You'll be surprised at the many skills you could share to help families get back on their feet.
Ask yourself what you love to do and see how that could be a contribution.
Follow local organisations on social media to stay informed of the needs of the families they serve.
The organisations serving homeless children have so many needs. Many volunteer opportunities are face to face with groups of kids but there are many behind the scenes opportunities that are perfect for introverts, such as:
- Organising closets (shelters often receive clothing and household donations that need to be sorted. A volunteer helping with this means that the shelter employees can then instead focus on connecting the homeless families with food stamps and other important resources, etc.).
- Creating move-in baskets (gathering cleaning supplies, etc. that families will need when moving into permanent housing).
- Cleaning (many shelters have dedicated playrooms that are always in need of a good clean or sterilising toys).
- Gift wrapping gifts for the holidays.
- Admin and office duties.
If you work for a large corporation ask your HR department if you can volunteer during work time.
Find a way to volunteer that suits you - and reap the benefits of contributing!
Volunteer organisations that can match your skills with non-profits:
Bay Area:
http://www.volunteermatch.org/
http://www.thevolunteercenter.net/
http://sfbay.onebrick.org/#
http://www.handsonbayarea.org/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Calendar_Page
National:
http://www.standupforkids.org/volunteer/default.aspx
http://www.volunteermatch.org/
http://www.pointsoflight.org/handsonnetwork
http://onebrick.org