Volunteer

The Father McKenna Center has a small paid staff and volunteers are essential to providing the care and accompaniment that is the legacy of Father Horace McKenna. Thankfully, The Father McKenna Center is graced by hundreds of volunteers each year.
During this time of the coronavirus pandemic, we have adapted our services to ensure the safety of our guests, staff, and volunteers while maintaining a high level of service. Rest assured, volunteers still play a central role in providing that service!

Day Program and Food Pantry Volunteer Opportunities

Click to see list of current opportunities
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The Saturday Volunteer Opportunities have been suspended. Please check back with us for great opportunities for your team or community-building event for your church group, youth group, alumni club, or even a group of families and friends.

Day Program

Days: Monday to Friday
Time:  7:30 am – 12:30 pm

We are looking for volunteers to greet and sign in guests, help prepare and serve meals, distribute clothing, and clean sanitize our facility.

Receptionist

7:00 am to 11:00 am

Welcome and sign in our guests, distribute mail, and oversee our phone charging station. We ask that reception volunteers be 18 years or older.

Kitchen Assistant

8:30 am to 12:30 pm

Assist Kitchen Manager by preparing lunch and serving our guests restaurant-style in order to maintain social distance. This position requires extended periods of standing upright.

Meal Service (Breakfast and Lunch)

Assist Kitchen Manager by serving our guests restaurant-style. We ask volunteers to serve our guests as waiters so that our guests practice social distancing.

Clothing Distribution

Twice per month

Assist an FMC staff member to distribute clothing to our guests.

Cleaning/Organization Projects Assistant

Assist staff members with sorting and organizing clothing and food donations and/or cleaning and sanitizing our facility.

We are looking for volunteers to help “shop” for canned goods in our Food Pantry for residents who reside in Ward 6. We also need help to distribute fresh produce, milk, eggs, meat, and bread. We ask volunteers to help set up and clean up the food pantry area as well.

Food Pantry

Days: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri (Note: Closed Wednesdays)
Volunteer Hours: 1:00 – 2:45 pm

Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to help “shop” for canned goods in our Food Pantry for DC residents. We also need help to distribute fresh produce, milk, eggs, meat, and bread. We ask volunteers to help set up and clean up the food pantry area as well.

FMC Service Access Team Member

FMC is partnering with Franciscan Mission Service (FMS) and its DC Service Corps Program to host a year-long FMC Service Access Team Member.

DC Service Corps members serve full-time at a local non-profit in Washington, DC, while they receive the following benefits: professional mentoring, weekly faith formation sessions, servant leadership trainings, spiritual direction, retreats, a monthly stipend, health insurance, and a private room (cost covered by FMS) in the FMS house in the Brookland neighborhood. Learn more here

The FMC Associate from the DC Service Corps will assist with FMC’s efforts to “accompany and care for men experiencing homelessness and families facing food insecurity” in our nation’s capital. For many years, FMS has partnered with FMC in these efforts, and several of the center’s employees started off as FMC Associates with DC Service Corps.

If you have any questions, please contact Emily Dold or call her at 202-842-1112.