Volunteer

In general, all volunteers must be at least 12 years old, and those under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult (unless prior arrangements have been made). In some cases, we allow younger volunteers, but this must be arranged in advance with our staff. While we encourage all children to learn about the work we do at DESK, most volunteer opportunities and the general environment of our program may not be appropriate for very young children. If you’re interested in arranging a tour, which might be more appropriate for school groups, please contact us.

Please note that when signing up online, if a volunteer does not meet the age restriction, our system will not allow them to sign up. For volunteers at least 12 but under 16, please contact us so that we can verify that the volunteer will be accompanied and allow the volunteer to sign up.

Dress appropriately for (1) serving the public, (2) working in a kitchen, and (3) working in an environment that can be very cold or hot depending on the weather. Also, expect to get a little dirty. Tank tops with wide straps, shorts (midthigh or longer), jeans, and sweatshirts are fine. And everyone must wear closed-toe shoes. Make sure your clothing is comfortable and the type of clothing in which you can move easily. Volunteers who are not dressed appropriately may be asked to leave.

Those who are working with food, whether in preparation or serving, must wear some type of head covering and must wear gloves (Fitted hats that contain hair are acceptable). We provide hair nets.

If you need documentation as part of a credit-based community service program or at a court-appointed time, be sure to notify us of this by email at volunteer@deskct.org upon completion of your hours. We will do our best to provide electronic verification letters within three business days or hard copies within seven business days. As per organizational policy, we are only able to provide letter requests sent within six months of the last volunteer shift. We are only able to provide one letter at a time; we will provide letters for the totality of a volunteers’ hours but generally not for a specific month or period of time.

We are unable to accommodate court-appointed volunteers whose service is related to any type of violent crime. If you have any questions about what constitutes a violent crime, please contact us.

Please don’t take photos of the people you’re serving. DESK strictly prohibits the use of any multimedia recording device (audio, video, photography, etc.) to capture information about our Guests and clients without written consent. We consider this to be as much a matter of privacy as it is of dignity. However, we encourage you to take photos of yourself and fellow volunteers so you can show off the amazing work you’re all doing on social media!

Our 266 State Street Drop-in and Resource Center is conveniently located in downtown New Haven, a few blocks from the New Haven Green. We recommend that volunteers take public transit: we are located just a couple blocks from the State Street train station and near stops on several bus lines. For those who choose to drive, we suggest parking in the garage at 270 State Street.