Good Works exists to connect people from all walks of life
with people in poverty so that the kingdom of God can be experienced.
Updated December 18, 2024
Here is a shorter list of some of the
Winter Spring Good Works Volunteer Opportunities
Good Works email address is email@good-works.net
Good Works is a faith-based Christian community and our vision is to create a loving Community of HOPE with and for people who are struggling with homelessness and poverty in rural Appalachia. WE provide opportunities to give, to share time, to express kindness and love; and to learn with and from the people we serve. Since 1981, we have been forming diverse contexts of hospitality in which people in need can experience welcome, connect with a caring community, access opportunities for practical assistance, and find ways they can share their skills and abilities with others. The people we are especially focused on loving are men, women and children who are without homes, children experiencing the risks of poverty, and older adults who are widowed or have a disability.
For information about volunteering to receive academic credit or community service hours, click here.
To view “Works of Good,” an 8-minute documentary about the experiences of two former residents of the Timothy House who are now on staff, click here.
Good Works Volunteer Opportunities
Click any of the opportunities below for more information.
The Timothy House
THE TIMOTHY HOUSE: A home for people without homes since 1981
The Timothy House provides a safe, clean, stable, temporary place for people who are experiencing homelessness to stay while they work on the issues that brought them into this situation. Serving nine counties in rural Appalachia, we offer shelter to 100 to 200 different people each year. We welcome men, women and families with children. Under the leadership of our staff, volunteers interact with residents in the hope of providing support, encouragement and informal mentoring. Volunteers become a temporary “community net” while people are working through the matters that caused them to experience homelessness. The staff members of the Timothy House also rely on volunteers to provide practical assistance in the daily operation of the house. To read some short reflections on what it was like to volunteer at The Timothy House, click here.
Below are several different volunteer niches within the Timothy House:
- Weekday Mornings: Volunteers arrive at the Timothy House at 9am and stay until noon one day each week. Greeting the residents in the morning, sharing breakfast time, answering the doorbell, assisting families with childcare, helping residents with morning tasks, and working on organizing and cleaning around the house constitute much of the morning responsibilities. This commitment is once a week, on the same weekday, for three months. Email us, or contact us for more information.
- Weekday Evenings: Volunteers arrive at the Timothy House at 5pm and stay until 9pm once a week. Evening responsibilities include assisting with the dinner meal preparation, visiting with residents and guests, answering the doorbell, welcoming new residents and assisting families with childcare. Volunteers may also help with specific tasks such as daily household chores, filling out application forms with residents or assisting with educational projects. More importantly, volunteers have the opportunity to simply be present with the residents on a regular basis—talking and listening, joining in games or music, and sharing life. At the end of the evening volunteers have an opportunity to journal about their experiences and debrief. This commitment is once a week, on a consistent weekday, for three months. Email us, or contact us for more information.
- Weekend Opportunity: In partnership with several local churches, Good Works offers a weekend volunteer opportunity for individuals or families in the faith community who want to serve and build relationships with people experiencing homelessness. Volunteers commit to four to five hours once a month, on a Saturday or Sunday morning, afternoon or evening. This opportunity requires a specific application process, special training and a six-month commitment. For more information on this opportunity, email us. To view a video explaining the weekend opportunity and our partnership with local congregations, click here.
- Food Pantry Worker: Do you like to organize things? Food pantry volunteers make a once a week commitment to help us organize the food pantry and put things away at the Timothy House or the Good Works Luhrig Road property. This is arranged at a time between you and our staff and involves a 10-week commitment. For more information, email us.
- Training for Life Computer Class: Facilitated by Good Works staff, this class offers personalized computer training to Timothy House residents and community members. Held at the Timothy House twice a week, we teach typing, Internet access, Microsoft Office, resume writing and online job search training. We seek to broaden participants’ computer skills and increase their attractiveness to prospective employers. Volunteers assist staff in providing one-on-one attention. Volunteers serve for two to three hours per week for three months. The classes are typically held one morning and one evening a week. For more information, email us.
To explore any of the opportunities above, email us. You can request to join us for dinner at the Timothy House (Monday-Thursday) to meet the staff, get a tour and receive a Volunteer Application.
To view an article written by Garrett Mather-Smith to some of our weekend volunteers about the agencies we partner with, click here.
