The Hands-On Missions Team of the Bold Service & Social Justice Committee offers many kinds of opportunities for service in the community:
- Hands-on volunteering in the community, often with local service organizations, including Hope’s Corner;
- Construction-related projects to provide affordable housing or improvements that would otherwise be unaffordable, including projects with Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together, sister churches, the Waller Center in San Francisco, and others. Many of these projects utilize our “Volunteers Making a Difference” Tool Trailer;
- Mission Trips, including trips to Mexico to build houses, disaster relief in other states or countries, and others.
Volunteer opportunities – specific dates:
Compassion Week provides an opportunity to share God’s love with others through service activities throughout the Peninsula or on our church campus. One week in October is dedicated to serving in our community through different volunteer projects. Visit the Compassion Week page to learn more.
Keep up to date on volunteer opportunities on our Serve & Social Justice news feed.
Ongoing opportunities for serving in the community include:
Hope’s Corner Meal and Shower/Laundry Program:
Every Weekend, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday
Hope’s Corner addresses these needs every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday by serving a nutritious breakfast and providing a bag lunch for each person to take to go. The number of people coming to the meal service has grown from a few dozen in the beginning in 2011 to over 1,700 individuals served in 2023. Hope’s Corner served over 43,000 meals in 2023, reaching a cumulative total of 216,559 meals by the end of 2023. In addition to the meal program, Hope’s Corner offers free showers and laundry every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday to unhoused people. Besides food and showers, Hope’s Corner provides haircuts, bicycle service, personal devise charging station, health resources, emergency clothing and inclement weather supplies. Hope’s Corner is a place for people to feel welcomed and build community. Visit the Hope’s Corner website to learn more.
Tool Trailer Group
The Tool Trailer small/large group is recruiting helpers of any skill level – including none! We find things that everyone can do to contribute. The projects include building or repairing churches, homes, and camps either locally or at distant project sites. The work might last a few hours or several days or sporadically over the next year. Contact Bob Lee for more information.
Rebuilding Together
LAUMC has participated in Rebuilding Together’s Fall Rebuilding Day for many years. Rebuilding Together preserves affordable housing by transforming homes and lives through critical repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy-efficient upgrades for low-income homeowners and community centers, at no cost to the service recipient. Volunteers come from groups such as LAUMC, who are then matched by Rebuilding Together with a project. Rebuilding Together also needs volunteers for its Spring Rebuilding Day as well as occasional other work throughout the year.
Habitat for Humanity
Work with volunteers from the other congregations in the All Faiths Alliance for the Mountain View/Los Altos/Los Altos Hills area. We need construction workers plus additional volunteers to help prepare and serve breakfast, as well as help with the noon entertainment. Visit our Habitat for Humanity page for more information and watch our Service & Social Justice news feed for upcoming scheduled work days.
Repair bicycles at Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange –Selected Saturdays
The Bicycle Exchange needs volunteers to make repairs to donated bicycles so that they can be donated again to partner community service organizations for use by children and adults who need a bike. New volunteers learn bicycle repair skills from a team of more experienced volunteers.
Volunteer with First 5
First 5 is a community-based program designed to be sustained by volunteers passionate about helping families with young children grow strong. There are many opportunities for short- or long-term volunteer participation. For more information, visit the First 5 website.
Other Community Resources
Visit these agencies’ websites to learn about more ways to serve in the community.
Community Services Agency (CSA)
Day Worker Center of Mountain View
Family Supportive Housing
Grail Family Services
Habitat for Humanity
Hope’s Corner
House of Grace/Cityteam
K-12 Team
MVLA Scholars
Project WeHOPE
Sacred Heart Community Services
Salinas First United Methodist Church
Second Harvest Food Bank
Several other websites serve as clearinghouses for volunteer opportunities, including: