Park Blvd. in Winston Salem. At Horizons we believe our Mission offers the opportunity of a lifetime. We are founded on one simple concept – kindness. In fact, we believe our Mission provides an opportunity for the purest Mission you will ever encounter; to be kind to others for the simple purpose of being kind. At Horizons we provide blessing boxes for non-perishable items at both campuses. These boxes were provided during the darkest days of the Pandemic, and are operational today. Horizons requests for volunteers to send cards to our residents, and to our employee family who are now referred to as Horizon’s Heroes. We have journeyed through one of the toughest periods in history with much love and kindness, and are grateful for the support Centenary has provided along the way. We surely consider the Centenary family to be our family.
Crosby Scholars is a college access program that helps with admissions, prep work, resources for students, and anything you can think of that relates to college. Every senior has a one-on-one advisor who helps them complete financial aid forms, essay reading, early college application week, college fairs, and college tours. They need volunteers to help with essay reading, which is currently done all online. They also need volunteers to help with their scholarship committee. Learn more here.
The Food Bank is always in need of volunteers to help with sorting. If interested, you can sign up for a time to volunteer
here.
Centenary has a strong partnership with HOM. In a non-COVID time, we usually visit Haiti a few times a year on mission trips for building and medical help. Since we are unable to do that right now, HOM is in need of school supplies. If you would like to purchase something for us to ship to Haiti, please contact Rev. Meg Peters to coordinate getting the supplies to her.
The items that are highlighted are a priority.
World Relief's mission is to equip and partner with the local church to serve refugees, immigrants, and trafficking survivors throughout the Triad. Their ministry to those in vulnerable situations addresses three main areas of need: Relief (immediate assistance), Restoration (working alongside clients to achieve stability), and Development (empowering the strengths of those with whom we work to thrive in their new communities). To find out more about world relief, check out their website: https://worldrelieftriad.org If you are interested in volunteering, find out more here: https://worldrelieftriad.org/volunteer.
The Winston-Salem Street School is a private alternative high school serving the at-risk youth of the greater Winston Salem Area. They help to meet the needs of students who struggled in traditional schools due to academic or behavioral obstacles, many of whom were expelled or dropped out. They offer individuals the chance to earn a High School diploma and help them gain the necessary skills to ensure educational, vocational, and personal success in life. If you are interested in volunteering with WSSS, click here https://www.wsstreetschool.org/become-a-tutor to learn more about ways in which you can serve.
City With Dwellings is a community-first initiative that is working to end the crisis of homelessness in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. They work with those experiencing homelessness and do their best to help out in any way they can. This year their winter shelter program looks a bit different, but there are still ways in which you can get involved and volunteer listed below. To learn more, check out their website: https://www.citywithdwellings.org
Community First Center, year-round outreach:
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5-7 volunteers every Tues, Wed, and Thurs morning, 2-3 hour shifts: assist with hospitality, mail, assist individuals with computer needs, assist with daily programs.
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Tuesday afternoon, 2 volunteers to assist with regular calendar programs.
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Wednesday afternoons, 2-4 volunteers to assist with Housing Huddle, our housing information and application assistance program.
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Mondays and afternoons, volunteers assist with supply organization and various needs around the facility.
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Welcome Home - volunteers needed to engage and assist groups who need projects - to obtain items and assemble welcome home boxes for individuals moving into their new homes.
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We are currently developing an outreach that focuses on supporting and maintaining connection with individuals who are newly housed - in an effort to help them maintain housing and continue on their path to achieving goals and remaining engaged in the community.
HEARRT Project:
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Volunteers needed to be part of an outreach team to support individuals who are transitioning into housing and working to achieve stability after an extended period of time experiencing homelessness.
The NC Education Corps is activating passionate community members to serve as high-impact early literacy tutors and support K-3 students who need it most. We’ll support you along the way through coaching and training grounded in the science of reading. Join the corps and help build a better North Carolina right in your community. Apply now for immediate consideration with an expected commitment through May 2022. Approved applicants will be recommended for placement on a rolling basis: nceducationcorps.org/application. If you have questions or would like to learn more, please reach out to Katie Stockton, NCEC Recruitment Manager, at
katie.stockton@nceducationcorps.org.