Friday Night Life
FRIDAY NIGHT LIFE: A different kind of community meal since 1993.
Friday Night Life is a community event designed to bring people from all walks of life together around things everyone enjoys: food, games, occasional speakers and companionship! Every Friday evening, we gather with our friends, some of whom are struggling to make ends meet, and others who volunteer to prepare a nutritious, free meal for everyone. Friday Night Life is held at The Plains UMC from October to March and on the Good Works Luhrig Road property from April to September.
Click here to watch a video about Friday Night Life.
Below are specific volunteer opportunities within Friday Night Life:
Sponsor the Meal: Organize a group (not less than 5 and no more than 10) to provide the meal and help with clean up. Groups are asked to sponsor the meal one-time each year (or more if you prefer). For more information about sponsoring a meal, click here or email us. You can also contact us at 740.594.3339 to learn more and select a date.- Friday Night Life Kids’ Club Leader: This is an opportunity to invest in the lives of children who are experiencing the risks of poverty. In cooperation with Good Works staff, the team of Kids’ Club Leaders participates in Friday Night Life, and plans and leads activities with the kids. We focus on children ages 4 to 17. Being a Kids’ Club Leader involves a six month commitment. For more information, email us.
- Van Driver: Many of our friends who are struggling with economic and social issues want to come to Friday Night Life but cannot because they have no transportation. This position involves driving a Good Works van to pick people up at two locations on Fridays starting at 4:15 pm and take them back at 7:30 pm. For more information, email us.
- Rides to Life: Through Rides to Life volunteers, we are able to provide seniors and people with physical disabilities transportation to Friday Night Life on a regular basis. Volunteers are matched with a Friday Night Life participant who needs transportation. Volunteers use their own vehicle and pick people up at their homes. This requires a minimum commitment of twice a month. Email us
- Friday Night Life Friendship: This is a niche for individuals to connect with Friday Night Life participants relationally during the evening. Their role is to be with others in an intentional way. Volunteers are encouraged to seek out those who are sitting by themselves to visit with them and get to know them. We believe that each person has something both to teach and to learn. Volunteers commit to participating from 4:30 to 8:00 pm each week for three months. Email us, or contact Aaron Duncan at 740.594.3339 for information.
- Special Events: Help organize special community-building activities for adults at Friday Night Life. These typically take place before or after the meal. Ideas include music, drama, poetry, art, crafts, board games, recreational sports, haircuts or…? We are especially interested in creating contexts for Friday Night Life participants to share their talents with each other. A large amphitheater and alternative indoor space are available. To arrange a special event or to be involved on a regular basis, email us, or contact Keith Wasserman at 740.541.0816.
- Food Recovery: Volunteers provide vital assistance as we transport donations of
food from the Ohio University Dining Hall Stores to Good Works locations each week. This food is distributed to participants in our Friday Night Life community. On an average week, we provide food for about 20 families to take home. Volunteers may use their own vehicle or a Good Works vehicle to transport the food. This opportunity requests a commitment of three months. For more information, email us or contact Aaron Duncan at 740.594.3339.
To explore any of the opportunities related to Friday Night Life, you can email us or call us at 740.594.3339 and request to come to Friday Night Life once without an application. This will enable you to experience the community and determine if it is something you want to make a commitment to. For those interested in making a commitment, contact us to arrange a time meet our staff, do a tour and receive a Volunteer Application.
Day In The Life
Day In The Life (DITL) is designed as both a fund raiser for the Good Works Timothy House and an educational experience. The financial goal for DITL is to raise funds to cover as many “days” in the life of the Timothy House as possible each year. Each day to operate the GW Timothy House is estimated at about $500.00. The time period of the DITL campaign is September 1st to December 31st each year.
On Saturday December 7, 2024 Good Works held our second annual “on-site” educational experience (similar to the Good Works WALK which took place from 2003 to 2019) to help the community better understand the complexities surrounding poverty and homelessness in rural Ohio.
We are seeking volunteers to help with some of the planning for DAY IN THE LIFE in 2025. Email us for more information.
