Opportunities From: Catholic Charities of Washtenaw County

Help us plant and maintain our brand-new Mary Garden, recently adopted by our St. Mary's Young Adult / Young Professional Group.

We will have some tools, but it's helpful to bring your own as well as some gloves.

You will be notified one hour prior to the event if we have to cancel because of weather.

Spend a few hours on a Autumn Saturday raking and generally sprucing up the yards of our senior clients who are aging in place safely with our support services. Two dates available--you can do one or both.

All ages are welcome, but minors need to be supervised by a responsible adult. This is a great opportunity for groups!

You will be contacted within two days of the event with the specific location for your service.

Help us sort, check, and stock items from St. Francis Assisi's Thanksgiving Food Drive in preparation for delivery to Northside Food Pantry. 

Meet up in the parking lot in front of the school at and look for the big yellow truck and stacks of boxes. 

This is a fun event for families and youth groups, as it ends up a cross between a scavenger hunt and the game of "Pit," for those of you old enough to remember that!

At CCWC, we’re committed to helping our senior community members live with dignity and independence. One of the ways we do this is by offering free lawn mowing services to seniors who are unable to maintain their yards on their own. This service helps prevent local ordinance citations, reduces safety hazards, and keeps our seniors' outdoor spaces looking cared for and respected.

What We’re Looking For:
We’re seeking reliable, compassionate volunteers who are willing to lend a hand (and a lawn mower!) this summer. Volunteers will be matched with one or more seniors and commit to mowing their lawns at least every other week through the summer season.

What You’ll Need to Know:

Why It Matters:
Your time and effort help preserve the dignity of our senior neighbors while ensuring their homes remain safe and ordinance-compliant. It's more than just mowing a lawn—it's showing care, compassion, and community spirit.

Our Volunteer Caregiver Respite (VCR) program matches volunteers trained to provide a much--needed break with individuals or families who are caring full-time for a homebound adult age 60 or older. Volunteers visit with a frail senior for 2-4 hours per week to provide non-medical support, companionship, and socialization. Activities may include taking walks, playing cards, working puzzles, watching TV or movies, or just reminiscing.

For more information, visit our Volunteer Caregiver Respite page. If you don't hear from someone within a week, please call Sue Reynolds, Care Coordinator, at 734.971.9781 X 337.

The many and varied programs at Catholic Charities require capable and constant administration. We welcome volunteers with organization and management gifts to provide as-needed help to our program directors and supervisors and/or support our “First Impressions” staff at the front desk on a regular basis.

We are always in need of material goods to share with those experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, financial stress, re-entry from incarceration, crisis pregnancies and other challenges.

At the Northside Food Pantry, we give out dry goods; canned goods; paper products; spices and condiments; personal hygiene items; cleaning supplies and laundry soap; meat and dairy products; diapers, wipes, and formula.

It is typical for Catholic Charities to receive a flood of items at seasonal milestones like Christmas and Mother's Day but then experience a drought in the everyday. Your consistent support year-round makes a huge impact.

Drives come in all shapes and sizes. You can collect assorted grocery items, or specialize in a single product, like laundry soap or fun cereals for kids. You can collect subscriptions for diapers. You can collect money for perishable products. You can format your drive in all kinds of ways: organize a one-time drive in your neighborhood; hold a pop-up event at your business; put together a party or shower; implement a regular drop-off at your church, school, or other organization that meets regularly; offer your skills and time to others with donations as your form of payment. Tailor your drive creatively to match your mission and audience!

When you respond to this opportunity, we will reach out to talk about your plans and support you. In the meantime, here is a flyer with some with general instructions for running a successful drive for CCWC.

For more information about the Northside Food Pantry, visit the Pantry Page on our website where you will find our Amazon wish list, and a document with tips for a successful drive.

Christians from all churches are invited to join a team that lifts up the needs of Catholic Charities: our programs, our clients, and our staff. Prayer requests are sent weekly to participants with the charism of intercession who are committed to confidentiality and consistency. This behind-the-scenes service provides powerful support to the efforts of our organization: With God, all things are possible!

Catholic Charities (CCWC) always needs volunteers to help with maintenance and beautification of the grounds around our office.

We welcome skilled gardeners but also hard workers with no previous experience. Your time can be flexible, as little as 1 hour a month or as often as you want.

Working at the front desk is first and foremost a role of offering hospitality to our clients. The person at the front desk offers the first impression of Catholic Charities. So when you work here, you will give a friendly greeting, make conversation as appropriate, offer refreshments, and help connect clients to our staff and services.

The role also involves answering phones, organizing the front desk supplies and paperwork, making coffee, and occasional projects requested by our staff.

A four-hour shift is ideal, especially in the afternoons, but we could flex the length of time or time of day as needed.

Catholic Charities Washtenaw County is seeking warm, compassionate volunteers to make weekly birthday calls to older adults in our community once a week either from home or at our office.

Commitment

Volunteer attributes

Why This Matters

Many of our seniors live alone or have limited contact with loved ones. A birthday call may be their only recognition on that special day. Your voice and presence can truly brighten someone's week.

Help our food pantry team sort donations, stock goods, pack bags, and distribute groceries on Tuesdays, 2-5:30, and Thursdays, 10-2:30. Come every week or as you can! (815 Taylor St.  Ann Arbor, 48105)

After you respond here, someone should be calling you to go through the details and set up times for you to serve. If you don't hear back, then call Nic or Grace at 734.662.4462 to talk over their needs and your availability. 

Click here to learn more about our Food Pantry. 

You can also help the Food Pantry by organizing a drive: Click here to see that opportunity.