Tag Archives: volunteer opportunities

Volunteers Needed!

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve got two upcoming special events where we could use a little extra help. Both of these events only require a few hours of volunteer service. If interested in volunteering or would like more info please call Michelle at 301.739.1165 or email her at volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

The first event we need volunteers for is our Community Grocery Giveaway which will take place on Sunday, February 19th from 2-4pm in the Trinity Center. Volunteers will help community guests receive free groceries or toiletries. Volunteers will have the opportunity to chat with guests and keep each assigned table stocked with products for guests. We will only need volunteers to help from 1:30-4pm. This is an important event for our guests and we need each table to have at least one volunteer to help keep the event moving. For more info about volunteer responsibilities please contact Michelle at the number or email listed above.

Our second event is our Rock the Run 5K: Pirates vs Princess which takes place at Fairgrounds Park at 9am on Saturday, April 22nd. Just prior to the 5K at 8:30am we host a Kids One Mile Fun Run. There are many different ways for volunteers to help that day including registration tent, food tent, set up and tear down, course guides, and more. To learn more about volunteering at our 5K please contact Michelle. Also, encourage friends and family to participate in the 5K and make it a fun morning activity! Registration is open so have anyone interested in participating visit rocktherunhagerstown.com.

In addition to these events we’re always looking for volunteers for our Wildside Youth program. Wildside is a free after school program for kids ages 5-12. We have a couple different events throughout the month. Volunteers can select to serve at just one, some, or all the events. Volunteers are needed for about 2 hours at each event. If you’d like to learn more about these events and what’s involved with volunteering please contact Adrian by emailing info@wildsideyouth.com or call him at 301.739.1165.

Volunteers have always been a huge part of the success of The Hope Center! If you’d like to learn more about all the various programs and services at The Hope Center or different ways you can get involved please visit hagerstowhopecenter.com.

Thanksgiving Volunteers Needed!

Posted on by
Reply

Thanksgiving will be here before you know it! And this year we’re excited to be hosting our annual Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast again in-person at the Trinity Center!!

Hosting our Thanksgiving feast during the pandemic meant that for the last two years we could only provide delivery of meals and not a huge community celebration. But now we’re back and ready to host hundreds of people for our Thanksgiving buffet.

But to pull off an event of this size we need help. We’re currently looking for volunteers to help set up, serve, and clean up at our celebration in the Trinity Center. Doors for the event open at 11am and the celebration begins at 11:30am. Most of the event is concluded by 1pm. The majority of volunteers would be used between 10am -1pm unless otherwise noted.

This is a great activity for families, coworkers, youth groups, Sunday school classes, or just you! You’ll have the opportunity to meet so many people and be a part of genuinely fun and fulfilling Thanksgiving celebration.

If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more please call Michelle at 301.739.1165 or email her at volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Learn more about our Great Hagerstown Thanksgiving Feast and other events, programs, services and ways to get involved by visiting hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Rock the Run 5K is Back!! Volunteers Needed!

Posted on by
2

It’s been 2 years since we hosted our Rock the Run 5K. The pandemic forced us to pause this fun spring activity but now we’re excited to announce that the Pirates vs Princess themed event is back this April!

Rock the Run 5K returns to Fairgrounds Park on Saturday, April 23rd. In addition to the 5K we’re hosting the Kids One Mile Fun Run prior to the main race like we’ve done in the past. Registration is open and only $25 for the 5K and $5 for the kids race. Go to rocktherunhagerstown.com to register!

If you want to be a part of the fun but don’t want to participate in the race, then why not volunteer??!!! We are in need of volunteers to help during the 5K. If you, or anyone you know, would like to give a few hours in the morning of April 23rd then please contact Aimee Izer as soon as possible. And be sure to spread the word via Facebook and word-of-mouth. If you have family or friends who are participating then make a plan to volunteer and help make this race a success!

To volunteer contact Aimee by calling 301.739.1165 or emailing volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com. For more info about the upcoming race please visit rocktherunhagerstown.com.

Your Used Items Help Change Lives!

Posted on by
Reply

Many of you have been faithfully donating your gently used items to The Hope Center for years upon years. From clothing for the whole family, to purses, jewelry, toys, coats, shoes, books, housewares, furniture, and basically anything you can think of, our Donation Center has been a hub of activity sorting through all these wonderful donated items. Once the items are sorted and priced they go to one of our two Thrift Stores in the area where shoppers looking for great deals find quality used items without breaking their budget. Some of our neediest neighbors can even go “shopping” for items for free through our Community Assistance voucher program.

