Franciscan Outreach Association 
1645 W. LeMoyne Street, Chicago, IL 60622
Telephone (773)278-6724 
 
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Volunteer Opportunities available

at the Marquard Center

 

There are several types of volunteer opportunities available. Here they are:

Dinner Volunteer ~

Every night we need up to 12 volunteers to serve dinner to our guests at our Marquard Center dining room. Volunteers work from 4:45 p.m. until about 7:00 p.m. Volunteers are assigned one of the following duties:

  • setting the table for dinner

  • greeting the guests

  • handing out cups of coffee

  • filling trays

  • bringing trays to tables

  • washing dishes

Guests clear and scrape their own trays as they finish their meal. When dinner is concluded, volunteers wipe the tables, mop the floor, and put the chairs on the tables.

Several full-time volunteers and either Manny Borg (Manager) or David Beatrici (Weekend Manager) work in the soup kitchen serving the guests, supervising volunteers, and handling any unforeseen issues that arise.

No previous experience is necessary, only a willingness to be friendly and helpful. Volunteers are encouraged to talk with the guests and even join them for dinner once most of the guests have finished.

We welcome youth groups, school groups, church groups, corporate volunteer programs, family groups, groups of friends, and  individuals. We ask that volunteers be in at least 7th grade so that they are capable of carrying trays and doing any job that is needed. The maximum number of 12 volunteers for each evening includes the leaders of the group.

To schedule a date, contact Fr. Manny by using the form below or call him at (773) 278-6724. The sooner you sign up, the better! We especially need help from May through August when schools are not in session.  If you'd like a wider choice of dates and are willing to volunteer at our shelter instead, visit our volunteer at the shelter page.

Facilitated Reflection after Volunteering ~

Would you like to deepen the experience for your volunteers? We can schedule your group to discuss reflection questions in our 2nd floor chapel immediately after volunteering. A trained facilitator is available. Help your group reflect on what they saw, their interactions with the guests, and what they would like to do next. For more info, contact Diana at (773) 278-6724.

Cook ~

Prepare the evening meal in our kitchen. No previous cooking experience is necessary. Simply follow instructions from our Full-time Volunteers and cut, cook, thaw, and bake food for the evening meal. Schedule a day to volunteer from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Groups of one or two are welcome. Contact Person: Fr. Manny. Use the form below to sign up for this opportunity. 

Shower Supervisor ~

Greet guests when they come to shower and distribute numbers, monitor the hallway while they wait, call numbers, stock supplies. Mondays or Fridays from 12:45 to 3:00 p.m. Groups of one or two welcome. Contact Person: Fr. Manny. Use the form below to sign up for this opportunity. 

Laundry Volunteer ~

Greet guests when they come to drop off or pick up a bag of laundry, run laundry through washer and dryer, fold clothes. Monday or Thursday from 12:00 to 3:00 . Groups of one or two welcome. Contact Person: Fr. Manny. Use the form below to sign up for this opportunity.

Relief Receptionist ~

Answer telephones and door when receptionist takes a vacation day. Courteous manner and basic communication skills needed. Come for training and then choose a day from those available. Scheduled in blocks of four or eight hours. Contact Person: Diana. Click here to sign up for this opportunity.

Newsletter Distributor ~ 

Place copies of our quarterly newsletter or website business card on the counters at neighborhood churches, businesses, and restaurants. Must not be afraid to ask owner for permission. Scheduled at your convenience. Contact Person: Carin.  Click here to sign up for this opportunity.

One more opportunity... Consider serving sandwiches at our shelter. We need volunteers there, especially on the weekends. Time is from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. See more info and available dates at shelter volunteering.

For all of these volunteer opportunities ...

  • If you like the experience - If you or your group enjoys their experience, we invite you to sign up for a regular day each week or each month.  Talk to your contact person about reserving a regular day.

  • Map - You can view and print out a map to the Marquard Center.

  • Parking - The City has initiated permit parking on parts of LeMoyne for after 6:00 p.m. every evening. You won't need a permit if you park on LeMoyne or right in front of our building on the South side of the street (between Paulina and the alley on our side of the street). You will need a temporary permit if you park on LeMoyne anywhere except right in front of our building on our side of the street. You can get a parking permit from one of the staff as soon as you arrive. 

  • Calling the Kitchen  -  During regular business hours call the office at (773) 278-6724.  If you need directions or wish to call the kitchen on the weekend after 4:00 pm, call the office and dial  extension 27. 

  • All Faiths are Welcome - Volunteers come from all faiths and all backgrounds. We do not preach to our guests or hold religious services for them. 

  • Please, Please, Please - Bring only the number of volunteers that you say you'll bring. If we have too many volunteers, then some volunteers won't have any work to do and will not enjoy the experience. Note that if you're scheduled to bring four volunteers, for example, another group will be scheduled to bring the rest of the volunteers that will be needed for the dinner. Please help make the experience good for everyone by not bringing more volunteers than you say you'll bring. If you'll be bringing less than the number you've said, call us if you can, even if its last minute, so we can try to schedule more people. 

Volunteers must schedule a date in advance. You can call Fr. Manny at (773) 278-6724 or contact us through this electronic form: 

 

Name: 

Address: 

City:     

State:       Zip:

Phone number: 

E-mail:

 

Would you like to receive a link to our What's New page by email when we post the news of the week? (Check the box by pointing with your cursor and clicking - don't use Enter to check the box.) yes     no

 

 

What would you like to do?

 

 

When would you like to volunteer?

 

The name of your group, if any, and how many persons would be coming (not more than 12 for serving dinner, including yourself):

 

Thank you for inquiring about volunteering!