CCEL Spring Saturday of Service

The Hunger Network has been working to end hunger and build a healthier communities for over 25 years. Volunteer at the new neighborhood pantry! Volunteers are needed to help visitors shop and check out.

East Mount Zion collaborates with the Cleveland Food Bank to offer a Food Pantry on the 4th Saturday of every month for all in their community. Volunteers are needed in handing out donations.

Join the horticulture staff in a Spring Cleaning at the Cleveland Botanical Garden for a fun day outside in our garden! The Garden is a magical place rich with interactive educational experiences for children of all ages, abilities, and interests. Volunteers are needed to get it ready for our guests. Volunteers for this opportunity should be willing to: assist in removing invasive species from the gardens; help with raking leaves, sweeping walkways, and clearing paths; hose down equipment and children's play areas. Please wear appropriate attire for the weather/activity and come prepared to get dirty!

The Trinity Cathedral/Charlie Comella Urban Farm is beginning its 18th year. The farm grows fruit, vegetables and herbs which are given away 100% to neighborhood residents experiencing hunger and food insecurity in Cleveland's Central neighborhood. The farm has 121 raised beds used for growing vegetables, numerous dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees, berry bushes and herb gardens. Tasks include planting seeds, prepping raised beds, weeding, trimming, and installing and extending drip irrigation (to connect with our current system) to six new beds built last year.

This project will take place primarily outdoors, so volunteers should dress for the weather, bring a filled water bottle, wear comfortable, work-appropriate clothes and closed-toed shoes.

Shoes and Clothes for Kids' goal is to improve K-8 school attendance by eliminating lack of appropriate clothing, shoes, and school supplies as barriers. Volunteers will be counting, organizing, and sorting inventory. Individuals will also assist with fulfilling on-line orders and stuffing uniform packages. Volunteers will be working in the warehouse and should dress appropriately, layers are recommended. Closed-toed shoes are strictly required. Students under 18 will need a parent/guardian signature on the waiver to participate.

The City Mission has provided help and hope to the Cleveland's hurting and unhoused for over a century. Its mission is to empower all in crisis to overcome their unique, complex paths to homelessness. The organization aims to meet basic human needs of food, shelter, and caring. Volunteers are needed for organizational tasks and painting at the shelter.

The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge program provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers. More than just a roof over their heads, it's a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. Each Hope Lodge community offers a supportive, homelike environment where guests can share a meal, join in the evening's activities, or unwind in their own private room. There are several areas where assistance is needed from volunteers.  They are hoping to revamp their reading library.  We have a beautiful, compact reading library for our guests and caregivers who are here to receive cancer treatments. It is in desperate need of a revamp in the form of donating some of the out-of-date material and rearranging them onto he shelves. They also need to be filed by category once more.

Goods Bank NEO bridges the gap by getting new, quality goods donated by generous companies to people in need and the organizations that serve them. They help nonprofits, schools and faith-based organizations provide new goods to the people they serve or use them to support their operations, all for a nominal handling fee. Volunteers will help sort and stock shelves, build furniture pieces and help visitors shop.

Help serve a meal with the H.O.P.E. Hot Meal Soup Kitchen! The Hot meal Program has been operating as a ministry of Outreach to the community since 1983. Several thousands of meals are served to men, women and children every year. We are in need of volunteers that will assist in organizing the pantry, logging refrigerator temperatures and assistance in the kitchen with meal preparation.

Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry Men's Shelter is an organization that is committed to providing emergency shelter, supportive services, and solutions to the unhoused. Volunteers will assist in serving dinner from the shelter's kitchen. Volunteers should dress comfortably but modestly (i.e. - no tank tops, tight clothes, or shorts). Volunteers are strictly required to wear closed-toed shoes and long pants to participate in this project. Any volunteers under 18 years old, should contact dxh559@case.edu with CCEL in advance of the event for a parent/guardian waiver.

Garden@Case is a community garden maintained by faculty, staff, and students of Case Western Reserve University. Volunteers raise the food to be donated to local food banks. The mission includes: to encourage a group of diverse volunteers and appreciate the contributions of all, to foster an environment of interpersonal relationships, group dynamics (planning, organizing, deciding), and to cultivate support through networking, advocacy, and activist.