Opportunity House offers the homeless population of Reading, PA, comprehensive services, including emergency shelter, access to child care, case management, and more – today and every day. If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities in Berks County, you won’t find a more worthy cause.
The Good Opportunity House Does
The efforts of Opportunity House center around helping the homeless. We strive to empower the homeless population by offering supportive services so that they can overcome the challenges that keep them from sustained housing.
Since 1984, Opportunity House has provided shelter to the homeless. We offer meals, childcare through the Second Street Learning Center, case management services, a food pantry, and connections to vital supportive services.
Help Us Provide These Services
As you can imagine, Opportunity House needs public and private support to provide the wide range of services we offer. Whether you bring non-perishable foods to the food pantry or new clothing and self-care essentials to the shelter, volunteer your time, or arrange for a one-time or recurring donation, the ways that you can support our mission are varied and needed!
Give to Yourself When You Give to Others
You may consider charitable giving a civic or moral responsibility, but you may not have realized the benefits of giving that you’ll experience for yourself. Helping your community strengthens your ties to it, resulting in a decreased sense of isolation and a greater sense of purpose.
Another significant benefit of helping Opportunity House is a greater appreciation for our circumstances. As volunteers interact with clients or hear their stories, we understand that the reasons for homelessness are as diverse as the clients we serve.
Opportunity House offers more than just shelter and a meal. We provide case management services to identify the support needed to recover from homelessness. Clients often need identification, licenses, child care, medical care, and substance abuse or alcoholism treatment. Opportunity House donations go far by addressing these concerns and providing residents with support.
Ways to Help
Help Opportunity House through donations of money, items, or time.
Financial donations are welcome through online arrangements, mail, or even in-person giving at the emergency shelter, OppShop, or one of our many fundraising events.
Item donations can be directed to the shelter, the thrift store or bins within our community. We welcome new toiletries, underwear, and gently used items to help clients furnish their home after homelessness or to resell to generate funds for the shelter’s work.
Volunteering opportunities are diverse and numerous. We can cater to your schedule and your skills with a corresponding volunteer opportunity.
Examples of volunteer opportunities include:
- Preparing and serving a meal – Round up a group of coworkers, church members, or close friends for a day helping others. Students can volunteer through church groups, sports teams or clubs.
- Committee service – The many fundraising events we put on each year require planning and volunteers for service. These events include the Souper Bowl; Wine, Women, and Shoes; Golf Outing; and Garden Party. We rely on volunteers to make these events a success.
- Day of service – We always welcome a pair of hands to help with a variety of tasks including to organize items at the shelter. pull together welcome baskets, weed the community garden, and perform other tasks.
- OppShop service – Volunteers at the thrift store sort merchandise, greet customers, and stock shelves, furthering the profits that support Opportunity House’s work.
If you’re looking for a charity worthy of your support in Berks County, consider Opportunity House volunteer opportunities and the importance of our provision of shelter, early learning programs, and case management today and every day. Our mission to help the most vulnerable of society can always use the support!
