SACRAMENTO

Sacramento, California’s state capital, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. The city is considered one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. There are 22 major ethnic and cultural groups within the area, bringing rich diversity to the area. Volunteers live in a home in a residential neighborhood. A community car is provided. Public transportation is also easily accessible.

Sites of Service

Clean and Sober
www.clean-and-sober.org
Mission: To offer a path to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction for homeless and financially impoverished women and men through a long-term residential program, transitional housing, and a community of support.

Clean & Sober provides resources to homeless addicts and alcoholics seeking recovery from addiction, including a walk-in office at a homeless services agency, two entry-level residential communities, and longer-term transitional housing. Residents have typically been homeless or incarcerated, but learn to live in sobriety and eventually reenter society as productive, contributing members. A volunteer is needed as a resident support coordinator, offering support, mentoring, providing transportation, providing encouragement to the residents, and securing donations.

Sacramento Loaves and Fishes
www.sacloaves.org
Mission: In an environment of welcome, hospitality, safety and cleanliness, we seek to provide an oasis for homeless men, women, and children seeking survival services.

Loaves & Fishes serves those who are poor and homeless in the Sacramento community by offering 12 unique programs (Dining Room, Friendship Park, Jail Visitation, etc.). A volunteer is needed to serve at Maryhouse, a daytime hospitality and resource center for homeless women and children, “”offering individual case management, information and referrals, mail services, and assistance in basic hygiene and food necessities.

SAVANNAH
Savannah, Georgia is a charming, southern city located on the Georgia coast. Designed around squares, Savannah has many visitors all year because of the temperate climate and diverse attractions. Savannah is within 30 minutes of scenic Tybee Island, GA on the Atlantic Ocean. The Sisters of Mercy have ministered in Savannah since 1845 and sponsor health care facilities, various outreach agencies, a childcare home, and a high school. Volunteers live together in a furnished, four bedroom house and have use of two community cars for work and personal needs.

Sites of Service

Good Samaritan Clinic
www.goodsamclinica.org

Mission: To provide access to free quality healthcare for patients who have no health insurance, thereby improving their quality of life.

Good Samaritan Clinic exists to provide free primary care to uninsured adults in a friendly and compassionate setting. In addition to clinic visits, the clinic provides referrals to specialty physicians or for specialty procedures, referrals to other community services, and health education. The clinic serves a mostly Hispanic population therefore the volunteer needs to be fluent in Spanish. A volunteer is needed as an office administrator, answering the telephone, scheduling appointments, preparing for and attending the clinic, and collecting patient data.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System SOURCE Program
www.sjchs.org (follow the links under “community” programs)

Mission: Rooted in God’s love we treat illness and promote wellness for all people.

St. Joseph’s/Candler SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in Community Environments) program seeks to positively impact the lives of older adults and younger people with disabilities through an innovative program of enhanced case management, support services and primary medical care. SOURCE helps its members maintain good health and functional independence and avoid potential nursing home or other institutionalized care. A volunteer is needed as a community support worker, meeting regularly and engaging members in community experiences in an effort to develop a detailed profile/history for each member and to assist each member in working toward goals related to increased social connection.

St. Mary’s Community and Health Centers
www.sjchs.org

Mission: To accompany those of low income to better their quality of life.

St. Mary’s Community and Health Centers provide the following services for the surrounding community: food pantry, education programs for children and adults, job training and placement, tax preparation and financial literacy, and primary health care. The center serves a mostly African American population living at the federal poverty level. Two volunteers filled with heart, energy and enthusiasm are needed to assist with some of the following services offered through the centers - adult learning program, tax preparation, eye clinic, preschool, seniors program, and as cleri- cal or medical staff at the health center.

BALTIMORE
If you don’t live in Baltimore, chances are you have very little knowledge of the city’s tourist attractions. The Inner Harbor is the crown jewel of Charm City’s revitalization efforts. Fort McHenry stands proudly as the site where Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Another favorite attraction—Fells Point, a historic waterfront community, offers a fun array of shops, galleries, and restaurants. Volunteers live on the top floor of a parish office building in southwest Baltimore. A community car is provided.

