We are seeking volunteers who are reliable, compassionate, friendly, self-directed, and flexible to assist staff with a variety of tasks to help keep the shelter comfortable and running smoothly. Tasks may include the following:

• Sorting and organizing donations
• Maintaining organization and cleanliness of shelter kitchen and pantry
• Performing other tasks, as assigned

Qualifications:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must pass a criminal background check. (Prior criminal offenses will not automatically disqualify you from volunteering.)
• Must be able to use stairs frequently and lift/carry up to 35 pounds

Time Commitment:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:30am-4:30pm (minimum 2 hour shift)
• Every week, every other week, or monthly

While providing a hot dinner is our priority, guests also appreciate a hot breakfast or lunch when possible. Volunteer breakfast/lunch groups purchase, prepare, and serve a nutritious meal to 21 residents at our emergency shelter.

You may prepare your meal in advance, or use the shelter kitchen to do so. Volunteers may return to using the shelter’s dishware and serving utensils. 

Details:

• Best suited for groups of 2-4
• Total on-site time is about 2 hours with breakfast served at 8am and lunch served at 12pm, followed by clean-up

Please fill out our group volunteer interest form and contact our Volunteer Coordinator for open dates!

Looking for an alternative to preparing and serving a meal at our Emergency Shelter? Consider sponsoring a meal at the Our Saviour’s Housing Emergency Shelter. Sponsoring a meal at the shelter helps us ensure that we’re providing three meals each day, 365 days of the year. Your gift of $250 or more will allow us to cater a meal from a restaurant (usually dinner) for 38 guests at our shelter. 

First, visit our Dinner Provider Sign-Up Genius page to sign up for an open meal date. This will ensure that we know which day you are sponsoring, and make sure that a meal for that date is not already being covered by a meal group or another sponsorship. 

Then, visit our new meal sponsorship donation form to make a gift of at least $250. On this page, there are three levels of sponsorship, each of which provides different options for meals for shelter guests:  

• $250.00 – Provides pizza for 38 guests at the shelter. 

• $300.00 – Provides a more nutritious meal for 38 shelter guests from a chain restaurant. 

• $350.00 – Provides a more nutritious meal for 38 shelter guests from a local restaurant. 

Please reach out to volunteer@oscs-mn.org with any questions, or if you need to switch dates for your meal sponsorship.  

When guests enter our emergency shelter, they often lack things they need, such as personal care items. Shower kits are a smaller but useful alternative to a full “Shelter Welcome” kit and will still help us supply our residents’ with basic essentials.

Shower kits contain the following:

• One bath towel
• One washcloth
• One travel-size soap container

We accept gently used items, pre-washed and free of stains or rips.

Just pack the items into individual bags, and deliver them to our shelter!

Clean clothes are among our guests’ most essential needs. We are able to provide a washer and dryer at our shelter, but guests must provide their own supplies. With each laundry kit, guests will be able to do several loads of laundry!

Laundry kits contain the following:

• Enough powdered laundry detergent for 2-3 washes or 2-3 detergent pods
• 2-3 dryer sheets

Packing items into individual plastic snack or sandwich size baggies works best.

Throughout the year, new undergarments are among our guests’ most urgent needs. You can help each guest in our shelter and resident in our housing programs feel comfortable and clean by coordinating your own drive or donating to ours. Please note all items should be new.

For Men:

• Boxers or briefs – sizes S-XXXL
• Socks – both winter and regular
• Undershirts (such as Hanes) – sizes S-XXXL

For Women:

• Underwear – sizes S-XL
• Socks – both winter and regular
• Pads and tampons