But the sales from items donated play a much larger role in our ministry. The money generated from sales of these items help to pay the bills for The Hope Center to keep our facilities open 24/7 and our programs and services free for our neighbors in need!

So we are beyond thankful and appreciative for all the items donated by each of you. The value of your donated items cannot truly be measured on earth. Your donated shirts, plates, VHS tapes, couches, etc. have helped thousands of people in so many life saving ways since 1955. Thank you for caring and sharing with your community!

As you prepare to donate your gently used items in the future please note that our Donation Center dock is CLOSED every Wednesday and Sunday along with all major holidays.

Our Donation Center dock is located at the back of our parking lot at 215 W. Church St. We will gladly accept your gently used items during our operating hours. For more info about donations please visithagerstownhopecenter.com/in-kind-gifts

We’re always looking for volunteers to help sort and price donated items in our Donation Center sorting room. If you’ve got some free time during the week and are interested in helping please call us at 301.739.1165 or email volunteer@hagerstownhopecenter.com.

Also, if you live in the Hagerstown area and have furniture to donate please call us at 301.739.1165 to schedule a pickup.

Also, we’re still hiring a truck driver! If you, or someone you know, has some extra time during the week and would like some extra income then please contact us immediately. To learn more about this job please http://visithagerstownhopecenter.com/employment…

Faith Chapel of Johnstown Serves a Heaping Dose of Happy

Posted on by
Reply

We were so happy to have some of our friends from Faith Chapel in Johnstown, Pennsylvania serve lunch to our residents and Soup Line guests!

The group of 8 made the two hour trip from Johnstown last Saturday. While they came prepared to cook and serve meals for the community, they also brought donations of diapers, peanut butter, creamer, and clothing for our Thrift Stores!

The group, organized by Larry & Cindy Lazer, also lead singing and an inspirational message for our Soup Line guests before the meal.

This is not the first time that the group has made the trek from Johnstown and we certainly hope it’s not the last. We appreciate their commitment to helping the least, the last, and the lost in the community.

If your church, Scout Troop, youth group, or business would like to prepare and serve a meal just like our friends from Faith Chapel then please contact us. We are always looking for groups to help on the weekend. Please call 301.739.1165 or email hagerstownrescue@verizon.net.

 

Wildside’s Birthday Bash Kicks Off the Party Season!

Posted on by
Reply

Imagine one giant party to celebrate everyone’s birthday. Sounds kinda wild, doesn’t it? Well Wildside Youth Ministries likes to do things a little different so they kicked off their school year party season with a huge birthday party celebration!

All the kids who attended the Birthday Bash on September 25th were able to celebrate their birthday. Each month was given a celebration and no one was left out of the fun! 52 kids ages 5-12 attended the first Wildside party of the season where they played birthday themed carnival games, painted faces, made crafts and enjoyed some great food.

But the most important part of the evening was learning about having the most important birthday: a spiritual birthday. The kids in attendance learned all about the importance of being born again and following Jesus.

Wildside is the youth ministry at The Hope Center. In addition to monthly large event parties during the school year, Wildside hosts Sunday Night Wild on select Sunday evenings during the school year as well as The Crew which is the student leadership development program for older kids in the program. And each summer Wildside hosts Camp Wild, a free day camp for kids in July & August. All Wildside activities are free for kids ages 5-12. Learn more about Wildside and upcoming events by visiting http://www.wildsideyouth.com.

Your financial donations to The Hope Center help fund these important activities for kids in Hagerstown. We are able to keep Wildside and our other programs and services for free for our guests because of generous and faithful supporters in our community. Thank you for your support of The Hope Center as we continue to reach everyone in our community – even kids – for Christ!

Want to learn more about donating or volunteering at The Hope Center? Go to http://www.hagerstownhopecenter.com to get all the info you need on how to become a partner with us.

Another Great Party-in-the-Park!

Posted on by
Reply

On Saturday, October 22nd we hosted our second annual fall Party-in-the-Park at Wheaton Park in Hagerstown.

This Halloween themed event is designed to be an outreach event by going into our surrounding neighborhoods and meeting the many wonderful families and residents of these areas.

Originally meant to be an actual park party, we eventually moved our party into the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center due to high winds. We are very thankful to the staff of the  Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center for offering the building for use for our event. We appreciate being a part of such a kind and giving community!

Even though our event was indoors, that didn’t stop anyone, including our 30 volunteers, from having fun! From games, to face painting, entertainment, food and more our volunteers worked hard to make this event a success.

We enjoy being able to go out into our community to build stronger relations with our neighbors. This may only be our second time hosting this party but it most certainly won’t be our last. We want to build strong bonds with our neighbors so that we can work together to make Hagerstown a better place.

