Volunteer

We can accept donations at EECM from 8AM-2:30PM, Monday-Friday, at the loading dock on the Harvard Street side of the building. Ring the bell outside of the door for assistance. Call 412-345-7140 for any questions regarding donations.

Please note that EECM WILL NOT ACCEPT expired or opened food items.

FOOD DRIVES are a great way to help EECM, and can be done in your neighborhood, school, or place of work. You could do a general food drive for non-perishable goods or you can focus on a single item.

Food Pantry Needs

• Pancake syrup

• Brand name cereal

• Ramen

• Chef Boyardee Ravioli or SpaghettiO's

• Peanut butter

• Jelly

• Crackers

• Soups/ Broths

• Canned vegetables: peas, corn, mixed vegetable, green beans, potatoes

• Canned fruit: applesauce, pears, peaches, apricots, mango, etc.

• Canned fish: salmon, tuna

• Butter

• Mac and cheese

• Pastas

• Sliced cheese

• Jello and pudding mixes

• Instant mashed potatoes

• Bags of shredded cheese

• Cake mixes and toppings

As guests come into our residential and education/employment programs, they need a little help getting started. Donations may be brought to Entrance G of our building, Monday-Thursday from 9AM-4PM. Please call our Housing and Employment Services Director at 412-345-7131 to schedule a drop-off. Below are three easy projects to help those on the road to regaining their independence.

New Home Basket

Please donate a Laundry Basket filled with the following items:

• Home cleaning items with a roll of paper towels or reusable cleaning towels

• Laundry detergent

• Bath towels and washcloths

• Toothbrushes and toothpaste

• Liquid hand soap and dispenser

• Liquid dish soap

• Dish rags and dish towels

• Bathroom cleaning supplies

Cleaning Supplies Bucket

Please donate a clean bucket filled with the following items:

• Dish soap and scrubbing pads

• Dust rags

• Roll of paper towels

• Window cleaner

• Toilet bowl cleaner

• All-purpose cleaner

• Dish rags and dish towels

Men’s / Women’s Personal Hygiene Kit

• Deodorant

• Toothbrush and toothpaste

• Disposable razors

• Shaving cream

• Shampoo/conditioner

• Moisturizing skin lotion

• Foot powder

• Liquid or bar soap

• Loofa sponge

• Face Masks

In addition to the above basket, bucket and kit, we always need:

• Face Masks

• Bar soap

• Disposable razors

• Shaving cream

• Shampoo

• Deodorant

• Tooth-paste

• Toothbrushes

• Sheet sets (twin beds)

• Pillows and pillowcases

All Community House meals are scheduled through the EECM Volunteer Coordinator, Rev. Tracy Hudson. Please call Rev. Tracy at 412.345.7124 if you have any questions about the meal schedule. Instructions for community house meals are as follows: The current meal schedule is available online at www.eecm.org/volunteer

· Meal

o Volunteers are responsible for purchasing the menu items, preparing and serving the meal enough for 50 residents. All residents may not be in attendance because of work or other personal reasons. They will be served their meal later. The monitor will inform you of how many late plates need to be made and set aside.

o If you are a group that cannot afford to purchase a meal, you can talk to the volunteer Director about arranging to serve the meal EECM prepares on days when there is no group scheduled.

o Foods preferred for the residents are healthy meals and can include basic meat/meat dishes, potatoes, vegetables, salad, brown rice, pasta, lasagna etc.

o If you choose to prepare a dish that includes pork, please provide another meat as an alternative as there are some residents that do not eat pork.

· Scheduling Opportunities – Volunteer groups should allot a 2 hour time commitment for preparation and serving and clean up. Below are the times to arrive and serve each meal.

o Weekend Breakfast – 6:00am – 7:45am

§ Arrive between 6:00am and 6:30am

§ Serve at 7:00am

§ Clean up and finish by 7:45am

o Weekend Lunch - 10:30am – 12:30pm

§ Arrive between 10:30 am and 11:15am

§ Serve at 11:30am

§ Clean up a finish by 12.30pm

o Dinner – 6:00pm -7:30pm (Every day)

§ Arrive between 5:30pm and 5:45pm

§ Serve at 6:30pm

§ Clean up and finish by 7:30pm

§ Groups are encouraged plan an activity starting at 7:30 pm for an hour. Let Reverend Tracy Hudson know that you wish to do this. Activity examples are: Board games, Movie Night, Arts & Crafts, and Bingo etc.

Meal Serving Check List

1. Enter the building no later than 5:45pm before serving time using the doors on the Eastminster Presbyterian Church side of Community House at the end of the parking lot, entrance G.

2. Ring the bell and someone will be there to welcome you.

3. A cart can be provided if needed when you arrive.

4. Serving utensils are available in the kitchen. Knives are not provided. You will need to bring your own knife but must take it when you leave.

5. Oven and stovetops are available for use to warm and cook food.

6. Bathroom is in the back of the kitchen along with coat rack.

7. Residents will line up to receive a meal at serving time.

8. We encourage the volunteers to eat and interact with the men and women of Community House.

9. We ask that volunteers respect the resident’s privacy and cooperate with the staff.

10. In accordance with shelter regulations, volunteers may not go to resident’s living quarters.

11. Clean up should be completed an hour after serving.

12. Arrival times are based on the time you need to prepare the meal (but no later than 6:00 for dinner) to be served by the scheduled time. Serving times are critical and it is important to be timely.

If you are not able to keep your schedule, contact Rev. Tracy at 412.853.9960 no later than 24 hours before your scheduled service date. If there is an issue with volunteers and you already, have food prepared, deliver the meal by 5:45pm to the EECM Community House and contact staff at 412-345-7150 or 412-345-7130