Volunteer at Casa Posada Esperanza (Women's Shelter)
If you are interested in volunteering at Posada Esperanza, please contact posadaesperanza@yahoo.com
For more information about our organization visit: http://www.casamarianella.org/posada-esperanza/
Homework Helper
When kids come home to Posada from school, they need someone to sit down with them to help them get homework done. Some kids just need the help focusing, while others might need some tutoring. We work with moms and volunteers to offer after school tutoring for the kids — and we need your help! Weekday afternoons 3-5pm.
Commitment: One weekday afternoon a week from 3-5pm
Qualifications: Patience and willingness to work with kids
Adopt-A-Room
Is your group looking for a meaningful project that will directly impact the lives of women and children? Our shelter is housed in a neighborhood in Austin, and some of the rooms need some repair and TLC. The amount of work needed varies by room; some rooms need expensive, labor intensive items like new windows or cabinets, while others mostly just need a new paint job and furniture repair/replacement. We will work with your group to come up with a plan for the room, then your group will raise funds, gather donations, and put in the work to make it a reality.
Morning Education Leader
Are you looking for bilingual opportunities to give back to the immigrant population? At the shelter, we provide one hour classes for moms every Tuesday through Friday morning from 8:30-9:30. We need instructors for ESL, nutrition, parenting, personal finance, goal setting, or other subjects as suggested by YOU! Volunteers should be able to commit to one morning a week for at least 4 weeks. We have some flexibility in working with your schedule if you will have to miss a week or two. Please contact us to discuss your ideas for class subjects.
Commitment: One morning a week; arrive at 8:15 and stay until 9:30am
Qualifications: Must be bilingual in Spanish and English, approve class subject/content with staff member
Morning Child Care Volunteer
Do you love working with children and do you want to provide an important service to homeless families? During weekday classes for moms, we provide on-site child care and educational activities for one hour every Tuesday through Friday morning from 8:30-9:30. Lesson plan and materials are provided, all we need is YOU to help with kids ages 1 to 4 from various cultural backgrounds. Previous experience working with children is preferred but not required.
Commitment: One morning a week; arrive at 8:15 to set up, stay until 9:45 to help clean up.
Qualifications: Experience working with kids is preferred but not required
Lawn and Grounds Maintenance
We are looking for hard-working volunteers who are interested in coming weekly or monthly to tend to the yard at our shelter. We have limited lawn equipment, so ideal volunteers would be able to bring some of their own equipment, or seek equipment donations. Posada Esperanza has a very laid back environment, and we enjoy getting to know our volunteers! Please contact us for more information.
Commitment: 1-2 times a month
Qualifications: Willingness to help; it is preferred that volunteers have access to lawn equipment.
Appointment Advocate
Navigating social services can be a daunting task for anyone, and that is often magnified for Posada Esperanza residents who have limited transportation and English speaking skills or who are new to Austin or to Texas. We are looking for advocates to drive Posada residents to their appointments and help to make sure that they have understood all of the needed information and they have communicated their needs. Appointment advocates operate on a flexible schedule and can either offer specific times they are available, or be available for us to call when we have a particular need.
Commitment: Usually a few hours each outing, as often as available
Qualifications: Have your own transportation or be comfortable with the busses, understand safe driving policies (including child safety seats, which we have in the office)
Organize a Diaper Drive
We need diapers of all sizes! Many of our families have infants, and diapers can become a huge expense for families who are struggling for housing and financial stability. We provide diapers to residents as often as we have them, but our arsenal of diapers depends on people like YOU, community members who pool their resources to buy diapers of all sizes, but especially 3 and 4, for the babies staying at Posada Esperanza. That way, families’ resources can be used towards housing goals.
Commitment: One-time or repeating opportunity
Qualifications: Willingness to organize to help our families in need!
Needed: Handyman
Do you have a knowledge of household maintenance such as basic plumbing and electrical repairs, and use of basic tools? Our shelter is located in 3 houses in a neighborhood in Austin, and our houses, like any other houses, always have minor repairs that need doing. We are looking for a skilled handyman (or woman) who can come once or twice a month to check up on maintenance needs and fix what they can and offer recommendations on how to go about fixing issues that are beyond their realm of expertise. Common issues include: leaky faucet, overhead light issues, stuck fences, etc.
Commitment: 1-2 times a month, weekdays or weekends are ok
Qualifications: handyman skills and access to some of your own tools
Needed: Tech Consultant
Are you ‘that friend’ that people call on when their computer gives them the blue screen of death or when they can’t figure out how to get their printer connected? We need someone who is comfortable with computers and technology who we can call when we have issues we don’t know how to address. Common problems include printer connectivity, computer maintenance, website maintenance, improving our online presence. Ideally, a Tech Consultant would be available to come to Posada at least once a month to check in on minor repairs or questions, as well as being available for us to call or email when we have questions or need technology advice.
Commitment: at least once a month, preferably for at least 6 months
Qualifications: Experience and knowledge in basic computer skills, website maintenance, willingness to empower us to fix things ourselves
We always welcome new faces and fresh ideas here at Posada so contact us and get involved!