Sites of Service

AIRS (AIDS Interfaith Residential Services)
www.airshome.org

Mission: To provide comprehensive supportive housing services to enhance quality of life, emphasizing self-sufficiency for low-income and homeless individuals living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and other disabilities.

AIRS provides support services and housing to low-income adults, individuals and families with children, youth and young adults, ex-offenders, Spanish speaking populations, and those who require 24 hour compassionate care and supervision, all of whom are living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS and other disabilities. A volunteer is needed to serve as a residential aide with the Don Miller House Program, providing compassionate, personal anddirect care to low-income adults living with HIV/AIDS in a residential setting.

Mercy Medical Center
www.mdmercy.com

Mission: Rooted in God’s healing love for all people, Mercy Medical Center, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, provides and promotes health services for the people of Baltimore of every creed, color, economic and social condition.

Mercy Medical Center is a community hospital located in downtown Baltimore. In January 2011, it will transition from its present 235-bed facility into a new 300-bed state-of-the-art patient tower 5 for the people residing in Baltimore City and beyond. Two volun- teer are needed to serve in the areas of patient care, patient advocacy, and hospitality.

St. Peter’s Adult Learning Center, Inc.
www.stpetersalc.org

Mission: To empower adults with developmental disabilities to be contributing members of society.

St. Peter’s Adult Learning Center serves persons with developmental disabilities by providing day habilitation and supported employment programs to adults 21 years of age or older. A volunteer is needed as the day extension lead, assisting members through life skill instruction, job coaching, work supervision, travel training and case management services.

Transfiguration Parish
no website

Mission: To promote spiritual and human growth through word, works, sacrament, and diversity.

Transfiguration is a small Roman Catholic parish in southwest Baltimore city. The parish outreach sponsors an after-school program, a food pantry, and a small summer program. A volunteer is needed as an outreach minister, coordinating the after-school program and holiday drives, acting as a liaison in the local community, and raising awareness of local community resources.

DETROIT
Living in a row house, in a lively, historic, community-oriented, and socially-conscious neighborhood, in southeast Detroit, volunteers can expect to build rich relationships and to grow to love the 300 year-old city. Being rich in cultural and racial diversity, it contains a notable network of peace and justice advocates and service providers, including creative Mercy ministries. Never far away are opportunities for arts and sports lovers, health and reading enthusiasts, and sites for relaxation and fun with new friends.

Sites of Service

Detroit Cristo Rey High School
www.detroitcristorey.org

Mission: To provide excellent college-preparatory Catholic high school education, in the Cristo Rey model, to students from economically disadvantaged families in Detroit.

Detroit Cristo Rey High School is part of a national organization of Cristo Rey high schools that provide Catholic, college prepatory education to urban young people who live in communities with limited options. The school integrates classroom experience with real-life work experience by partnering with businesses and corporations in metro Detroit. Volunteers are needed to serve as teachers, college counselor, school clinic coordinator, yearbook/ newspaper coordinator, or food services coordinator.

Matrix Theatre Company
www.matrixtheatre.org

Mission: To use the transformative power of theatre to change lives, build community, and foster social justice. It creates opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders, especially those isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers and audience of powerful and engaging theatrical art.

Matrix Theatre Company operates two divisions: The School of Theatre and the Matrix Theatre. The School of Theatre assists participants in learning playwriting, puppetry and performance. The Matrix Theatre specializes in the creation of original plays and giant puppet performance. A volunteer is needed as a communications coordinator, interacting with the media, promoting productions, and running social networking.

Mercy Education Project
www.mercyed.net

Mission: To provide educational opportunities, life skills development, and cultural enrichment for women and girls, who have limited access to resources, to enable them to improve the quality of their lives.

MEP provides after-school one-on-one remedial tutoring, a summer program, and other activities to at-risk girls in 1st-8th grades from southwest Detroit and provides literacy, adult basic education, individualized GED preparation, and job skills training to women from low-income households in Detroit. All programs are designed to help women and girls overcome the stigma of earlier academic failure as they work toward short and long-term goals. A volunteer is needed to teach a small class for women, tutor women and girls, lead girls in structured activities, and provide support for program planning and documentation.

