Opportunities From: Focus: HOPE Volunteer

Packing Food Boxes for Seniors  

  

Focus: HOPE provides food to over 42,000 limited-income seniors in and around Detroit. Each month, every one of those seniors receives a box of food which contains healthy groupings of nonperishable foods. We rely on volunteers to pack the vast majority of this food, so both individuals and volunteer groups are always welcome! 

  

HOW PACKING WORKS:  

 

Volunteers work together in groups of up to 30 per assembly line, cutting stock and then placing canned foods into Focus: HOPE boxes as they roll by. Volunteers may also unwrap and unbox pallets of food, collapse boxes for recycling and dispose of plastic waste. These tasks require moderate levels of activity, bending and lifting.  

A full line of volunteers is usually able to pack over 500 boxes of food for our seniors! 

  

DRESS CODE:  

  

Comfortable attire and shoes are welcome. The warehouse temperature may fluctuate with the seasons, so layers are encouraged. Volunteers are prohibited from wearing open-toed shoes, sleeveless shirts, short shorts or exposing midriff. Please keep valuables at home, in your car or on your person.  

We recommend you bring work gloves.  

  

SAFETY:  

  

For everyone’s safety, if you are not feeling well or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, please stay home.  

Focus: HOPE strongly encourages all volunteers, guests and colleagues to wear a mask while in the building, regardless of vaccination status.  

Handwashing and sanitizer stations are available throughout the building.  

  

HOW TO REGISTER:  

  

If you have already completed a digital waiver this calendar year, scroll to the bottom of the page to register for an open time slot. Otherwise, click “Respond” at the top or bottom of the page, log in, complete the waiver qualification, and then return to this page to see the available volunteer shifts.  

Minors may not complete waivers digitally, so the system will not allow a minor to sign up to volunteer. Minors may not volunteer without a guardian present. Once on-site for the selected volunteer event, guardians may register their minors by signing a printed waiver on their behalf. For packing you must be age 13 or older to participate.  

To register a large team or organization, please contact volunteer@focushope.edu for options.  

  

COURT MANDATED HOURS:  

  

If you have court mandated community service hours, you must attend a separate, court-specific orientation. This orientation only takes place on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. at 1400 Oakman Boulevard, 48238. After the brief orientation, you may choose to stay and begin volunteering, or return another day.  

Bring a photo ID and know the name of your court and/or officer. If you have an official document which states your hours, bring it with you.  

If you do not attend a Friday orientation prior to volunteering, your hours will not be recorded for the court. No exceptions will be made.  

You do not need to register to participate. More information at: https://focushope.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=601721  

  

LOCATION:  

  

Focus: HOPE has permanently relocated all volunteer activities to 1400 Oakman Boulevard, Detroit MI 48238. Parking is directly across the street within the gated black fence. The lot entrance is on La Salle Boulevard by where it intersects with Oakman Boulevard. Please do not park in the Early Learning Center lot or between buildings.  

  

CONTACT:  

  

Volunteer & Community Outreach  

Focus: HOPE  

volunteer@focushope.edu  

313-494-4270  

Helpful volunteers will assist older adults with both selecting and shopping for their monthly commodities, as well as loading prepacked food boxes and additional food commodities into vehicles. Volunteers will also replenish the supplies/commodities for distribution.

Friendly and patient volunteers are all welcome for this opportunity. Individuals or small groups (up to 5) are ideal. This is a moderately physical activity. Long periods of active moving and standing may occur.

Tasks:

Help participant select items off the shelves Assist them with loading items in their vehicles after shopping experience Replenishing and restocking shelves throughout the shift Collecting shopping carts and returning them to the buildingDistribute prepacked food boxes and additional food commodities to seniors by loading prepacked boxes into vehiclesReplenishing supplies/commodities for distribution

Attire: We suggest volunteers dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes. No open toe shoes, leggings, shorts, tank tops/sleeveless shirts. 

Additional Information: There is limited storage space, please leave personal items in a secure place. 

Parking & Entering the building: Parking is located directly next to the building at 1300 Oakman Blvd. Use caution when parking and when crossing the lot - this is the same parking lot where participants will be picking up their food. Enter through the automatic doors at the front of the building on Oakman Blvd.
 
If you get lost or need to speak with someone, please call the main volunteer line at 313-494-4270. For an immediate response, please call ‪(313) 494-4714.

Volunteer Department
Phone: 313-494-4270 
E-mail: volunteer@focushope.edu 

***COURT ORDERED COMMUNITY SERVICE participants must complete orientation and be approved for this assignment*** Orientation is held only on Friday's at 10:30 am At Main Campus 1400 Oakman Blvd. Detroit, MI 48238 (No appointment required)

Delivering Food Boxes to Seniors 

 

Focus: HOPE provides food to over 40,000 limited-income seniors in and around Detroit. Each month, every one of those seniors receives a box of food which contains healthy groupings of nonperishable foods. While most of our seniors come to one of the three Focus: HOPE centers to pick up their food, over 10,000 are homebound. Homebound seniors are unable to pick up the food themselves, so volunteers and agency partners such as yourself deliver it directly to them. You may deliver to individual homes or to buildings where many senior participants live at the same address. Teams and individuals are welcome!! 

