Volunteer Opportunities
Here are the things that volunteers do here at First Light. Our current needs are listed on the next page, although you are free to apply to volunteer for any of these opportuntities at any time. We'll keep your application on file and contact you when we have a need that you are interested in filling. Thank you so much for your interest!
- Serve Breakfast
Small groups can bring and serve breakfast at First Light! This involves bringing the meal for 60-70 ladies, preparing and serving it from 6:30-7:30am during the week and from 7:30-8:30am on the weekend. First Light has a fully functional commercial kitchen as well as paper products and many condiments. The number of servers needed varies depending on the menu (i.e. serving pastries and fresh fruit? 1-3 volunteers needed; Preparing a hot breakfast with several dishes? You may need up to 6 total volunteers.)
- Serve Dinner
Small groups can bring and serve dinner at First Light as well! We have 60-70 ladies each night, and dinner is served at 6:30. We have a fully functional commercial kitchen as well as paper products, drink mixes and some condiments. The number of servers needed varies depending on the menu, but generally a group of 3-6 people is ideal. The dinner calendar fills up very quickly- we’re blessed with several faithful volunteer groups!
- Stay Overnight
Volunteers spend the night at First Light every night of the year. This involves coming in at 7pm, handing out toiletries and hygiene products to the ladies in the emergency shelter, and making sure the routine is kept each night. A guard covers the front desk all night, so overnight volunteers generally sleep through the night in their own private room (with bathroom). Volunteers may leave the following morning as early as 6am during the week and 7am on the weekends. This is one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities we have! The average overnight volunteer spends the night once every few months.
As you can understand, females are preferred for this position as our guests are changing into night clothes and taking showers in the dorm room, which is connected to and visible from the volunteer room. Some female volunteers bring a male along with them, but all men are asked to remain in the volunteer room during their overnight stay.
- Fun Activities
During the colder months of the year, many of First Light’s guests don’t leave the shelter much during the day. We enjoy having volunteers some afternoons to play games with the ladies, bring a fun and uplifting movie for them, throw a holiday party (think Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day!), paint nails, or bring a fun craft! Because of low participation, we generally do not schedule these activities during the spring or summer.
- Teach Classes
Life Skills classes are held year-round each Monday at 3:30pm at First Light. We welcome volunteers who are skilled, educated and trained to teach topics like filling out online job applications, interviewing for a job, keeping your job, budgeting and financial literacy, and other topics as determined by the Director of Social Services. Volunteers interested in teaching classes at First Light should email their resumes to the Director of Social Services at sherry@firstlightshelter.org.
- Serve on Special Event Committees
First Light is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Our income comes mostly from donations, grants and special events. We do 3 main fundraisers each year: the gala in April/May, the Pre-Iron Bowl Pancake Breakfast in November and Holiday Lights in November and December. The Pancake Breakfast and the Gala require significant committee participation! If you are good at planning events, soliciting donations and sponsorships, decorating, graphic design, marketing, or working with A/V, WE NEED YOU on a special event committee!
If you are at all interested in serving on our board of directors, serving on a special events committee could be the perfect segue!
- Special Event Volunteers
Special event volunteers make our special events possible! At the gala, we need volunteers to set up and clean up, work the check-in and check-out tables, carry auction items across the stage during the live auction, and do numerous other important jobs. At the pancake breakfast, we need volunteers to serve food, bus tables, wash dishes, serve drinks, work the door prize table and do many other jobs! Special events are a great way to represent First Light well, help us generate much-needed revenue, and have a blast doing it.
The Pancake Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, November 19th at First Presbyterian Church Birmingham. The next gala is scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Birmingham.
- Bible Study/Chapel Leaders
Individuals from several different denominations come on a regular basis to conduct Bible Study classes and chapel services for the ladies. Our guests are given the opportunity to attend, but are not required to do so. Chapel volunteers help us to fulfill our mission by helping our guests to “grow spiritually.”
- Supply Drives
First Light serves between 60 and 70 people a day. Most if not all of those are adult women. Anything that women need, our guests need! We rely on donations of hygiene products, toiletries, over-the-counter medicine, women’s undergarments and many other items. One way to help meet these needs is to host a supply drive at your church, office, civic club meeting, or neighborhood. Get creative! Host a drive for toothpaste and toothbrushes on National Dentist Day. Host a drive for laundry detergent during National Laundry Week- yes, these actually exist! Host a house-warming party for a woman moving into permanent housing- you can have fun volunteering!
- Third-Party Fundraisers
Sometimes, individuals and groups get together, come up with a creative fundraising idea, and then do it! Significant funding can be raised for First Light with a good idea and some coordination. Please contact us at 205-323-4277 if you have an idea- we’d like to walk with you through the whole process!
- Bulletin Board Artists
Once each season, we love for a small group or an individual to come and redo our bulletin board. The bulletin board is located in the day room, which also serves as the dining room and the overflow shelter. Ideally, we like the bulletin board to be pretty and feature something inspirational and motivating. Sometimes people will decorate the bulletin board for the football season. Sometimes people will decorate it for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Sometimes people will decorate it for spring- you get the idea! This is a great activity for a class or a family.
- Video Creator
We are currently seeking an individual capable of shooting and editing short educational and promotional videos about First Light. This volunteer would work closely with First Light staff to determine the topics to be covered and the schedule on which these videos should be created and posted. We’d love to see a short video “application” if you’re interested in doing this!
- Revamp the Light
The shelter moved into this location 11 years ago after 17 years in the basement of First Presbyterian Church. We strive to provide a clean, bright, safe environment for our guests. Part of this effort includes having vibrant colors on the walls and keeping the building in good repair. At this time, we would welcome small groups of adults to come in and repaint some areas of the shelter. Ideally, the right group will consist of about 5 adults who have the necessary painting supplies.
- Spring (and Fall) Cleaning
A couple of times a year, we would love for small groups to come in and do the kind of cleaning that isn’t done on a daily basis: wipe down the blinds, clean baseboards, scrub walls, etc. While this isn’t a very glamorous job, it certainly helps us to provide a clean, respectable home for our guests. It also helps our guests with allergies and asthma breathe easier during their stay here, which can sometimes be several months!
- Healthy Cooking Class
The women in First Light’s 4th floor permanent supportive housing program have the option of purchasing and preparing their own food. We would LOVE for someone to come in and demonstrate how to cook delicious, affordable, healthy meals! This could be a one-time class or a series and would ideally take place during the day on a weekday.
- Mentor a homeless woman
First Light operates 4 permanent supportive housing programs at this time. Sometimes as ladies move from emergency shelter into their own apartments, they become lonely, overwhelmed and discouraged. They need someone to stay in touch with them and just ask how they are doing. They need someone to have coffee with occasionally. They need someone to provide encouragement, inspiration and motivation to stay the course and become independent again. We’re seeking individuals, couples or small groups interested in mentoring these ladies for a minimum period of 6 months at a time. Weekly communication and at least two face-to-face meetings a month will be needed, and mentors will be working closely with a Social Worker and the resident in the program.
For more details about any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact the Volunteer Manager at 205-323-4277 or shannon@firstlightshelter.org. To express interest in any of these opportunities, please click on “volunteer interest form” and begin the inquiry process. Someone will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