St. Frances Cabrini Clinic
www.cabriniclinic.org

Mission: To provide a holistic approach toward meeting the primary health care needs of economically disadvantaged residents of southwest Detroit and beyond. The clinic offers education, prevention, and treatment without charge, but with deep compassion and respect for the people served and their needs.

Cabrini Clinic is a free medical clinic for uninsured adults, ages 18-64. The clinic is staffed by volunteers who provide primary medical care, mental health care, prescription assistance and other health care and social services to persons in need. A volunteer is needed to serve as an administrative assistant, acting as a receptionist, preparing and filing medical charts, scheduling follow-up appointments, and organizing community outreach activities

ST. LOUIS
Sites of Service
Center for Women in Transition
Center for Women in Transition assists women transitioning from jail/prison, or in lieu of incarceration to reintegrate into society and their families, thereby witnessing to society that a restorative approach to justice is more effective for the women, their children, and society than is a punitive approach. 91% of the women remain out of jail compared to a national average of 27%. The Center offers year long mentors to accompany the women and advocacy support within the legal system, media, and society. A statewide coalition to promote restorative justice practices within the system and a transitional house provides for 11 women. Out of sensitivity for the women, only female volunteers can be considered for placement at this site. More information can be found on their website: www.cwitstl.org .

A special note. The next two ministries listed are a part of St. John's Mercy Health Care. St. John's Mercy is one of the largest Catholic-sponsored health care complexes in the nation. Since 1871, they have been known for comprehensive family medical care, medical education, research, community services, and dedication to the Mercy values of compassion and caring for all members of the community. More information can be found on their website: www.stjohnsmercy.net

Loyola Academy of St. Louis
Loyola Academy of St. Louis is a Nativity model middle school sponsored by the Jesuits of the Missouri Province.  Loyola Academy serves 60 young men in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades who have academic potential but are in danger of not reaching that potential due to a variety of social and economic factors.  Students who attend Loyola Academy participate in an extended school day as well as a six-week mandatory summer program.  A volunteer is needed to fill one of the following positions: middle school teacher or assistant after-school director, tutoring students, supervising lunch, recess and study hall, assist with after-school program activities and plan activities for the bi-monthly Saturday morning program. 

JFK Health Center
The JFK Health Center supports more than 30,000 visits from patients each year. The population served are those who are economically disadvantaged falling within or below the poverty guidelines. Patients are from the greater St. Louis area and throughout Missouri—some travel 100+ miles to receive necessary health care. Individuals represent a variety of ethnic backgrounds with an estimated 30 percent non-English speaking. Interpreter services are provided at no cost to the patient. Medical care is available in the following major areas: internal medicine, ob/gyn, pediatrics and general surgery.  The services of pharmacists, dieticians, social workers, nurses, nurse assistants, and interpreters are available to clinic patients.  Depending on interest and experience, volunteer opportunities are available in any of the above areas.  Interpreters are required to have 40 hours of interpreter training.  Nurses must have a Missouri license.  Strong preference for bilingual volunteers.  Some special projects, clerical work, or customer service may be included.

St. John's Mercy Neighborhood Ministry
As a department of St. John's Mercy Medical Center, the Neighborhood Ministry connects the economically underserved with appropriate health and social service resources. In partnership with community organizations, they improve access to care and quality of life for those in need. A large percentage of those being served are African American along with a refugees from Bosnia, Vietnam, and African nations. Health education, screening, job development/referral, English tutoring, and community development programs are all cooperative efforts of the Ministry and surrounding agencies. A volunteer is needed to assist with outreach efforts at churches, schools, and a variety of community organizations.

NEW YORK CITY AREA
A great place to live and work! Volunteers live in their own apartment on the top floor of a convent in Queens. The daily commute to some sites is about 45 minutes on public transportation. The neighborhood is quite diverse, and there is much to see and do within walking distance or a short subway ride. The Big Apple boasts of great cultural and recreational experiences not to be missed!

