Come volunteer with us!

COTS relies on a team of volunteers who help us offer a range of services. From helping in the kitchen at Mary’s Table, to providing transportation, to assisting clients obtain documentation for housing, these volunteers are critical to our success in the community. We are excited to welcome you onto the team, and we look forward to getting to know you, learning about your talents and interests, and matching you to just the right volunteer opportunity!

QUESTIONS? Contact the Engagement Specialist at [email protected] or (707) 765-6530 x136.

If you are interested in volunteering at COTS, please fill out an application. Please note that there is one application for adults and one for minors. Our minor application must be completed by a parent or guardian. Our Engagement Specialist will be notified once the application has been submitted and will contact you with further instructions.

COMPLETE A VOLUNTEER APPLICATION:
For Adults-ONLY (18+)
For Adult+Minor OR Minor-Only (Under 18)
Voluntariado en COTS (Adulto + Menor O Menor únicamente)

Featured Volunteer Opportunity: Volunteer Drivers

Mary’s Table at COTS serves over 8,000 meals each month. Those meals are made possible by the generosity of local grocery stores who provide us with their overstock food. These generous donations also serve community members outside of COTS, like residents in Pep Housing, but also prevent food waste!  

These grocery donations are vital to our organization and require COTS to pick up donations. COTS needs a volunteer driver for our Tuesday and Sunday morning pickups.   

Never done this type of work? No worries, COTS will provide:

  • Training on and use of a COTS Box Truck (no need to use your car!) 
  • Assistance loading and unloading  
  • Paid background check

So, how much time does this take?  

  • SUNDAY: The volunteer shift is from 8:30am – 9:30am on Sunday mornings and it includes pick ups at Sprouts and Trader Joes in Petaluma.   
  • TUESDAY: The volunteer shift is flexible, but should be in the morning and takes one hour.  Pick up is at the US Coast Guard.  This shift could also take place on another day, so if interested, please let us know! 
  • Commit to once a week or once a month! We are grateful for your help and can work with your schedule.

Interested? Please contact our Engagement Specialist at [email protected] or (707) 765-6530 x136 for more information.

Volunteer Opportunities

Types of Volunteers

We have volunteers from all walks of life who are committed to serving COTS clients. On any given day, you might meet someone who has volunteered for decades, a newly retired couple, a high school student, or even a member of the Coast Guard.

We accept volunteers on both a short-term and long-term basis. Our core volunteers commit to volunteering on a regular basis, usually once a week. This is a great way to build long-lasting friendships.

We talk about our families, our circle of friends, the meaning of life. It’s one of the ways you can get together with someone without spending money or consuming anything.

–A COTS Core Volunteer on volunteering in our kitchen

Mary’s Table

Many of our volunteer opportunities are at Mary’s Table, the kitchen at the Mary Isaak Center.

At any given time, we might need help with the following:

    • Picking up food donations
    • Prepping and serving meals
    • Sorting food
    • Washing dishes
    • Cleaning

Please contact our Engagement Specialist at [email protected] or (707) 765-6530 x136 for more information.

Client Enrichment Services

Client Enrichment Services is a suite of supportive services for our clients that provide information and resources to help them find and keep housing. This includes coaching clients with rental processes, job applications, and financial literacy. And it runs, largely, because of volunteers!

When asked what she needs from the community to make her programs successful, Eileen Morris, Client Enrichment Manager, said: “Volunteers. We’re looking for the kind of person who can be a listener, a witness, a cheerleader, a motivator and a sounding board. We provide lots of training and lots of opportunities for volunteers to ask questions, provide feedback and give advice. The very fact that someone is devoting their time and talent to clients, free of charge, is a huge boost to clients’ morale.”

If you’re interested in volunteering with this program, please contact Eileen Morris, Client Enrichment Manager, at [email protected], or 707.776.7638.

Before you can begin, you will need to review and sign the Client Enrichment Services Volunteer Guide and complete and submit a volunteer application (above).

Other Volunteer Opportunities

This year, we hope to expand our volunteer opportunities to better enrich the lives of those we serve every day.

One-time volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups are also available. Are you a musician or artist interested in teaching a class or performing at the Mary Isaak Center? Maybe you’re a Wellness Coach or a Financial Advisor interested in talking to vulnerable community members about small steps they can take toward self-sufficiency. Or perhaps your company or team is looking for a way to give back to the community together. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, and they all have unique reasons for their commitment to serving COTS.

You may contact our Engagement Specialist at [email protected] or (707) 765-6530 x136 for information on our current opportunities.

Tours

If you are interested in a tour, please contact our development department at [email protected].