Student community service hours for the school year

Below is information about Hope Ministries’ opportunities for student community service hours.

In recent years Hope Ministries has received an increasing number of inquiries from area students seeking volunteer opportunities to fulfill required community service hours for educational purposes. We’ve appreciated partnering with area schools, colleges and universities to accommodate many students. We are making a special effort this year to communicate with schools, teachers and students about the service opportunities we have available and our scheduling process.

More about us
Hope Ministries is one of the largest providers of food, clothing, shelter and long-term, effective recovery programs for homeless, near-homeless and hungry men, women and children in Central Iowa. Formed through the July 2000 merger of two long-standing Des Moines facilities, Hope Ministries’ faithful and consistent service stretches back to 1915. Our facilities currently include a 110-bed emergency shelter for men, a 102-bed long-term recovery center for men and our 48-bed long-term residential and life recovery center for women and children. Our Christian mission and focus is to provide food, clothing, shelter and recovery to men, women and children in need on our community.


Opportunities for community service
Hope Ministries routinely receives inquiries about volunteer opportunities from high school and college age students needing to complete school-assigned community service hours as part of their coursework.

At Hope Ministries we are purposeful in placing volunteers and intentional in providing a well-rounded experience with emphasis on community awareness and education about the homeless. We seek to protect the dignity and privacy of those that we serve on a daily basis. For this reason community service assignments may or may not always include direct face-to-face (hands-on) contact with our shelter or recovery residents. However you can be certain that all service opportunities at Hope Ministries will directly benefit those in need in our community.

General Scheduling Practices
All volunteer activities at Hope Ministries are scheduled in advance through our Community Relations Office. A final confirmation, including volunteer release forms, are sent via email (paper mail if needed) prior to the scheduled volunteer date. We do require a minimum two-week advance notice, as opportunities tend to fill quickly. We do not offer drop in/last minute volunteer opportunities. It should be noted also that we may or may not be able accommodate all or part of required hours due to availability and need within our ministry at that time. The confirmation information will review the scheduled activity, location of the volunteer activity and many other important notes to remember. Volunteer release forms are required by each student and must be signed by a parent or guardian if volunteer is under the age or 18 years. Students under age 18 participating in education-related community service hours must be accompanied by a parent or other authorized adult.

Special option for community service requirements
In an effort to coordinate meaningful opportunities for students we have set aside some specific dates for your students to complete their community service requirements. These dates occur periodically throughout the year on every 5th Wednesday evening and every 5th Saturday as they happen. R.S.V.P is required. Please contact us for more information or to schedule your service time.

We appreciate the time that you have taken to review this information and look forward to partnering with you and to provide a meaningful learning opportunity for students. Please contact our Community Relations office with any questions at (515) 265-7272 or info@hopeiowa.org .