This event was sponsored by our Ladies’ Auxiliary. All the expenses of this event were underwritten by the Auxiliary and we are so thankful for their commitment to this ministry and our community. As you can see our Ladies’ Auxiliary are a very important and beneficial part of The Hope Center. This event and many other events are sponsored by this wonderful group of women. If you are interested in being a part of our Ladies’ Auxiliary then call 301.739.1165 or email us at hagerstownrescue@verizon.net. We are always looking for more women to get involved and help us keep events like the Party-in-the-Park going year after year.

As successful as this party was, we know that we couldn’t have done it without the help from all of our great volunteers! We firmly believe that we have the best volunteers in the tri-state. Thank you to each of the volunteers who gave hours of their Saturday to help us create so much magic and fun for our guests! We welcome you back to help us with any other event or activity that we’re hosting. And we need to give a special shout out to Gene Ridenour, president of our Board of Directors, and Jeff Reed. Both of these men have been very vital to all of our party events. Gene entertains kids and adults alike with his balloon modeling and Jeff makes everyone happy by being the best grillmaster in Hagerstown! Thank you both for giving of your time to reach our community.

If you’re interested in volunteering at The Hope Center then please go to http://www.volunteerhagerstown.com and learn more about the various ways you can be involved. You can also contact us by calling 301.739.1165 or email us at hagerstownrescue@verizon.net.

 

 

Another Successful Year at Camp Wild

Posted on by
Reply

The carefree days of summer have come and gone but while we still bask in the warmth of this long summer season, we can look back at all the fun-filled days of another great year at Camp Wild.

Camp Wild gave over 200 kids in Hagerstown the opportunity to experience a week of action-packed fun where they played games, sang & danced, created art, explored new worlds, made friendships and learned about how to live a life for Christ.

If you’re reading this and you are totally unfamiliar with Camp Wild let us take a quick moment to catch you up to speed. Camp Wild is a free day camp for kids ages 5-12 in Hagerstown. Transportation to and from the camp is provided for free along with lunch and all activities. The morning takes place in the Trinity Center at The Hope Center where the kids have time to play various games and sports while also interacting with our counselors. Then they have a time of praise & worship music where they can sing and dance their hearts out followed by a very interactive lesson time where the kids not only learn about Jesus but are challenged to think deep and learn how to apply what they’ve learned in to everyday life. Following the lesson time the kids break into small groups where they can discuss more with their leader. It’s midday by this time which means that stomachs are growling and it’s time for lunch. After everyone gets their fill of our delicious camp food, we pack up and head out to our outdoor adventure camp area located on the Conococheague Creek near Cearfoss. There the kids enjoy various activities with their groups like Sanaa (arts & crafts area), The Dig (archaeologist treasure hunt), Life Cycles (learning about animal life) and Zulu (African experience) among other attractions. Each day the groups rotate through the various attractions so that each camper has an opportunity to experience each one. Once the group attractions are completed then it’s free time for the campers to enjoy swimming, zip line, snacks, soccer, tubing, hayrides and more.

All of this fun is provided free of charge because we feel it’s important that every kid in Hagerstown has the opportunity to experience a fun-filled summer no matter what. But to keep it free we rely heavily on donations from churches, businesses and individuals in the community. And we’re so thankful for everyone who has partnered with us to provide a great summer for thousands of kids over the years!

And while we appreciate all that our sponsors in the community do, we cannot forget to thank the volunteers who put in countless hours and lots of energy bringing Camp Wild to life and touching the lives of all these kids. We understand that it’s a very tiresome, exhausting and challenging job at times but God has always supplied us with the right people to make our camp perfect each summer. Thank you to all of our counselors, assistants, stage hands, cooks, servers, drivers and anyone else who did so much to change the lives of kids. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Ok, by this point you’re probably ready to see some pics from Camp Wild 2016, aren’t you? We don’t blame you! Enjoy the images of Camp Wild 2016. And if you want to learn more about Camp Wild then go to http://www.campwildusa.com.

Wildside Youth Ministries at The Hope Center doesn’t just host Camp Wild. The school year is full of various free activities for kids ages 5-12. To learn more about Wildside Youth go to http://www.wildsideyouth.com. You’ll get all the up-to-date info about anything and everything Wildside.

Interested in volunteering? Go to http://www.volunteerhagerstown.com, call us at 301.739.1165 or email us at hagerstownrescue@verizon.net.

