Update on 10.6.19: due to sharp decreases in the number of refugees we are receiving, Annunciation House is not currently accepting short-term volunteers. We are always accepting applications for year-long volunteers and local community volunteers–see info below.
Volunteer with us. Annunciation House is run entirely by volunteers, who live and work in our houses of hospitality. And what do the volunteers do? Well, we hesitate to describe a typical day. Each guest, each day is new, and so provides a new opportunity to learn how to love and serve. Nevertheless, volunteers have four main areas of responsibility: guest-servant shifts that oversee the daily routine of the house; serving as a contact person for guests in formulating plans and connecting to needed services; weekly rotations, which are chores where each volunteer takes a turn; and permanent duties, such as keeping the pantry stocked or the clothing bank organized.
THREE WAYS TO SERVE:
Year-long commitment. Individuals coming to live and work at the house find that it takes several months to feel knowledgeable of all that it takes to be a good volunteer and servant of the homeless poor. For this reason, people wishing to volunteer at Annunciation House are expected to make a commitment to serve at the house for at least one year. (The two exceptions are described below.) Volunteers receive no pay in their first year, and longer-term volunteers receive a stipend that increases with the years of service.
Summer Service. For people who cannot make a year-long commitment but still wish to serve in our houses, we have a ten-week summer program. Summer volunteers do everything that year-long volunteers do, simply with more guidance. Find out more here.
Community volunteers. We welcome involvement from people who live in the El Paso/Juarez area and want to help out a few hours each week on an ongoing basis. We ask for a commitment of at least four hours a week for a minimum of three months. More information on community volunteers here.
Community. Volunteers form a close-knit community. Besides the common ground of living and working together, the volunteers of each house meet every morning for reflection; take time off together each month to relax and have fun; and often form friendships that last for life.