We have an extremely high need for delivery volunteers. Please share with your friends.

 

DELIVERY ORIENTATION:  

 

If you have not delivered food with us before, this is the opportunity for you! An orientation kicks off each shift on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at 10:00am & 2:00pm, and on Saturday at 10:00am. After you have successfully signed up for one of these shifts (you may register at the bottom of this page), you can deliver same day. The orientation itself only takes about ten minutes. 

 

HOW DELIVERIES WORK: 

 

To make food deliveries, volunteers use their own vehicles to transport pre-packed boxes of food to individual homes or apartment buildings. Based on the room in your car(s) and time available to you, you may choose the number of boxes to take and the areas to go to.  

Your first time delivering you will receive detailed instructions from a Volunteer Coordinator. Here is a shortened process overview: 

Decide how many boxes to deliver. Usually, volunteers can deliver about five in an hour.  Choose a zip code in or around Detroit which still has deliveries to be made. We have folders arranged by region and zip code, with information on each senior inside.  Select as many senior participants as you’d like to deliver to. You will call each senior before you leave Focus: HOPE, to let them know that you are coming and to confirm their address.  Record the deliveries you plan to make on a log sheet, which the Volunteer Coordinator will teach you how to use.  Back into the garage (we will show you where) to load your car with the appropriate number of food boxes. Each box will weigh 20-30 lbs. You will load your car yourself.  Plug the addresses into your phone, using the app of your choice.   Knock and drop a box of food at each senior’s home. No contact is required. You may not enter any homes.  Go straight home once every box has been delivered! Thank you!!!!! 

We recommend you bring a dolly, cart or wagon if you intend to make a large quantity of deliveries at once. 

Teams may work together to deliver to one location where many senior participants live at the same address. These buildings may have anywhere from 10-100 seniors who receive food from Focus: HOPE. Teams work together to transport the boxes in their vehicles and then distribute those boxes door-to-door within the building.

You will be awarded one volunteer hour per box delivered. Hours can be tracked in your account on this website. If you need a special sheet signed, bring it with you to volunteer or email volunteer@focushope.edu. For court mandated hours scroll down for more information. 

 

DRESS CODE: 

 

Comfortable attire and shoes are welcome. The warehouse temperature may fluctuate with the seasons, so layers are encouraged. Volunteers are prohibited from wearing open-toed shoes, sleeveless shirts, short shorts or exposing midriff. Please keep valuables at home, in your car or on your person. 

We recommend you bring work gloves. 

 

SAFETY: 

 

For everyone’s safety, if you are not feeling well or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, please stay home. 

Focus: HOPE strongly encourages all volunteers, guests and colleagues to wear a mask while in the building, regardless of vaccination status. 

Handwashing and sanitizer stations are available throughout the building. 

 

HOW TO REGISTER: 

 

If you have already completed a digital waiver this calendar year, scroll to the bottom of the page to register for an open time slot. Otherwise, click “Respond” at the top or bottom of the page, log in, complete the waiver qualification, and then return to this page to see the available volunteer shifts. 

Minors may not complete waivers digitally, so the system will not allow a minor to sign up to volunteer. Minors may not volunteer without a guardian present. Once on-site for the selected volunteer event, guardians may register their minors by signing a printed waiver on their behalf. For deliveries there is no age minimum to participate. 

To register a large team or organization, please contact volunteer@focushope.edu for options. 

 

COURT MANDATED HOURS: 

 

If you have court mandated community service hours, you must attend a separate, court-specific orientation. This orientation only takes place on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. at 1400 Oakman Boulevard, 48238. After the brief orientation, you may choose to stay and begin volunteering, or return another day. 

Bring a photo ID and know the name of your court and/or officer. If you have an official document which states your hours, bring it with you. 

If you do not attend a Friday orientation prior to volunteering, your hours will not be recorded for the court. No exceptions will be made. 

You do not need to register to participate. More information at: https://focushope.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=601721 

 

LOCATION: 

 

Focus: HOPE has permanently relocated all volunteer activities to 1400 Oakman Boulevard, Detroit MI 48238. Parking is directly across the street within the gated black fence. The lot entrance is on La Salle Boulevard by where it intersects with Oakman Boulevard. Please do not park in the Early Learning Center lot or between buildings. 

 

CONTACT: 

 

Volunteer & Community Outreach 

Focus: HOPE 

volunteer@focushope.edu 

313-494-4270