Senior Friends
Senior Friends facilitates friendships between volunteers and older adults, both of whom desire the joy of such a relationship. Many of the people we have the privilege of knowing through Senior Friends are widowed. The isolating experience of physical limitation combined with economic struggle calls for the presence of a supportive community—and you can be part of this! Volunteers enter the door of Senior Friends through Friday Night Life and Neighbors Helping Neighbors. If you would like to develop a friendship with someone in Athens County and are willing to commit to visit twice a month (or more regularly) for 2 to 3 hours for a minimum of 6 months, contact us through email or call 740.594.3339.
Good Works Property Maintenance
GOOD WORKS PROPERTY MAINTENANCE: Working with your hands
Good Works relies on volunteers to assist with maintaining both of our properties. Responsibilities include lawn mowing, gardening, woodcutting, cleaning, and painting. Those who have skills to offer can help us with various mechanical, carpentry, plumbing and electrical projects. Small engine repair is also a consistent need. Volunteers can assist once a week or once every two weeks at a time arranged with our staff. For more information, email us.
Below are several other regular maintenance needs we have:
- Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: Good Works owns a number of bicycles that are used by Timothy House residents and provided to individuals through the Transformation Station. We are seeking a volunteer to provide the ongoing maintenance and repair that these bikes need. How about you? For more information, email us
- Auto Maintenance and Repair: Good Works has a number of vehicles donated from the community that need on-going repair and maintenance. We use some of these vehicles for Good Works business and others are given directly to a family in need through the Transformation Station. We are seeking volunteers to provide regular assistance in the repair and maintenance of these vehicles. For more information, email us
Agriculture and Gardening
Our friends who struggle with poverty often have limited access to fresh, nutritious, low-cost food. As a result, obesity and diabetes are at dangerously high levels in this area of rural Ohio. In an effort to create a just, affordable and healthy food source, Good Works has helped to develop several agricultural initiatives all over Athens County primarily at the homes of those we serve through Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Along with a greenhouse and large garden on the Luhrig Road property, we have helped start and maintain gardens at the homes of our friends who are widowed or experiencing disability. During 8 summers, we developed an Agricultural Internship for local teens. Volunteers assisted with developing our gardens alongside Good Works staff in the spring, summer and fall.
We will be starting Good Works Gardens again in March and April for the 2025 garden season. We are seeking volunteers to come alongside and work with us primarily on Saturdays both on the Good Works property and also at the homes of those we love and serve through Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
Transformation Station
This volunteer opportunity is particularly for people in need of resources such as a vehicle, bicycle, furniture, appliances or non-emergency food. Transformation Station participants are invited to serve with us, and in exchange for their time, they earn points through which they receive a thank you gift in the form of an item they need. This opportunity is based on our belief that every person has skills and abilities, and that using these gifts to help others brings dignity and personal well-being.
Good Works is seeking additional volunteers to work alongside our staff and alongside TS volunteers once a week. Below are several ways YOU can to help the Good Works staff facilitate the vision of the Transformation Station:
- Working alongside Transformation Station volunteers: One of the main goals of the Transformation Station is to invite people who are struggling with poverty into a community in which they feel a sense of personal value and equality. Often, this is experienced through doing physical work alongside others. Through humility, we can build relationships with people in need that really bring encouragement and hope.
If you like working with people, and want to connect with those in need, you can volunteer to work alongside our Transformation Station volunteers. Practically speaking, this involves working with others on a wide range of projects that match your skills. Construction, repairs, property and lawn maintenance, cleaning, organizing food donations, and mailings are some of the potential tasks. This volunteer opportunity requires a 10-week commitment and takes place on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. For more information, email us
Lunch-time cook for Transformation Station, staff and GW volunteers: There is nothing like a meal to bring people together! We hope to create a welcoming environment that includes our Transformation Station volunteers in a noon meal. Do you enjoy cooking? A Lunch-time cook would prepare a meal for 8 to 15 people in the Good Works Hannah House kitchen. Food is provided out of our pantry. This is a once-a-week commitment (10 am to 1:30 pm on a Wednesday or Thursday) for three months. For more information, email us for more information.
