Do you enjoy working with positive people?
Are you ready to make a difference in El Monte serving our unhoused neighbors?
Together: We'll be providing a warm meal, resources, and entertainment for our unhoused neighbors by partnering with local service vendors. Your presence and volunteering will help create a welcoming, supportive, and safer environment for our community.
Why this project matters: Our unhoused neighbors will get some urgent needs met, which everyone deserves. Whittier Narrows is building back its pre-COVID resources for people that live along the embankment and river. They currently serve coffee, offer free clothing, and showers. But, there are more needs in this area, so we are working to incorporate a nutritious meal or snack bags, immediate health care, jobs training, identification, and housing navigation. Partnering with Better Angels, we will invite volunteers to support with games/activity, serve a meal and event navigation for guests at this location. When we work with fellow volunteers to meet the urgent needs of people living outside, our entire community benefits.
Wear: Please wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. If you've volunteered with us before, feel free to wear your Better Angels T-shirt to show your support!
Tools: We will provide any necessary supplies, tools, and gloves if you need them.
Age: All ages are welcome. Teams with members younger than 14 will participate with their parent/ guardian.
What We Will Do
- Join the Better Angel group at the resource center. Look for our light blue T-shirts and our light blue sign
- Sign in and receive a Better Angels T-shirt, if needed.
- We'll meet up and chat about our plan for each shift duties.
- Get the tools and instructions you'll need.
- After: Share your experience with the onsite volunteer coordinator and find other ways you'd like to serve. We will also send a brief survey to you after the event.
List of volunteer roles: You can select a preferred volunteer role 2-3 days out from the event. Otherwise, a role will be assigned to you and will be shared in the confirmation email 1 day before the event starts. Be aware that re-assignment may happen due to limited spacing and to meet guest needs and event effectiveness.
- Booth tables/ chairs set up
- Site/Event Navigator ( Help direct guests to the right resources based on what they tell you they need)
- Charging station set up
- Decor set up
- Breakfast/ Snack Set up
- Servers (Food and Drinks)
- Guest greeter/Counter ( Greet, direct, and count how many guests are entering the site)
- Guest Belonging Attendant ( Making sure guests know where they can leave their items attended and the volunteer will make sure items are not stolen)
- Hygiene Distributor
- De-escalation Leads ( Diffuse tough situations/ confrontations, polite removal of disruptive guests)
- Documentarian ( Photographer of the event while keeping guest dignity as top priority - cover volunteers and the work they are doing)
- Activity/Game Coordinator
