Mercer Street Friends offers a range of volunteer opportunities. They help residents of Mercer County by meeting basic human needs through food, education, job training, counseling and health care. Their approach is a holistic one, designed to support families with few economic resources. At their centers, you can help others, make friends and expand your horizons.
• Children: Mercer Street Friends Children’s Services division needs you to interact with toddlers at one of our Early Childhood Education Centers (for ages 6 months to 5 years); with school-age children in our after-school programs (pre-K-grade 5); or in our after-school programs for special needs children.
• Youth: Mercer Street Friends Youth Services division needs you to mentor and/or tutor young people who are in the process of developing social and job skills, as well as academic skills, especially in the Back on Track Program (ages 9-17).
• Adults: Mercer Street Friends Parenting and Adult Services division needs you to help clients master skills in our programs focusing on nurturing parenting, basic literacy skills and GED tutoring.
• Health Care: Mercer Street Friends Home Health Care needs you to share conversation with people who are homebound and to help plan activities, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas parties, for behavioral health clients.
• Hunger: Mercer Street Friends Food Bank needs you to conduct research, run food drives, sort and distribute food, and speak out on issues of hunger and poverty in your community.
• Administrative: Mercer Street Friends needs you to help with mailings, special events and clerical tasks.
Specific Volunteer Job Descriptions Include:
Mercer Street Friends Food Bank
• Food sorters to inspect, sort and box food donations. Thursday mornings as needed. Mercer Street Friends Food Bank warehouse, 824 Silvia Street, Ewing.
Mercer Street Friends Early Childhood Education Centers
• Pre-school classroom aides to assist children of single working mothers and low-income families by helping with indoor and outdoor play, arts and crafts, storytelling, singing and meals at our Trenton and Hamilton centers. Minimum commitment: one day a week for two hours.
Mercer Street Friends School-Age Childcare
• Enrichment program instructors to design and lead six-week workshops in art, music, science, etc. Minimum commitment: one hour a week. Afternoons. Trenton and Hamilton school sites.
Mercer Street Friends Parent Support/Adult Services
• Instructors to design and lead classes in personal growth such as Yoga, make-up and grooming, and healthy cooking. Minimum commitment: one evening a month. 1100 West State Street, Trenton.
• Food pantry workers to assemble and hand out food bags to needy households. Minimum commitment: two hours a week. 1100 West State Street, Trenton.
• Tutors to assist students who are attending adult basic literacy and GED classes. Minimum commitment: one day a week for three hours. Mornings. 1201 West State Street, Trenton.
Youth Services
• Tutors to work with adolescent men and women on their reading, writing, math, and other basic skills. Minimum commitment: noon to 2 p.m. once a week. 1201 West State Street, Trenton.
Administrative
• Stuffing envelopes, gift-wrapping, help with special events and clerical work. No minimum commitment. 151 Mercer Street, Trenton.
Contact: Kathi K. Morley
Executive Assistant to the Executive Director
Mercer Street Friends
151 Mercer Street
Trenton, NJ 08611
Voice: 609-656-5202
Fax: 609-392-8363
E-mail: kmorley@mercerstreetfriends.org