Volunteer Opportunities for Groups
Volunteer Opportunities for Groups
WORK RETREATS: A day of serving and learning together
Work Retreats provide an opportunity for a team of volunteers or a family (5 to 30 people) to participate in a one or two day experience in service and reflection. Based on the skills and interests of the group, we plan and lead group members in a variety of service tasks for the day. Participants help us with labor-intensive work to maintain our properties such as lawn care, splitting wood, gardening, and painting. Groups also offer assistance with high-skill jobs such as construction and repairs. In addition, we lead small groups to the homes of people who are older, widowed or have a physical disability to visit and offer practical assistance. Click here for a link to a 4 minute video about volunteering for a Work Retreat and for more information, email us.
“Can you help me?”
Through Neighbors Helping Neighbors, we invite small groups of volunteers to visit our neighbors in Athens County, spend time with them, and do labor-intensive projects at their homes. Each year, nearly 400 volunteers provided service to families at their homes in Athens County. Since the program began more than 20 years ago, Good Works has established relationships with many individuals and families. We are especially focused on helping those who are older, widowed and experiencing disabilities, can no longer care for their property and cannot afford to pay someone to do the work for them. The tasks of the day range from mowing grass, raking leaves, cleaning, painting, home repairs and construction. For more information, email us, or contact us at 740.594.3336. Individuals can also apply to participate with us regularly in Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Volunteering as an individual requires an initial commitment of 10 weeks.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIFE– Groups are encouraged to sponsor Friday Night Life once or twice a year.
Saturday Service
SATURDAY SERVICE: A one-time opportunity for individuals
Interested in serving with Good Works on our properties or in the community through Neighbors Helping Neighbors? This is an opportunity for individuals to come and experience a day of service to see what a regular commitment would be like.
Saturday Service is available in the fall and spring. Potential volunteers are invited to come once (9:00 am to 4:00 pm) without an application. To sign up for this opportunity, you must contact us by noon the Thursday before you want to come. For more information, email us or contact us at 740.594.3336. This one-time opportunity does not provide any academic credit or hours for class requirements. For information about volunteering for academic credit or for community service hours, click here.
Computer, Network, and Web Support
COMPUTER, NETWORK AND WEB SUPPORT: Your chance to be a hero
Good Works has more than 20 computers (primarily Macintosh and a few PC), two networks, and many routers (both wired and wireless). We are seeking volunteers who can assist us with troubleshooting both hardware and software issues on these devices. We also are seeking volunteers interested in evaluating and developing our web presence. If this is something you enjoy, let’s talk through your skills, interests and time availability. If you are able to give a few hours every week or so to assist us, please contact Keith Wasserman through the Good Works email.
Make a Video
MAKE A VIDEO: Help others see and experience the Community of HOPE
We are looking for skilled individuals interested in making a three to seven minute video on one aspect of Good Works. If you would like to discuss this idea, please contact Keith Wasserman through the Good Works email.
Week of Service
WEEK OF SERVICE: Share a week with the Good Works community
This is an opportunity for an individual to share a week with the Good Works community: living in the Good Works Hannah House, learning with our staff, and being with people who are struggling with poverty and who are without homes. Participants experience a wide range of contexts for service including the Timothy House, Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Friday Night Life. This is a flexible experience for anyone 16 or older and is free of cost. Participants are welcome throughout the year and especially during Summer Service. For more information, click here. To receive an application, contact us at 740.594.3336 or email us.
Sign of Hope & Loads of Hope
Sign of HOPE is a new Good Works initiative! We broke ground in 2019, and through the help and support of many volunteers, completed the House in 2023.
This house will assist individuals and families the Good Works Timothy House is unable to serve: people who can not climb steps due to a disability or anyone using a wheel chair. We also plan to try and serve people with pets who are in a housing crisis. Each first floor bedroom of this new facility have an external entrance and a bathroom.
LOADS OF HOPE. One area we have intentionally developed is a small laundromat (4 washers & 4 dryers) and a children’s play area in the basement. Our vision is to provide families in our community who do not have access to a washer/dryer with a place to come to wash their clothes. In the future, we desire to create some kind of “bartering process” through which people can do their laundry and also give back in some way. Right now, we are open once a week from 4:00-7:00 pm. People coming are invited to bring a dish of food to share. We need 4 volunteers willing to serve with Loads of HOPE once a week for 3 hours. Volunteers welcome / visit with those who come to wash their cloths and interact with their children. This requires a 3 month commitment.
