Volunteer Opportunities
A little time goes a long way
There’s more than one way to give to Open Gate. Our programs require a team of volunteers working with participants and behind the scenes each week. If you’re interested in getting involved, check out the different ways you can help.
Join us on Sunday: Sign Up to Volunteer
With the Participants
There are several ways to work with our participants each Sunday:
- Help sort and organize the clothes in the closet
- Greet and engage with participants throughout the service
- Watch and entertain the children
- Help with hygiene pack and food pantry distribution
- Act as a table facilitator
All participant volunteers are subject to a background check and training.
Behind the Scenes
IN THE KITCHEN
We need volunteers to help with food preparation, serving, and clean up to make our dinners successful. This is the perfect role for a behind-the-scenes person with culinary or kitchen management skills. Arriving as early as 12:30pm will help us prepare for the day!
SET UP AND CLEAN UP
The church is used by various groups throughout the week, which means we need help setting up and cleaning up the dining tables, TV, games, resource table, and with programming.
Kitchen volunteers are subject to a background check and training.
At Home
If Sundays are not the best day for you to volunteer but you would like to help, consider putting together packets for our participants. Sometimes called “Manna Bags,” these packets could contain bottles of water, snacks, mosquito spray, socks, hand sanitizer or baby wipes, or other items that may be useful to our participants. These are helpful for meeting the day-to-day needs of our participants.
Whether you want to work with our participants or behind-the-scenes, we always have a need for volunteers.
Stats as of September 30, 2026
Volunteer Hours
237 Unduplicated Volunteers
Donations
More than one way to give
People don’t have time to give to every organization they want to support, and if volunteering doesn’t fit your schedule, there are other ways to give. Open Gate relies on the generous financial and material donations of our supporters.
Financial
From $5 for a METRO card up to $200 to sponsor a Hawthorne Dinner, every monetary donation we receive is appreciated and helps us in achieving our mission.
Donate Now ➞
Goods
Many of the services we provide require material resources such as clothing, blankets, and more. We accept new or gently used items* to help stock our clothing closet and fill our backpacks.
*We only accept new underwear and socks.
Current Needs
You may drop off clothing at the Bering Memorial United Methodist Church office.
Clothing
- Infant clothes
- Kids clothes & shoes
- Men’s Jeans: especially sizes 30-34
- Men’s T-shirts: sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Men’s Underwear: sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Men’s and Women’s Socks: especially black and no-see
- Dark color Women’s Underwear: sizes L & XL
Hygiene
- Body wash
- Deodorant
- Small packs of body wipes
- Laundry detergent pods*
Household Items
- Paper Towels
- Toilet Paper
- Hand Soap
Dinner Sponsorships
Dinner sponsorships are only $200 and provide a home-cooked meal for 50-65 participants each week.
Canned Foods for Food Pantry Distribution
- Chili w/ beans or no beans
- Ravioli Beef
- Tuna
- Corn
- Black Beans
- Baked Beans
- Savory Vegetable Soup
- Steak & Potato Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Creamy Chicken & Dumpling
- Vegetable Soup
- Granola Bars
- Pop Tarts
- Snack sized chips
- Pineapples
- Peaches
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly – Strawberry or Grape
- Mustard
- Ketchup
Check back often for updates.
Interested in becoming a Partner?
Group Volunteering, vendor Services, Investors/Grant Offerings, or more...
There are countless ways to support Open Gate. Tell us a little more about how you'd like to help and a member of our team will be in touch.