Sites of Service

Mercy Center Bronx
www.mercycenterbronx.org

Mission: To provide educational, technical, human and supportive services to women, parents and other family members, empowering them to reach their full human potential, lead meaningful lives, and be agents of change in their families and communities.

Mercy Center is a neighborhood center for women and families in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. It offers a variety of programs to a primarily immigrant population (mostly Spanish-speaking): Family Alternatives to Violence, employment training, ESL/Immigrant Services, personal development and programs for the children of the women and families served. Two volunteers are needed to serve as a youth worker, coordinating the children’s after school activities; and social services assistant, assisting with the various outreach programs.

MercyFirst
www.mercyfirst.org

Mission: To inspire hope and promote healing for children and families by providing quality human services and educational opportunities while advocating for social change.

MercyFirst helps abused and neglected children; children with serious emotional problems; teenagers and young adults who are without family; and families coping with the stress and pressures of poverty, domestic violence, mental illness and substance abuse. Programs include family support and after-school programs; foster homes and adoption services; group homes and campus-based residential programs; and medical and mental health services. A volunteer is needed to serve as the assistant to the youth development coordinator for the foster boarding home program, assisting young people (ages 14-21) in developing life skills.

CINCINNATI
Sites of Service
Bethany House Services, Inc.
Bethany House Services collaborates with others to provide emergency and affordable permanent housing to homeless and disadvantaged women and children. To meet the special needs of homeless families in an integrated, coordinated fashion, BHS formed the Family Shelter Partnership Program bringing together the energy, particular focus and expertise of 6 area family shelters. The FSPP also collaborates with Hamilton County Job and Family Services to bring Children's Services referrals into the partnership.  Over 2000 unduplicated homeless persons are served annually in the BHS programs. The agency hub is located on the west side of Cincinnati and plays an active role in the culturally and racially diverse neighborhood.  Emergency shelter and case management take place in a 25-bed homelike facility (in the hub) as well as at a local motel. More information can be found on their website: www.bethanyhouseservices.org .  A volunteer would enjoy the diversity that an agency like BHS provides and would be oriented, trained and supervised to participate in a variety of the agency services and programs depending on the person's interests, talents and desires.  A program of daytime and evening volunteering would be great and would provide the most variety for an immersion experience that is fulfilling and meaningful in terms of interaction with shelter guests, staff and volunteers.

St. Boniface School
St. Boniface School is a fully accredited Catholic elementary school grades K-8.  It is one of a cluster of eight inner-city schools that are partially funded by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  More information can be found on their website:  www.stbonifacecincinnati.com .  A volunteer is needed to tutor students, assist classroom teachers, help the students in the computer lab or school library, offer occasional office assistance and/or assist/coordinate major school celebrations and events.  There are many opportunities for service from which a volunteer may choose.

Nativity Parish
Nativity Parish is a medium-sized urban parish with a school of 377 students located in a racially and economically mixed neighborhood. The people of the parish are involved and committed to maintaining the vitality of the community being affected by a population shift to the suburbs.  More information can be found on their website:  www.nativity-cincinnati.org .  A volunteer is needed to represent the parish at the local food pantry and community arts center and to work with parish organizations—St. Vincent de Paul Society and St. Ann - and the school  This requires a flexible volunteer with initiative for these diverse activities. His/her talents will shape the job description for unmet needs in the parish community.

A special note about the next 2 service sites : In 2007, both the H.O.M.E. Program and Mercy Connections plan to merge with a third Mercy-related organization, Healing Connections, Inc.  Although two different role descriptions are given above, a volunteer could serve in both programs, if that would be the choice.

Sisters of Mercy H.O.M.E. Program
The mission of the H.O.M.E. Program is to enhance the quality of life of the elderly poor and people with special needs who lack basic necessities.  HOME provides service to clients in two low-income neighborhoods of Cincinnati, OH.  Clients are predominantly African-American.  A flexible and compassionate volunteer is needed to work with the nurse and outreach workers to visit and assess clients in their homes, nursing home, or hospital.  The volunteer will also assist with planning activities in the senior housing units, managing the food pantry, and serving “walk in” clients.

