Volunteering

Make a difference. Become a volunteer.

We welcome volunteers who need to complete community service hours for court or for school.

You can literally save lives this winter! 

Come volunteer in our winter Warming Center.

What is the Warming Center? Beginning December 4, 2024, and closing March 21, 2025, our day room is open to unhoused people who are literally living on the fridged streets of Bangor. The Warming Center saves lives by giving people a safe place to stay warm, a home cooked dinner at 7 pm, and warm dry clothes. 

There are three ways to volunteer in the Warming Center.

Option 1:  Cook a main course dinner at home and drop it off at the Shelter. We serve 20 people a night – one turkey sized aluminum pan worth of food. Volunteer Hours: Drop off the meal between 8 am and 4:30 pm.  Do your younger family members want to help? Cooking a dinner at home and dropping it off is a perfect option.

Option 2:  Heat up the pre-cooked dinner in our shelter kitchen and serve dinner at 7 pm to people who are literally living outside on the streets of Bangor.  Volunteer Hours: 5:30 pm to 8 pm. * 1 to 3 volunteers fit in our kitchen at a time. Everyone who volunteers in our shelter’s kitchen to cook or serve dinner must be over 18.

Option 3: Cook and serve 7 pm dinner for 20 people in our shelter kitchen. Volunteer Hours: 5:15 pm to 8 pm. * 1 to 3 volunteers fit in our kitchen at a time. Everyone who volunteers in our shelter’s kitchen to cook or serve dinner must be over 18.

Click here to be part of the solution: Warming Center Volunteer Calendar

To volunteer in the Warming Center, please fill out our volunteer application at the bottom of this page then talk to Gretchen Fennelly, Volunteer Coordinator to schedule a quick 20-minute tour. Call (207) 947-0092 or e-mail gretchenf@bangorareashelter.org to schedule a tour.

Other Ways to Volunteer:

Volunteer to organize donated clothing and give clothing to people in our shelter:

We receive many generous donations of clothing and items. Donated clothing is dropped off in big bags. Volunteers sort the donated clothing and hang it up.  Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds, carry 20 pounds up and down stairs, and work independently in our basement. Organizer volunteers make their own schedule any day of the week and anytime.

We welcome volunteers who need to complete community service hours for court or for school.

To volunteer, please fill out our volunteer application at the bottom of this page then talk to Gretchen Fennelly, Volunteer Coordinator to schedule a quick 20-minute tour. Call (207) 947-0092 or e-mail gretchenf@bangorareashelter.org to schedule a tour.