MUM Needs Volunteers

MUM Needs Volunteers

MUM is looking for volunteers in these areas:

Pantry

MUM maintains our Food Pantry at our office for our clients.  Duties include:

  1. Stocking the shelves
  2. Distributing food to clients
  3. Providing intake for new clients
  4. Maintaining the client database
  5. Receiving and processing food donations

Commitment – Two volunteers are needed to fill four-hour shifts three days a week.

Mobile Pantry

MUM needs people to help with our Mobile Food Pantry.  Duties include:

  1. Assisting the Mobile Food Pantry driver to load up the truck
  2. Set-up site (tent, food table, paperwork ) for the Mobile Food Pantry distribution
  3. Welcome and intake new clients coming for food
  4. Maintain paper records of visits that can be transferred to MUM’s database
  5. Qualify client and assist with food selection
  6. Assist in breaking down at the distribution site
  7. Assist driver in returning undistributed food

Commitment – Two volunteers are needed from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at each of the locations listed below:

First Sunday:
Aspen Hill Christian Church
13501 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20906
2:00 – 4:00 PM

Second Sunday:
Millian Methodist Church
13016 Parkland Drive
Rockville, MD 20853
2:00 – 4:00 PM

Fourth Sunday:
Pepper Tree Farms Apartment
14120 Weeping Willow Dr.
Silver Spring, MD 20906
2:00 – 4:00 PM

Bilingual Interpreters/Translators

MUM serves clients of many backgrounds including those who do not speak or have limited fluency and literacy in English. The predominant need is Spanish to English. We need translators who can:

  1. Provide language skills to help clients coming to MUM for the first time who may need help with documents and applying for services
  2. Help current clients who come in (and call) seeking everything from general information to specific help
  3. Provide bilingual assistance to help those who visit the office Food Pantry and Mobile Food Pantry  

Commitment – We would like to find one bilingual person to be at our office and our Mobile Pantry each time we are meeting clients. Thus we can use more than one person. (See schedule and locations above for our Mobile Food Pantry)

Director’s Assistant

MUM needs an energetic, highly committed person to be trained to assist our Executive Director. The tasks include overseeing MUM volunteers, and assist with case management for clients who receive financial assistance from MUM. Essentially the volunteer for the Director’s Assistant position will be trained to step into the Executive Director’s role in his absence.

Other:

  1. Grant Writer – MUM needs people to research grant sources, and then apply for relevant grants. This will include applying for grants, writing proposals and the grants including completing standard grant background information about MUM and writing the narrative story.
  2. Computer Specialist – MUM needs someone who can troubleshoot computer hardware and software issues that arise. This person will provide maintenance and be available on-call on an as-needed basis.
  3. Social Media Specialist – MUM needs someone to manage our social media, including our website, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, etc.
  4. Drivers – MUM needs drivers who are comfortable picking up and delivering food and other items using their own vehicle.

Volunteering at MUM

There are great benefits in volunteering for MUM. You will engage with others who are passionate and committed to helping some of the most under-served fellow citizens in our community. Volunteering provides an opportunity to put your skills to good use and perhaps learn new ones. This can be valuable if you are retired, between jobs, or simply hear the call of service to others. Young people are encouraged to get involved as volunteers. In addition to providing your talents and learning new ones, your participation with MUM may fulfill needed SSL (Student Service Learning) hour credits.  To learn more and apply please call MUM at 301 929-8675.


About Steven J. Caplan

Steven J. Caplan is a freelance writer in the Washington, DC area. stevenjcaplan@gmail.com