Volunteering at Raphael House is an opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the future of the parents and children we serve as well as the San Francisco community at large. Virtually every aspect of life at Raphael House depends upon the support of our volunteers. As a Raphael House volunteer you will join a diverse network of over 2,000 fellow volunteers who support our families each year.
On Mondays and Thursdays, from 3:30–7PM, groups of 3 to 6 volunteers help prepare and serve dinner for Raphael House families with one of our trained chefs. No experience is necessary. It’s a great team-building activity and a fun culinary experience! Some groups may wish to cover the cost of the evening’s meal with a donation of $300, but this is neither required nor expected. To inquire about a Corporate & Community Chefs shift for your group please complete our group volunteer inquiry form.
Shelter upkeep projects, such as painting and cleaning, are frequently available for groups with up to 30 volunteers. To inquire about a Shelter Upkeep Project for your group complete our group volunteer inquiry form.
Throughout the year, we plan and celebrate special events with our families, including holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Individuals and groups can assist staff by helping to prepare and serve holiday meals, wrapping gifts, preparing games, or hanging decorations. Groups and individuals can also organize drives to purchase gifts for our families during the holidays through our Adopt-a-Family Program or purchase school supplies for our kids during our Back-to-School drive in the spring. There are also opportunities to help with collecting and distributing gifts and school supplies.
Raphael House has two major fundraising events each year: our One Home, Many Hearts Gala in the spring and our Gobble & Give Family Festival in the fall. We often need volunteers to help out at the events or to assist in a professional capacity by providing pro bono services, such as photography or graphic design. If you are interested in volunteering for a holiday or special event, please complete our holiday and special events inquiry form.
As a community supported organization, we rely regularly on the generosity of individuals who contribute their time and expertise by way of providing professional services pro bono that benefit our families directly or Raphael House as a whole, such as legal representation, graphic design, or videography. We also sometimes partner with corporations and businesses to create specialized short-term volunteer projects relevant to the organization’s skills or respective industry. Employees from a technology firm, for example, might offer software training to our parents; employees from a pharmaceutical company might give a presentation to our teens on how to prepare for a career in science.
Raphael House has volunteer opportunities available for individuals who are interested in providing regular, long-term support for our programs. Individual volunteers typically commit six-months to one-year helping out in various areas as needed such as afterschool or Saturday-morning tutoring, children’s evening program, meal prep, career development and job placement, and more. Long-term volunteers are required to submit proof of a recent, negative tuberculosis test and undergo a criminal background check as part of the application process. If you are interested in becoming a long-term volunteer please complete our volunteer application. For questions please contact Kellen Sarver at ksarver@raphaelhouse.org or contact 415.345.7265