Volunteer

Take Part – Your Time is Invaluable

Feed the Need

Feed the Need is a program where volunteers cook and serve meals to individuals experiencing homelessness at Shelterhouse. In 2025, Shelterhouse served over 109,000 meals, thanks to the dedication of our Feed the Need volunteers.

There are many ways to participate in Feed the Need.

  • Bring/Serve – Prepare food at a venue of your choice and bring and serve the meal on-site at one of the shelters.

  • Cook/Serve – Prepare and serve the meal using Shelterhouse’s kitchen.

  • Check Serve – Don’t have time to prepare a meal? Make a donation and the kitchen staff will make the preparations for you. All you have to do is come and serve. The cost is a $150 donation to feed clients at the women’s shelter and a $350 donation to feed clients and the men’s shelter.

When putting together your menu, prepare for 150 clients at The Barron Center (men’s shelter) and 60 clients at The Hatton Center (women’s shelter).

Please provide a protein, starch, vegetable, fruit, and dessert. Let us know if you need menu ideas, and we can help.

We serve every day Sunday through Saturday.

Breakfast: 7:00am – 7:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm – 12:30pm
Dinner: 6:00pm – 7:00pm

To fit comfortably on the serving line, we limit groups to a maximum of 5 at the women’s shelter and 10 at the men’s shelter.

For the safety of our volunteers, no one under the age of 12 will be allowed in the kitchen. Additionally, children ages 13 to 18 are required to be accompanied by an adult.

Our Volunteer Coordinator works with you to find the most convenient schedule, however, we realize you may need to cancel or reschedule. We ask that you give us 24-hour notice, so we can prepare and alternative for our clients.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

  • Sort and organize donations
  • Provide employment/interview guidance to residents
  • Organize a drive at your school, church, or office to collect donations
  • Provide snack time for our residents
  • Share your talents with our residents (hair cutting, crafts, music, etc.)
  • Volunteer as a game host
  • Assist our facilities team with landscaping, furniture assembly and other large-scale projects

Shelterhouse’s Volunteer Coordinator will help you schedule and plan your Feed the Need meal or similar volunteer project.

We are open to unique volunteer project ideas based on your expertise and interests. Please reach out to John Reynolds at jreynolds@shelterhousecincy.org at 513-345-2056