Opportunities for Individuals

SHORT-TERM OPPORTUNITIES

Whether you’re back for a repeat visit, trying to earn required hours for school, working off community-service hours*, or just wanting to give us a “test drive”, opportunities for individuals are plentiful and typically require no more than 24-hours advanced notice.  Simply review the Orientation requirements and then give us a call! 

What’s Available

Kitchen – Designed by Outback Steakhouse, we prepare 1,600 meals daily for our residents and 27 partner meal sites in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties!   In the kitchen, you could find yourself doing meal preparation (e.g., cutting potatoes, washing chickens, or opening up hundreds of cans of mandarin oranges by hand), serving our residents in our dining facility, stocking shelves, washing dishes, mopping, or emptying the trash.  Besides the kitchen dress code of long pants, closed-toe shoes and a shirt with sleeves, you’ll be given your very own fashionable hair net to use while you’re working.   Best of all, it’s yours to keep and use over and over again at home, around the barbecue, or just during that special night out.

Hours – Daily from 5:30am-6:30pm

Outreach – Typically the first stop at Metropolitan Ministries for our clients, here you can bring hope directly to the local community by manning the front desk, playing with client children in our Kid’s Zone, assisting in the Employment Lab, managing telephones, making sandwiches, or helping clients shop in our Metro Market.  This is the ideal place for nursing students, volunteers interested in social services and anyone with a compassionate heart and a listening ear.

Hours – Mon, Wed-Sat from 9:00am-5:00pm; Tues from 9:00am-7:30pm.  Closed Sundays.

Thrift Store and Warehouses – You’ve seen them, made donations to them, and maybe shopped at them.  Now you can volunteer at our very own Thrift Store.  Help us at the counter serving clients, stocking shelves, and sorting donations.

Hours – Mon-Sat from 8:00am-4:00pm.  Closed Sundays.

PromiseLand – Did you know at any given time we typically have 8 babies living on our campus plus a Head Start program?  While their parents are working, completing school, or simply going through one of our resident programs, volunteers are needed to play and read to the children, rock babies, or simply be a helping hand to our staff.  These opportunities are limited and usually require a background check.

Hours – Mon-Fri from 7:00am-6:00pm.

Seasonal Opportunities – We have several events during the year, including Bridge Builder’s and Backpacks of Hope, but our trademark event is the Holiday Tent.  Up from October through December, it takes up to 800 volunteers daily!  Individuals and groups may find themselves registering clients, sorting donations, stocking our market, assisting clients with their shopping, playing with children, cleaning, leading a prayer time, or even performing on our stage.  A separate shift schedule will be posted, so be sure to include this in your annual volunteer planning.

How to Schedule – Contact Betty at 813-209-1045, betty.palios@metromin.org or Doug at 813-209-1237, doug.may@metromin.org.
(Please be patient--we will get back to you as soon as possible.)  

* With rare exceptions, we do NOT offer volunteer opportunities for "adults" required to serve court-mandated hours.  Minors who require court-mandated hours may contact the Volunteer Center.  Individuals needing community service hours (e.g., Workforce Alliance or Tampa Housing Authority) must first attend a screening in our Outreach Center held each Tuesday from 1:00pm-4:00pm.