Volunteers make a difference!

Volunteers are the lifeline of Jewish Family Services. You can make an important difference in the life of a needy child, a lonely older adult, a refugee family, or a person with a disability. You can also help the agency function by providing clerical and administrative support. Contact JFS at jfs@shalomdch.org or 919-489-5335 for more information about how you can make a difference. Become a JFS Volunteer today! Download an application.

For those of you with particular talents and interests, we're creative about matching your expertise with a variety of fun special projects including:

Shabbat Outreach
Do you have an hour to spare? Do a mitzvah and volunteer for JFS’s Shabbat Outreach program

Shabbat Outreach volunteers lead a short Shabbat service on Friday afternoons (2 pm in Chapel Hill or 4:30 pm in Durham) for Jewish residents of two local long term care facilities. JFS provides the juice, service booklets, and other materials. All you bring is a loaf of challah and yourself! You may sign up for one Friday a month or more if you are available.

For more information, please contact JFS Social Worker Meredith Wooten at 489-5335 ext. 22 or mwooten@shalomdch.org.

Bikkur Cholim
Bikkur Cholim - Visiting the Sick. Bikkur Cholim volunteers visit community members who are in the hospital or recovering at home who are unaffiliated with a congregation or who are from out of town.

Friendly Visitors
Volunteers spend 2-4 hours a month visiting with a senior or homebound person in our community. They spend time going for a walk, talking about books, or exploring common interests.

Shoppers/Drivers
As transportation can be difficult for seniors and disabled adults, volunteers help with grocery shopping, errands to post office, dry cleaners, the library, driving to Federation programs, etc.

Clerical & Shlepping Help
Volunteers are always needed to help make phone calls, stuff envelopes, write thank you notes, answer the phone, deliver furniture, and help in the dozens of other little ways that are so important to make our organization run smoothly.

Community Mitzvah Projects
In partnership with other organizations, such as Community Midrasha, the Lerner Jewish Community Day School, and NC Hillel, volunteers work to make our community and the world a better place.

Tzedakah in Bloom
Volunteers are needed to help transport silk flower arrangements for display at synagogues during weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs or other special Jewish ceremonies. The rental fees collected go to support community food programs. Find out more...

Professional Services
Volunteers offer their professional skills, such as medical, dental, legal, electrical and plumbing to name a few, on a pro-bono basis for JFS clients.