Volunteers Are the Heart of The Hope Center

Posted on by
Reply

In 2015 we celebrated 60 years of hope at The Hope Center. And a major part of what makes it possible for us to continue to provide services to men, women & children for free are all the hours of service given by faithful, caring friends in our community who serve as volunteers at The Hope Center.

Since 1955, The Hope Center has been a lighthouse to the needy in our community. Whether it was a man addicted to alcohol, a mother in need of clothing for her children, or a family who needs some food assistance, our doors have been open everyday to help those in need without asking a dime from any of our guests…or the tax-payer.

Friends, businesses, churches and other groups in the area have financially supported us from the very beginning allowing us to help so many people without being a burden on the tax payer.

But volunteers help supplement all of our finances by providing hours upon hours of compassion and hard work in many different ways at The Hope Center.

As we celebrated our 60th Anniversary in 2015, we had some special events taking place in the community which gave us some new opportunities for volunteers to get involved and make an impact in our city. But many of the areas that volunteers gave so many hours were activities and events that happen on a regular basis at The Hope Center.

In total, we had 719 different volunteers work more than 13,394 hours! That’s incredible! This is exactly why we think that our volunteers are the best!

These volunteers worked throughout the year in one or more of the following areas of service:

  1. Sorting room
  2. Wildside Youth events (www.wildsideyouth.com)
  3. Camp Wild (www.campwildusa.com)
  4. Chapel services
  5. Men’s ministry check-in desk and teaching classes
  6. Off site: baking cakes, making sandwiches, providing food for after chapel (these are on a regular basis)
  7. Outreach: 60th anniversary events (Rock the Run 5K; Party-in-the-Park; Ladies’ Tea; Anniversary banquet); Thanksgiving Day and more.

Our volunteers gave in so many different ways throughout the year. And we’re so thankful for each and every one of them!

But our volunteer opportunities didn’t stop in 2015. We are always looking for volunteers to join the ranks of our volunteer program all the time. We have so many different areas for volunteers to get involved.

In fact, our 2016 Party-in-the-Park will be held on Saturday, October 22 at Wheaton Park in Hagerstown. We are currently looking for volunteers for this fantastic outreach opportunity. This is a great service project for youth groups to get involved with in their own community.  We will need volunteers to help with food, games, music, face and nail painting, crowd control, popcorn machine, cotton candy, set up and tear down, etc.

If you, your family & friends, church group, civic club or more would like to volunteer at our upcoming Party-in-the-Park then give us a call today at 301.739.1165 or email us at hagerstownrescue@verizon.net. We welcome you to help us reach our city and provide hope for those in need!

For more information about all the various volunteer opportunities at The Hope Center go to http://www.volunteerhagerstown.com.

 

 

Oh, What a Year!

Posted on by
Reply

60th-HiResIt’s always amazing how quickly one year can go by. It seems like just yesterday we were finishing plans for our first 60th Anniversary event in the spring.

And now, here we are at the end of 2015 looking back at what a fantastic year of celebration it has been.

In 1955, God called Jim & Ellen Resh to take a leap of faith and move their young family from Cascade, Maryland to downtown Hagerstown to help reach people in need for Christ.

They packed up their family and belongings and started an adventure backed by faith and never looked back.

Now, 60 years later, thousands of lives have been changed thanks to the faith, dedication and hard work of those who have helped keep the vision of hope alive.

We are so thankful for being able to celebrate 60 years of hope in Hagerstown. We are able to do everything that we do without any financial help from the government. Because God has been so faithful by providing for us through the generosity of our community, we’ve been able to help reunite families, mend broken relationships, restore a life destroyed by substance abuse, provide housing for the homeless, give food to the hungry and reach the young generation with the hope of Jesus.

To everyone who has supported us, helped us, prayed with us and worked with us, we want to say a very sincere and genuine, “Thank You”. God has used you to reach people and change lives in a way that none of us will know until we get to Heaven.

These past 60 years are a testament to the people of this community who put others before themselves and share the gifts that God has provided with those in need.

We thank God for the opportunity to be the oldest, continually operational homeless facility in Hagerstown. We’re here to help the least, the last and the lost. We’ve been doing this for 60 years and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon!

Now as the clocks signify the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, we look forward to partnering with you in the future to continue the battle against homelessness, hunger and hopelessness.

Thank you for making 2015, and the past 60 years, so memorable!

Happy New Year! May God bless you and your family in great ways during 2016!

If you’re interested in stepping back in time once more or want to see some of the exciting things that happened during our 60th Anniversary Year of Celebration then go to http://www.hopecenter60.com. Our anniversary website has plenty of pictures, stories and information about The Hope Center and everything that we’ve done in the past 60 years.