Direct Contact Opportunities
Please know that individual direct contact (one on one) is reserved for individuals who have been associated with Sunnybrook in a group volunteer role for 6+ months. After the initial 6 month period, the following options will involve working face-to-face with residents and helping them directly.
- Educate residents about your vocation: Some residents have interests in specific job fields and can benefit from learning about the field and being inspired to potentially pursue it.
- Mentor individual residents or house of residents: One-on-one relationships are very beneficial to our residents' growth and development. This opportunity requires a time commitment from volunteers to ensure residents' trust.
- Employ residents: Several residents are job-ready for first-time employment or entry-level positions. Our desire is that these potential employers have values that align with Sunnybrook's mission.
- Share personal stories of success and struggles in your transitional years: Powerful testimonies are welcome. Please keep in mind that our residents may have faced trauma and/or neglect in their past, and it's important to remain sensitive to their situation. Our team can discuss best ways to share this form of encouragement.
- Tutor a resident: Tutoring opportunities are available weekly from 3:45-5:00 p.m. Specifically, residents need help with GED prep, ACT prep, High School Science, Math, English, and Social Studies.
- Teach a skill or activity: Sunnybrook has a course catalog available for your viewing. We are looking for instructors to come facilitate life-skills courses on weekends.
- Connect residents to other community partners for internships or employment: Any support you can give by networking on our residents' behalf or spreading the word about our Transitional Living Program is appreciated.
- Serve with residents during community service projects on or off campus: Residents benefit greatly from serving alongside other individuals helping in the community.
- Lead or participate in summer courses: The following courses are being offered at Sunnybrook this summer: Worldview, Focus Group, Book Club, and Driver’s Ed. We welcome volunteers to pick a day to teach or to sit in on a class and participate in discussions.
Non-Contact Opportunities
The following options do not involve being face-to-face with residents, but they are critically valuable in helping the organization better meet the needs of the residents on campus. Volunteers may work individually or as a group to support Sunnybrook residents and may start immediately upon the completion of a background check.
- Connect us to other associates that would support the Transitional Living Program: Any support you can give by networking on our residents' behalf or spreading the word about our Transitional Living Program is appreciated. Our team can provide speakers and a short video for events.
- Sponsor a resident financially: There are several ways to donate directly to support current residents. Please contact us for more information.
- Participate as a sponsor: Annual event sponsorship opportunities are available, including our Champions event, typically hosted each Fall. Sponsors receive benefits for helping support our mission, as we want to shine a light on partners who positively change lives here!
- Direct your Mississippi state taxes to Sunnybrook through The Children’s Promise Act: The State of Mississippi now offers a tax credit for donations made to Qualified Charitable Organizations. Businesses will receive a tax credit of up to 50%, and households receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $500 (individuals) or $1,000 (joint return). www.sunnybrookMS.org
- Complete a traditional service project: On-campus work projects exist year-round. Examples include painting, raking leaves, planting flowers, organizing study spaces, and more.
- Hold a collection drive: Sunnybrook is always in need of specific items to support our residents and operations on campus. Please contact us for a list of our ongoing and current needs for office drives, school drives, or collections with your immediate family while you pick up your own groceries.
- Sell or donate a vehicle to a resident: Through on and off campus jobs, residents save up money to qualify for a matching car grant. When they become eligible for the grant, they are tasked with finding an affordable used car in good condition.
- Share what God is doing here with personal friends or contacts: Please consider sharing Sunnybrook's mission and the work God is doing in our residents' lives with your personal contacts. Sunnybrook is active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and our posts are able to be shared with your community. God connects paths in surprising ways, and we appreciate your help.