Social Concerns Ministry - SHARE Program

Do you need volunteer hours?

The SHARE furniture program needs volunteers to help families in need in Northern Virginia.

What is SHARE?

SHARE represents the organized effort of a group of McLean area religious organizations which has provided food, clothing, furniture, financial assistance, counseling and transportation services to needy families in our area for over 30 years. It has no professional staff and makes extensive use of volunteers in each of its programs. Its board consists of representatives selected by local churches and synagogue.

What is the need?

One major SHARE activity is the furniture program which collects used furniture in good condition from the greater McLean area and delivers it to needy families in Northern Virginia. Recipients are referred to the furniture program from a variety of social service and advocacy programs in the area. Our two trucks go out every Saturday with volunteer drivers and helpers making over a dozen pick-ups and deliveries. We always need additional persons who can work on a Saturday. Our typical run starts at 8:30 AM and ends by 2:00 PM. The work is physical but very rewarding. Over the years we have served numerous poor families, refugees and immigrants from over a dozen countries, abuse and torture victims.

How can I get involved?

If you would like to volunteer, call Redeemer member Gene Durman at 703-356-4929. He can provide all the details and answer any questions you might have. We develop a pick-up/delivery schedule and organize volunteers each week, so we can get you placed on a team quickly. A call at least a week before you would like to go out would be ideal to help us know who is available at a given time. Parents are welcome, but all the teams have one or more adults managing the day's operation, so a student volunteer can get dropped off and pick-up without needing to be accompanied during the run.

Can I do the job?

The work is physical, and we are looking for students (primarily in grades 8-12) who are able and willing to lift one end of a couch and take it up or down a flight of stairs. If you speak any Spanish that is a strong plus, but not a necessity.