Mercy Connections
Mercy Connections provides support, services and resources in a nurturing environment with the goal of improving life for families and individuals.  More than 90% of clients and students are African-American, with more than 90% living in poverty. The education and support programs help individuals and families gain the skills they need to achieve self-sufficiency, live successfully in the community, and break the cycle of poverty in their lives.  More information can be found on their website: www.mercycon.org .  The volunteer would be asked to tutor adults in GED and remedial studies, tutor or instruct in computer ed classes, and assist with other computer-oriented projects.

ERIE
Erie is the 4th largest city in Pennsylvania and is noted for the beautiful Presque Isle State Park. The newly-opened Tom Ridge Environmental Center offers history and education on the park. The weather can be very cold and snowy in the winter. The Sisters of Mercy offer opportunities for spiritual enrichment and recreation. The volunteers will live in an apartment on the campus of Mercyhurst College.

Sites of Service

SafeNet Domestic Violence Safety Network
www.safenet.erie

Mission: To commit to ending domestic violence and affirming human dignity by delivering comprehensive direct services to victims of domestic violence and changing systems that may help or hinder getting free from abuse.

SafeNet provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, counseling, medical outreach, and community educa- tion and training. SafeNet serves mostly women and children, of all ages and backgrounds. Two volunteers are needed to take hotline calls, assist with victims who come to the shelter, provide domestic violence education, and participate in advocacy work. Training is provided.

PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia is rich in both its history and diversity. Philly is known for its neighborhoods. Volunteers live in a residential home in an urban neighborhood. Volunteers utilize public transportation as it is very accessible in this urban environment. Biking is also a very popular mode of transportation. For more information go to www.gophila.org.

Sites of Service

Bethesda Project
www.bethesdaproject.org

Mission: Seeking God’s guidance and believing that we are responsible for each other as members of one family, the mission of Bethesda Project is to find and care for the abandoned poor and be family with those who have none.

Bethesda Project is a faith-based community which builds communities among the homeless poor of Philadelphia. Since 1979, Bethesda has worked in collaboration with local church communities and social service agencies to offer housing, supportive services, and community life programs to homeless and formerly homeless men and women afflicted with serious physical, psychological, and behavioral disabilities. Two volunteers are needed in the following positions: 1) community life assistant, developing programs which shape the residential houses into familial homes and 2) shelter assistant, working at Our Brothers’ Place shelter assisting homeless men to stabilize their condition and transition into supportive housing.

Mercy Neighborhood Ministries
www.mercyneighbors.org

Mission: To create partnerships and services that respond to the needs of those who are poor in the North Philadelphia community, especially women, children and persons with special needs. Consistent with the gospel values and vision of Catherine McAuley, the focus of these ministries is to identify needs which are not being met by other groups, to respond to these needs over time, and to fulfill them in a collaborative and empowering way.

Mercy Neighborhood Ministries offers a variety of wholistic programs to the residents of the Tioga neighborhood that support individuals for life: school-age child care, adult education and human development, workforce development, as well as a supervised adult day care program for special needs adults. The population served is one that is culturally rich, predominantly African American, and economically poor. Two volunteers are needed in the following positions: 1) assistant activities coordinator, coordinating and directing activities for the adult day care program and 2) assistant adult education coordinator, assisting with adult education, human development and workforce development programs.

Project H.O.M.E.
www.projecthome.org

Mission: To provide permanent solutions to homelessness and poverty through housing, education, employment, health care, and the revitalization of a low-income community.

Project H.O.M.E. provides a continuum of services for children, youth and adults who are homeless/chronically homeless. These include: street outreach; supportive, transitional, and permanent housing options; community-based supportive employment and education opportunities for youth and adults. Project H.O.M.E. also provides education and advocacy to the larger community on behalf of and with homeless and low- income persons for more just and human public policies. Two volunteers are needed in the following positions: 1) case aide, assisting case managers in carrying out consumer goal plans and providing outreach services to homeless individuals and 2) assistant education enrichment specialist, teaching teens in an after-school program and providing academic and college/job-readiness programs to neighborhood youth.