At Home Volunteer Project
A simple project + interviews with our homeless neighbors.
Thanksgiving is one of the most popular days of the year to volunteer and many volunteer opportunities for Thanksgiving Day fill up far in advance. So what’s a well-meaning Memphian to do? You can still make a difference!
Our local outreach agencies need survival kits (also known as gift bags or blessing bags) for the people they serve throughout the year. A great way to do that is to meet some people who have experienced homelessness. We’re including their stories here, in their own words so you can hear about the lives. Even though you can’t meet them directly, we hope you find a connection.
You can collect the materials and assemble these bags at your home while watching videos about those who have experienced homelessness in Memphis. You can include as many people as you’d like.
What should these bags include? Things like:
- Snacks (shelf stable)
- Socks
- Gloves
- Warm hats
- Toothbrushes
- Hand sanitizer
- Hand/foot warmers
- Chap stick
- Bus passes
Hear the stories:
Listen to Jerry’s story
Listen to Pat’s story
Listen to Tarvis’s story
I hope you found something that resonated with you and challenged how you envision homelessness. I hope you feel inspired to help.
Drop off your gift bags at:
- Volunteer Odyssey, 60 South Main, Suite 102, Memphis TN
- Contact sarah@volunteerodyssey.com and we’ll connect you to an organization that needs your donation.
Volunteer Year Round
Memphis needs your help at Thanksgiving and 364 other days of the year. Pick a day that’s special to you and make that a tradition for volunteering. Maybe it’s your birthday, a memorial, or your anniversary. Check out Volunteer Odyssey’s VolunteerCompass for ideas throughout the rest of the year.
Do you want to help make the world more awesome? So do we!
At Volunteer Odyssey we believe that everyone can use their special talents to become a volunteer superhero. Whatever your skills or interests, we can help you find a place to make a difference.
Want to get started? Here you go!
1) Discover your ideal place to volunteer using our VolunteerCompass
2) We want to hear from you! Email sarah@volunteerodyssey.com
Like our work? Keep it going!
