Poverello Struggling to Meet Daily Demands, Even with Clients Doing their Part

Missoula's homeless shelter is in search of volunteers to help meet the demands of daily operations, as you can imagine, it takes a lot of work to keep things flowing smoothly. With summer travel and the pandemic, the Pov hasn't had the number of volunteers they usually see, and are asking for some help. Now that summer is winding down and COVID-19 protocols are in place, managers are hoping to receive increased volunteer participation.

And, like a commenter on the Pov's social media asked, you may also be wondering, "why aren't the clients cleaning up their own mess before they get dinner?" It may seem like a brash question, but I know it gets asked quite a bit. Director of Development and Advocacy, Jesse Jaeger, provided an informational answer, "Every client at the Pov has a chore while staying here and our resident volunteer program has residents volunteering in the kitchen, doing laundry and working on the facilities team. Not mention over 40% of the people we serve have jobs." So clients are pitching in, but the non-profit still depends on community volunteers.

More information and the link to volunteer can be found here. Ongoing volunteer opportunities range from clerical office stuff, to help in the client computer lab, to food prep in the kitchen and help serving meals. If you'd rather make a donation, the Pov is always accepting toilet paper, travel size toiletries, cleaning supplies, and large trash bags. With the weather turning, you may also consider donations of socks, hats, gloves, and jackets.

We are also partnering for "Pumpkins for the Pov" again this year, so keep an ear out to score a locally grown pumpkin!