Earn service hours and engage in your community this summer by volunteering with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas! Below are our top service hour opportunities for students this summer.

Hope Distribution Center: Hope Distribution Center (HDC) serves as the central location for food distribution to our eight food pantries across the 21 counties of the Archdiocese. Volunteers slots are available daily to help sort and package food in the warehouse. There are even some evening/weekend opportunities available every so often that are promoted on our social media. HDC volunteers must be at least 8 years old to participate.

TurnStyles Thrift Stores: Our TurnStyles Thrift Stores are well-known throughout the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and rely heavily on volunteers for store operations! Groups from schools and local companies volunteer at our stores on a regular basis, providing tremendous impact through helping process and tag donations, put items on the sales floor and maintain the look/organization of the store. Children volunteers must be at least 14 years of age to volunteer at TurnStyles Thrift alone. Those aged 10-13 must be accompanied by an adult. Please call TurnStyles Thrift Store directly if you are looking to fulfill service hours. 

Food Distributions & Food Drives: Catholic Charities hosts food drives and food distributions where families and seniors receive food assistance. These are scheduled at various times throughout the month, and Sign-Up Genius links are available to sign up at the links provided below.

Hy-Vee food drives provide an opportunity for volunteers to collect donations from grocery shoppers. After food is collected, it is then delivered to Catholic Charities’ Overland Park Family Support Center food pantry. Volunteers assist with collecting donations and packing items onto a truck. Volunteers must be 12 years or older to participate. 

Catholic Charities Mobile Food Distributions take place across the metro and in Lawrence. They provide individuals and families additional access to healthy perishable foods, including fresh fruits, vegetables and refrigerated items! Volunteers are needed to sort and unload food off pallets, then place the items into cars. Volunteers must be 12 years or older to participate. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Mobile Food Distribution is a food distribution just for seniors! Volunteers at this distribution must be between 16-18 years old if no parent is present. Children ages 12-15 must be accompanied by a guardian.

Family Support Centers: Our Family Support Centers (FSCs) are the first location our clients experience when they come to Catholic Charities for assistance. At FSCs, clients meet with case managers to discuss their situation and receive assistance. Anyone can access food through our food pantries, which are located within FSCs. Volunteers help out at our FSCs with tasks like keeping the food pantry clean and shelves well-stocked. They also walk guests through the pantry ensuring that they select the designated amount of food. Volunteers may also help guests make healthy food choices. 

A few of our Family Support Centers also have clothing closets. Volunteers are always needed to help sort donations, organize the closet and assist guests as they get clothing they need. All FSC volunteers must be at least 16 years of age, with a guardian present.

For more information about these volunteer opportunities please visit our website or email [email protected].