Without you, the work we do at Atlanta Mission wouldn’t be possible. 

There are thousands of men, women and children experiencing homelessness in Atlanta. These people are someone’s son, daughter, husband, wife. They are our friends and our neighbors, and each day, we provide them with life-changing services. We help give them access to resources to help identify the root cause of their homelessness and empower them to break the cycle of homelessness forever. 

When you spend time volunteering with Atlanta Mission, you help us make a difference in the lives of our clients. You help them build trust and friendships and help them find hope. 

The week of April 17-24 is National Volunteer Week, and we want to take the opportunity to recognize you for the impact you have on our community through service. We love our volunteers. You make a direct impact as part of our community united to end homelessness.

But if you haven’t volunteered with Atlanta Mission before, here are 5 reasons why you should: 

1. It’s another way to serve your community: What could be more fun than reading to a child or helping prepare or serve food with a group of your friends? There’s a level of joy that comes from serving others that’s hard to put into words. When you volunteer with Atlanta Mission, you are helping save countless lives while nourishing your soul in the process. 

2. You help us meet a great need: Last year alone, we served more than 355,000 meals. Simply put, we need volunteers. Volunteers are the only way we could ever meet the level of need in Atlanta. 

3. You get to know Atlanta Mission:  If you’ve considered donating to Atlanta Mission, you might be skeptical or have questions that need to be answered. How can I be sure my money is truly helping others? Am I giving to the right cause? By volunteering with Atlanta Mission, you can see our donations in action. You get to meet the staff, other volunteers, and potentially our clients. You get to understand the reason we do what we do. 

4. Get to meet our clients where they are: It can be easy sometimes to distance ourselves from the causes we donate to. You may not live in the city limits or be able to visibly see the people in your community who need help. Volunteering with us gives you a chance to interact directly with clients. And when you meet clients where they are and spend time helping prepare and serve food, answer phones or read a book, you make a difference. When you volunteer at one of our shelters in Atlanta, you impact people’s lives in positive ways.

5. Build relationships that transform lives: We’ve found that the majority of people facing homelessness in Atlanta are considered “relationally poor,” meaning they have no trusted relationships in their lives. Inside the walls of Atlanta Mission’s shelters, we bring people acceptance and love. We help people build relationships by becoming friends with someone who desperately needs one. When you volunteer with us, you’re helping spread a message of hope and healing.

Your involvement with Atlanta Mission directly impacts lives. Look for ways you can volunteer in your community. There are many opportunities to volunteer from food service to childcare to any one of our thrift stores. Thank you, volunteers, for all that you do, for believing in Atlanta Mission and for working with us to end homelessness one friend at a time.