Volunteers at Sojourner Truth House serve alongside staff to provide support to both the women and children in the day center program as well as members of the Gary, IN community through the food pantry and clothes closet. That support comes in many forms from working with community clients to enter information regarding their needs into the computer system, to working behind the scenes sorting and organizing incoming donations. Volunteers may assist in preparing, serving, and cleaning up after meals; help as a teacher aide in the Child-Enrichment-Center; provide office assistance, facilitate groups for clients, or transport program participants to appointments. During the late spring-early autumn months the STH flower and produce gardens flourish thanks to the efforts of volunteers; and special events at STH give clients a chance to relax and enjoy simple joys thanks to volunteers with creative energies. Volunteer opportunities at Sojourner Truth House are wonderfully diverse, just like the volunteers themselves!

Sojourner Truth House (STH) is a day center located in Gary, Indiana, that serves homeless and at-risk women and their children. Founded by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in 1997, STH serves more than 2,200 clients each month.

Sojourner Truth House assists clients staying in local shelters who come to the day center for help obtaining benefits, referrals to community support agencies, basic skills and employment training, healthcare screenings and referrals, counseling for addiction and other issues, and assistance with finding housing.

After finding housing, clients can become a part of our TOPPS program – or Transitional Outreach Program Participants. TOPPS clients maintain support through therapeutic programs and ongoing case management.

Sojourner Truth House also welcomes members of the community – clients who come to the food pantry for help meeting intermittent basic household needs or are in need of clothing.

At STH, we serve clients with a holistic approach that provides help and hope for the mind, body and spirit of the women and children we serve.

In the past volunteers here have assisted residents with organizing items, sewing and making crafts.
They have helped the activities coordinator plan and prepare for activities and events for the residents and sometimes acted as chaperones. Other volunteer activities have included archiving photos online and in scrapbooks, cleaning, sorting, as well as organizing games, holiday items, and other items throughout Maria Center.

Volunteers here learn by actively participating in the process. They discover how and why to make compost, biochar, and rockdust – all essential ingredients to grow wholesome organic vegetables. They learn how to use low tech garden tools to maximize efficiency and sustainability for our environment. Volunteers also discover how chickens are incorporated into the food cycle.

Volunteers help with digitizing the thousands of photos we have. They help us keep the museum in order and clean, updating the book catalogue in the Archive Room and updating the inventory of heritage items. If creative they might even create a display for the museum.

As MoonTree operates within the realm of art, ecology, and spirituality, there is always a wide array and diversity of opportunities when working with us. In addition to introducing our volunteers and interns to new creative expressions, ecological paradigms, and spiritual traditions, we encourage them to initiate their own studies and projects as a means of service. From hanging art exhibits to identifying and collecting native prairie seeds to participating in the creation and maintenance of sacred spaces, MoonTree volunteers receive a broad exposure to our ministry and are encouraged and empowered to discover their own individual way of serving so that the ripples they generate might be distinctly authentic to them.

MoonTree Studios, a ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, challenges people to experience mindfulness as they fearlessly explore the interconnectedness of art, nature, and the Spirit within. Through participation in MoonTree experiences people awaken to their creative potential and sow the seeds for a more mindful, compassionate and sustainable Earth Community.

Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center is nestled onto the north shore of Lake Gilbraith in rural Donaldson, IN. This natural setting provides sacred space for you, our guest. We have a twenty-five year tradition of hospitality and welcome those who are on a faith journey seeking how God is currently working in their lives.

Come with us on this journey: we invite you to renew your spirit, refresh your body, and expand your mind…

HealthVisions Midwest, sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, is a faith-based community health organization that works with local communities served by the Poor Handmaids and its mutual partners. In the spirit of interdependence, mutuality and cooperation, using social justice principles, we strive to build healthy communities by reducing health disparities among the poor and underserved.

Poor Handmaids and its mutual partners

Goals

• Health disparities will be reduced among the poor and underserved.
• People are empowered to improve their own health.
• The health of the communities for the poor and underserved is impacted through advocacy efforts and systemic changes.
• Collaborating organizations are sought to strengthen the resource base and address health issues in local communities.
• Strengthen and formalize our role as a “Backbone” Organization in the communities we serve through Collective Impact and Partnerships.

Volunteers here can help with yard work, inside and outside window cleaning and organizing music CDs onto flash drives.

Occasionally there may be projects that aid humanitarian efforts.

At The Center at Donaldson, we promote the health of the land community by restoring native species, applying prescribed fire, removing invasive species, and providing educational opportunities for people to grow in their knowledge of and connection to the land. Working with the Ecological Relationships Director means restoring the land to health. Volunteers assist by harvesting native seeds, removing invasive species, clearing walking paths, tilting solar panels, and cleaning up the workshop.

PHJC Services supports the ministries of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ to greater enhance their capacity and social impact.

Working collaboratively with the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, we provide administrative support services to each PHJC ministry to expand and strengthen a greater community benefit.