Volunteer Opportunities

Many Ways to Get involved

There are many ways that you can volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul. Whether you would like to serve once, coordinate a group project or get involved on a regular basis, we are grateful for your time and talents.

Call Center
Every day, an average of 200 neighbors in need call St. Vincent de Paul for assistance. Volunteers are needed to return calls and assist people through the application process. Learn more, view shifts, and register here. 

Welcome Room
Volunteers engage with neighbors seeking assistance, assess their needs and eligibility, provide assistance from St. Vincent de Paul and referrals to community partners. Learn more, view shifts, and register here. 

Home Visits
Every Tuesday morning, we send pairs of volunteers out into the community to visit the homes of our neighbors in need. These visits allow us to better understand the needs of our neighbors and provide them with help when necessary. Learn more, view shifts, and register here. 

Thrift Stores
Volunteers help sort donations, create displays, straighten and stock shelves and racks. Our thrift stores have evening and weekend hours, so this is a great opportunity for individuals who work or go to school during the week. Learn more, view shifts, and register here. 

Group Volunteer Opportunities

St. Vincent de Paul offers meaningful group volunteer opportunities that make a lasting impact. To get started, please complete this form. 

Food Pantry
Groups of 15 or less can sign up to stock shelves, sort donations, and accompany neighbors as they shop. This is a great way to directly serve our neighbors receiving services. Groups can schedule a shift during our Outreach Center hours. Pantry volunteers must be over the age of 14.  

Thrift Stores
Groups of 10 or less can volunteer at our thrift store locations throughout Cincinnati. Volunteers help sort donations, create displays, straighten and stock shelves and racks.

Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank
Groups of 15 or less can volunteer to count, sort, and wrap diapers. Most tasks can be completed sitting or standing, and volunteers in standing roles should be comfortable lifting up to 20 pounds.  

Off-site Projects
We have a number of off-site opportunities that larger groups can participate in:

• T-shirt Bags: Have a lot of old/unused t-shirts? We can use those too! You can create a bag out of your t-shirts for our neighbors who walk or use public transportation. Our neighbors love these as they provide a more secure bag for their groceries.
• Hygiene Bags: Collect travel size hygiene items (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) and put together hygiene bags for us to give out to our neighbors. These personal care items are a huge need for us because our neighbors cannot use food stamps to buy hygiene items and they’re not donated as frequently as other items.
• Kids’ Bags: These are given to kids who are waiting for services with their parents. They could include a small snack (granola bar, fruit snack, etc.) and something to occupy the child (coloring page with crayons, Play-Do, a small toy, etc.).
  
• Birthday Box: Collect and assemble bags with cake mix, frosting and candles for us to share with neighbors celebrating birthdays.
• Recipe Kits: Collect items used to make a specific recipe and put the ingredients in a bag (recipe included) to be given to a neighbor (for example, a bag with a pie crust and pie filling or a bag with beans, tomatoes, spices and a recipe to make chili).

Click here for Group Sign Up

Annual Events

Prescription Fore Fun Golf Outing  

Join St. Vincent de Paul for our annual Golf Outing, benefiting the Charitable Pharmacy. Volunteers are needed to help make the day a hole-in-one!  

RetroFittings
Hosted in partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), RetroFittings features a one-of-a-kind fashion show, boutique shopping, silent auction, raffle and more.  Proceeds benefit St. Vincent de Paul’s programs, helping neighbors in need access essential resources. Volunteers are needed to help this night shine! 

Event Planning Committees
Volunteers are also needed on the planning committees for these events, Committee members play a key role by attending meetings, offering ideas and feedback, and helping to secure donations to ensure the event’s success. If you are interested in joining a committee or would like more information, please contact events@SVDPcincinnati.org.

Strike Out Hunger
Every year we partner with the Cincinnati Reds to collect nonperishable food items for our Catino Choice Food Pantry. Those who bring a minimum of three items will receive a free ticket voucher for a future game.  We need volunteers to help direct fans, collect donations and distribute ticket vouchers outside Great American Ballpark.

Holiday Volunteer Opportunities

Our seasonal events and distributions would not be possible without the volunteers who give their time. These events require extra help before, during, and after to ensure everything runs smoothly. To sign up or learn more, please contact volunteers@SVDPcincinnati,org or visit svdpcincinnati.org/homefortheholidays.

Trunk or Treat
Volunteers are needed to park their cars, open their trunks and greet kids as they come knocking, because just like with trick or treating, the more stops there are the better the experience!

Coat Distributions
Volunteers are needed for registration, hospitality, sorting and stocking, as well as assisting neighbors as they pick out coats. Distributions are held at various offsite locations in November and December. Click here to learn more.

Thanksgiving Food Distribution: Volunteers are needed to sort, bag and carry food.  This event is held on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at the Don and Phyllis Neyer Outreach Center.

Christmas Food Distribution: Volunteers are needed to sort, bag and carry food. This event is held each December at the Don and Phyllis Neyer Outreach Center. 

Christmas Together: Volunteers are needed for sorting, registration, shopping assistance, restocking, and watching children, This event is held on multiple dates in December at the Don and Phyllis Neyer Outreach Center. 

Charitable Pharmacy Volunteer Opportunities

Consistent volunteers are needed at the Charitable Pharmacy in a variety of roles:

• Non-healthcare volunteers sort medication donations and assist staff in our Patient Advocacy and Insurance Navigation department
• Volunteer pharmacists verify prescriptions, verify medication donations, and provide clinical pharmacy services
• Volunteer pharmacy interns/technicians fill prescriptions and sort medication donations
• Volunteer physicians and nurses provide free clinic patient care and lab services
• Volunteer interpreters assist pharmacy staff to provide direct patient care

For more information, please contact Director of Pharmacy, Lydia Bailey, PharmD, BCACP at 513-562-8841, ext. 963, or Lbailey@svdpcincinnati.org or complete the pharmacy-specific volunteer application.

Looking for a more immersive volunteer experience?

Ozanam Center for Service Learning
The Ozanam Center for Service Learning offers day, weekend or weeklong immersion experiences that challenge participants to see those who are struggling not as “the poor,” but as neighbors. The Center custom designs retreats, offers both faith-based and secular retreats, and engages diverse individuals in service, education and reflection on spiritual values. Contact the Ozanam Center at 513-562-8841, ext. 231, or ozanam@SVDPcincinnati.org.

Join a Conference
The core of our Society’s work is done by more than 1,000 members in over 50 St. Vincent de Paul Conferences, including special works conferences, across Hamilton County. A conference is a small group of volunteers, typically associated with a parish or school, who visit those in need to assess their situations and help however possible. For more information, please contact Alec Jewell at 513-562-8841, ext. 234, or ajewell@SVDPcincinnati.org.