
Person-to-Person volunteers are the lifeblood of the agency and perform essential functions at all levels, from managing programs to scheduling and meeting with clients, picking up donated food and clothing, sorting food and clothing for the Emergency Food Pantry and Clothing Center or serving on the Board of Directors and other volunteer committees.
Whether an adult, in high school, middle school or college, retired or working full-time there is an opportunity for all who would like to volunteer.
Volunteer Groups:
P2P Social
Join us at P2P on Monday’s from 6PM to 8PM and mingle with us at Darien Social (10 Center St, Darien)! No need to register. Contact Janet King at 203.656.4631 x155 for more information.
Emergency Food Pantry
The Emergency Food Pantry provides food for three meals a day for seven days to individuals and families living in Stamford, Darien and New Canaan that have been referred to P2P by other agencies and social workers. Volunteers sort donations, stock shelves and accompany clients as they self-select grocery items or pack grocery orders for clients to pick up. Volunteers are also involved in organizing food drives at local schools, civic organizations, businesses and houses of worship. Volunteers coordinate the delivery of bread, meat and produce from local suppliers and oversee the pick-up of food by the Youth Group on Saturdays.
Clothing Center
The Clothing Center provides new and gently-used clothing in good condition to anyone from the area who schedules an appointment. Volunteers greet donors and clients in the Clothing Center, issue receipts to donors, and help scheduled clients select items during their visits. Volunteers also sort and hang donated clothing and help maintain the Clothing Center. This is a good opportunity to work directly with clients and their families.
Food Drives
We rely on multiple food drives throughout the year to keep the Food Pantry stocked, including two major drives that are conducted annually – one sponsored by area synagogues and temples during the High Holy Days and the Postal Food Drive in May sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Volunteers prepare empty bags for delivery to the synagogues or temples and post office, then sort the food received during these large drives. Volunteers also coordinate the timeframes, supplies and number of people needed to make these drives successful. If you would like to coordinate a food drive at your business, house of worship, organization or school, please contact us.
Reception
Our teams of reception volunteers communicate not only with clients and staff, but also with donors, other volunteers and social services agencies. They coordinate the many needs of the office and Person-to-Person would not function as well as it does without them. A rudimentary knowledge of Spanish or French is a plus, but not required.
Van Men
A team of volunteers pick-up donated food and clothing several days a week, including Saturdays.
Camp Registration
Our Camperships program provides elementary and middle school children in Stamford with a place to go in the summer. Local summer day camps provide the opportunity to build life skills and keep children safe. Volunteers help parents select the best camp and register their child(ren). The volunteers are trained in the details of the camp registration procedures and have an opportunity to visit the camps during the summer to see the programs in action.
Scholarship Committee
This committee awards financial aid to college students for expenses not covered by student loans, such as books. Committee members are trained and placed in teams. These teams meet with the scholarship recipients during the application process and each committee member has the opportunity to build a relationship with the student through her/his college years.
Dove
White and green Person-to-Person Doves hang from Christmas trees in area churches beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving. White Doves are for providing a family with food and green doves are for providing a family with financial assistance or a scholarship. Recipients of this support are referred by social service agencies; caseworkers oversee the program. Volunteers are welcome to help coordinate this outreach.
OPUS for Person-to-Person
A positive force for change in the local community, OPUS is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving the community.
Established in 1996 to raise awareness of and financial support for Person-to-Person, OPUS has a growing membership of over 200 women who generously volunteer their time and effort to help others in Lower Fairfield County.
Through their efforts, each year thousands of people receive assistance which ranges from food and clothing, to living assistance loans, scholarship grants and camp tuitions.
As a result of their work, over fourteen years OPUS has raised more than $2,000,000.
Kid-to-Kid: Middle School Volunteer Program
Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, all 6th, 7th and 8th graders are invited to volunteer at P2P from 3 to 4 PM. Participants will help in the Food Pantry and Clothing Center as well as with special projects. 15 students per week are needed. We are also looking for parent volunteer supervisors.
Program runs during the school year. Summer days and times are to be determined. Sign ups are taken WEEKLY by email - k2k@p2phelps.org. Please email before attending.
This is a great way to make friends while helping others!
For more information, email Janet King
Youth Group
The Youth Group is a team of well-trained high school students from Darien, Stamford and New Canaan who run the Person-to-Person Emergency Food Pantry, Clothing Center and Reception Area on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, except in August.
They also fundraise for and oversee a car seat program that provides new and gently used car seats to low-income families with small children and infants.
For more information, email our Volunteer Director
Janet King
Toy Store
Provides our clients, with whom we’ve worked regularly over the year, the opportunity to choose one new toy and book for each of their children for the holidays. A purchasing committee works throughout the year to provide a proper selection of toys for all age groups. Volunteers are “elves” who help the parents shop, wrap the gifts, or entertain the children at the craft table while the parents shop.
Be-A-Santa
This program engages businesses in Lower Fairfield County and provides their employees a direct way to help others during the holidays through a gift program. Volunteers contact participating companies, prepare and distribute tags indicating a specific new item or cash donation, and sort the gifts received for clients. The items requested include toys, children’s books, baby items, men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and household items. Inventory and maintenance of the Be-A-Santa area is an integral part of the volunteer effort.
Volunteer Council
This group serves with the Director of Volunteers by providing additional resources and support for Volunteers. Members brainstorm special projects that will provide added value to the agency and assume responsibility for them. The Council considers community needs, other available services and the way in which Person-to-Person can best coordinate its services to clients.
Baby Basics
This program provides and delivers layette items and car seats to new mothers at Stamford and Norwalk Hospitals based upon social worker referrals. For more information, emailbabybasics@opus4p2p.org.