From its inception, The Salvation Army has relied heavily on volunteers who support it’s programs. Often referred to as “the army behind The Army,” volunteers play a crucial role in The Salvation Army’s ability to provide quality social services for the entire community. Approximately one-and-a-half million volunteers throughout the United States dramatically extend The Salvation Army’s ability to serve the needy. Through the skills and experience volunteers bring to The Army, they make significant contributions to society by positively impacting the lives of those they assist. Salvation Army volunteers change lives, uplift families and support communities throughout our nation every day. Current Volunteer Opportunities: Feeding the Homeless: Individuals, families and groups (no more than 10 at a time) are welcome to help cook and/or serve a meal to the homeless at The Salvation Army every day of the week. Breakfast typically starts at 6am and dinner around 3pm (times vary slightly on the weekends). We ask that volunteers notify us a week in advance of when they would like to serve, and arrive 30 minutes prior to the shift. Thrift Store Volunteers: Volunteers are much needed in our Salvation Army Thrift Store & Donation Station! Volunteers are needed to help set up displays, sort and price donations, etc. Store & Donation Station hours are 9am-5pm, Monday-Saturday. We have two locations. Donation Station- 3300 Moffett Road, Mobile Store- 2015 McKenzie Street, Foley Community Drives: The Salvation Army is desperately in need of canned and dry foods! We serve more than 300 meals every day to the homeless and our clients. We also offer a food pantry that serves around 50 families a month who turn to us in need of assistance, and some months we have to turn families away. If your family, student or organization is looking for a service project, this is a great opportunity that would fill a great need. We also are always in need of toiletries. Many times the men, women and children who turn to us for help have nothing but the clothes on their back. Individual and travel size toiletries, socks or underwear are a great way to give them a fresh start! If you need your community drive to count as volunteer hours, you can submit a plan of action with a schedule of time spent on the project, and we can sign off on your hours. Beautification Projects: The Salvation Army takes pride in our neighborhoods and strives to keep our property neat and tidy – but we need help! We need volunteers to help us plant flowers and beautify our outside areas, at our Dauphin Street location as well as our Thrift Stores. Great opportunity for families or organizations looking for a service project! Area Command: The Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama Area Command on Dauphin Street offers many volunteer opportunities all year long.  Some tasks include assist with phone calls, clerical work including data entry and general maintenance. Special Projects: Special projects or individual opportunities can be worked out based on a volunteer’s or group’s skills. Feel free to offer your own ideas and desires to help those in need. What’s YOUR specialty? Public Relations – Help us design logos, brochures, update our website and social media. Accounting – Help us count our Red Kettle Campaign income. Coordinators – Help us plan events and fundraisers. Sales – Help us find sponsors for events and fundraisers. Education – Help us with childcare and tutoring for our homeless children and youth groups. Counseling – Work with our men and women in recovery. Management – Help our homeless men with job readiness skills. Production – Help us shoot and edit educational and promotional videos. Creative Arts – Teach classes to our homeless children and youth groups. GET STARTED! Ready to volunteer? Please complete your volunteer registration and then check out our online calendar to sign up. Feel free to contact us directly as well. We will be happy to provide more information and help you get connected. If you have any questions, or have any other volunteer ideas, feel free to email our Volunteer Manager Tina – Tina.Cox@USS.SalvationArmy.org