Volunteer
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Sleepless in Seattle!
Volunteer opportunities are available for people regardless of experience and qualifications.
If you would like to volunteer for the Big Give on Saturday, December 16th, 2017, please fill out this volunteer signup form, and we will get back to you in November with placement options.
As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to:
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Build relationships and make friends.
We believe that in the context of friendship, "people happen." Friends provide emotional support and empower one another to make healthy life choices.
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Meet immediate needs.
Teams will help provide basic life essentials like food, water, sleeping bags, as needs arises.
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Make referrals to appropriate social services.
Teams will partner with appropriate nonprofits, businesses, and social services to make referrals (e.g. long-term housing options).
Big Give schedule
On the day of the Big Give, volunteers will arrive at their designated zones and be given instructions for the day. Here’s a look at the day’s schedule:
2pm-3pm - Orientation & Loading Cars
Orientation will cover safety information as well as instructions on how to approach individuals on the streets. Cars will be loaded with sleeping bags and other goods.
3pm-6pm - Volunteers Disperse Throughout Region
Volunteers will disperse to zones within their region to meet, serve, and befriend people in need with a sleeping bag and a smile.
Reaching the Greater Seattle Area
Teams will be sent to each of the neighborhoods below during the Big Give.
Neighborhood map.
Photos from previous years:
Stories from previous years
The One with the Breakthrough
Jessica (volunteer from Sleepless in Seattle's 2015 Big Give)
"My team was assigned Covington, Black Diamond, Maple Valley and Auburn. We drove all over the place for hours, stopping at every church, park, recreational area, community center, and parking lot. We didn't find anyone until we swung by the Auburn Public Library. That's where we found Jonathan. He had absolutely nothing with him except a small backpack and was shivering from the thin coat he had on.
As we went through the contents of the care package. He was like a kid in a candy store, but his eyes misted up when I pulled out a handmade card that said "Stay Strong!" I told him I would be writing about him and asked if he had anything to say to the world. He immediately said "tell them that Jonathan McDonald is on his way!" So watch out everyone - with our help and compassion, he can get out from the cold. All he needs is a break, just as all of us needed a break at one time in our life."
The One with the Red Gloves
Kim (volunteer from Sleepless in Seattle's 2014 Big Give)
"I experienced a few moments towards the end of our mission that will be forever in my mind and heart. We saw several homeless men sleeping on the ground under an overpass in Pioneer Square and we pulled over to offer sleeping bags and a caring word.
I woke someone covered head to toe in blankets. The face that peeked out was that of an elderly gentleman who appeared to me to be in his eighties. He gave me a sleepy smile and nodded that he would like the sleeping bag I offered. I asked if we could open it and cover him with it and he nodded again. He then nodded towards a red hat and gloves that a prior Good Samaritan had left. I asked if I could help him put them on, and he said no that they were for me... I tried several times to politely decline and he implored me to take them as his Christmas gift to me."
Sign Up to Volunteer
Looking for other ways to help? Check out United Way's list of homelessness-related volunteering opportunities.