VTO Event to Celebrate National Volunteer Week
Please join us for a remote Volunteer Time Off event focused on essential needs and giving back to youth and adults experiencing homelessness. This is a two-part event. Part one is education, part two is a call to action with a hands-on volunteer/donation activity.
Part one: Education on Essential Needs
Over Zoom, learn from area experts about the challenges of youth and adults facing homelessness in our (30 minutes).
Featured Speakers:
- Erin Drinnin, Community Impact Officer, Health, United Way of Central Iowa
- Blake Willadsen, Development Coordinator, Iowa Homeless Youth Centers (part of YSS)
- Bernadette Beck, Centralized Intake Program Manager, Primary Health Care, Inc.
This is part of United Way's United to Thrive initiative, which supports five elements of a thriving community. Essential needs: Food Insecurity/Access to Healthy Food; Affordable Housing; Homelessness; Safe and Healthy Community.
Part two: Call to action –
Hands-on volunteer/donation activity
Volunteer to give something back by purchasing and assembling Adult Street Outreach Kits, Youth Street Outreach Kits, and Youth Blessing Bags. United Way will not be providing the kits. If you wish to donate, please plan to purchase the items and assemble the kits at home or work.
You may stay on the Zoom call to work on your kits together, in community. If you prefer, you may log off of our call and log on your own, pre-set Zoom call with your group to work on your kits. Or you may complete your kits or safely at home or work whenever you have time.
Plan to drop off your kits at United Way of Central Iowa. We will distribute them to YSS and Primary Healthcare.
Please drop off your completed care kits at United Way of Central Iowa, 1111 Ninth Street, Des Moines, IA 50314 in the circle drive.
Drop off times:
- Tuesday 4/27 11:30am – 12:30pm
- Tuesday, 4/27 4:30 – 5:30pm
- Thursday 4/29 7:30am – 8:30am
Cost estimates for Adult Street Outreach Kits and Youth Street Outreach kits $5 per kit. Cost estimates for Youth Blessing Bags are about $15 per bag. Through this event, we hope to donate 200 Adult Street Outreach Kits, 200 Youth Street Outreach Kits, and 20 Youth Blessing Bags.
Please contact Anna Schaber, Volunteer Engagement Specialist, United Way of Central Iowa with questions at anna.schaber@unitedwaydm.org.
