Emergency Shelter for Families Experiencing Homelessness

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Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Horizons for Homeless Children at the new Concord location. Below you will find all the information you need to apply. All volunteers must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the time they start their first volunteer shift.

In the meantime, here is more information about our organization, along with a link to our online application.  

Playspace Program: Horizons for Homeless Children created the Playspace Program with the belief that play is essential to healthy childhood development, and that every child has the right to play.   

To make healthy play possible for children living in shelters in Massachusetts, regional staff build and maintain developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed “kid-friendly” spaces and stocks them with books, toys, games and arts materials. These Playspace provide the opportunity for children to have a safe place to play, use their imaginations, heal from trauma, and just have fun.  

Our volunteers, called Playspace Activity Leaders (PALs), have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the children’s lives by providing them opportunities for play that are critical for learning and growth.  

Volunteering: Horizons for Homeless Children is looking for committed and dependable volunteers who: 

• Can commit to volunteering 2 hours a week, at the same time, same location. Current Shift Openings Are: Monday and Wednesday Mornings (9:30 – 11:30 AM) and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Evenings (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM) 
• Can commit 6 months or more to volunteering as a PAL. 
• Are at least 16 years old. If you are under 18 you will need a guardian to both attend the orientation and volunteer with you. 
• Can attend a one-time, 1 ½ hour New Volunteer Training that covers everything from homelessness on a state and local level to early childhood development. 

Helpful Information: Please read our PAL Role Description, which provides more detail about the specific role as a PAL volunteer.  

Applying Online: You can complete a PAL application by clicking here. You will hear from a regional staff person within 48 hours of submitting your application. After the New Volunteer Orientation, we place volunteers in about 3 weeks.