If you are interested in learning more about volunteering with Loads of HOPE, email us
Summer Lunch
SUMMER LUNCH (June 16 to July 31, 2025)
Good Works Summer Lunch takes place at The Plains United Methodist Church in The Plains, Ohio only a few miles from Athens. The lunch is free and open to adults and children of all ages. If you would like to volunteer one day a week during the summer of 2025 (June 16 through July 31), contact us.
Kid's Discovery Club
For many years, Good Works has been providing a 7 week Discovery Club for Kids K-6th grade (M-TH) from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon followed by Summer Lunch at The Plains United Methodist Church (3 North Plains Road, The Plains, Ohio). The program starts Monday, June 16th and ends Thursday, July 31, 2025.
WE ARE SEEKING volunteers to serve one day a week from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. If you are interested in learning more, contact us through email (or by phone at 740.594.3339) to arrange a time to complete an application.
WE ARE ALSO SEEKING one-time presenters who can come one morning this summer to share with the kids on a topic you love to talk about. Contact us to learn more.
One-Time Efforts
ONE-TIME EFFORTS? Want to help from time to time but can’t make a regular commitment right now? You can:
- Purchase supplies from our needs list or fresh food ( milk, lunchmeat and cheese) for the Timothy House once a week as often as you are able.
- Use your mechanical, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, or computer skills to assist with the maintenance of our properties.
- Volunteer to be “on-call” to offer your plumbing, electrical, carpentry, computer or graphic design skills on an as-needed basis.
- Email us to receive our most current Needs List and promote it within a church or organization you are part of.
- Organize a small group to do a food and supplies drive for Good Works.
- Volunteer to pick up food from places in the community who are willing to donate it to Good Works.
- Promote our need for used vehicles in working condition for the Transformation Station among your family and friends.
- Offer to make a 20 to 30 minute presentation on a topic of your interest at Friday Night Life or Summer Discovery Club.
- Promote our initiative scheduled for Saturday December 7, 2024 called DAY IN THE LIFE.
The Next Step…
If you would like to become a Good Works volunteer and serve in one of the areas described above, fantastic! The application process is as follows: come to one of our properties, meet our staff and receive a tour, fill out an application, and have a short interview.
Please call the appropriate contact person to set up a time to come to one of our properties. Those interested in volunteering out of the Timothy House receive a tour there. All others receive a tour of the Good Works Luhrig Road property. Coming to do a tour and meet with our staff is a prerequisite for receiving a volunteer application. Locations and directions will be provided when you call. Or, you can find a map to our locations here.
Not certain?
If you are interested in volunteering but are uncertain as to which opportunity fits you, feel free to email us or call our Administrative Office at 740.594.3339 to talk with one of our staff. We would be happy to discuss current opportunities with you.
Volunteering for credit, hours, community service or scholarships.
Any volunteers seeking academic credit, community service hours, court-ordered* community service or internship credit must request this in writing, in advance, through our application process. Unless you receive proper approval in advance, we cannot sign off on any volunteer hours. Credit for service is available for some, but not all, of our volunteer opportunities. Designated staff from Good Works will certify academic credit or hours after volunteers have completed the full volunteer commitment. For clarification on your particular situation, email us at email@good-works.net
- We are not able to facilitate court-ordered community service at this time.
The Volunteer Application
Following your tour, you will be provided a Volunteer Application. You may fill it out on-site or take it home. You may also request it by email after you complete the tour. The application generally takes about 30 minutes to complete. You will need to provide three personal references to complete the application, so you may want to bring phone and email addresses with you. Please ask your references permission for us to contact them, and tell them to expect a call from us. It takes about a week for Good Works staff to process a Volunteer Application.
The following information is provided to you on the Volunteer Application but we thought it might be helpful for you to read this now:
THANK YOU for your interest in serving as a volunteer with Good Works! Completing the application will provide information to help us determine where you might fit inside the Good Works Community of HOPE. We hope that you have already explored our website but if you haven’t, please take the time to watch a few video’s and explore our different initiatives. In addition, read through our 2023 history and vision brochure (also available at our offices). Please complete all of this reading, along with the statement below about our philosophy and worldview, prior to answering the questions in this application.
The Philosophy and Worldview of Good Works
Good Works exists to connect people from all walks of life
with people in poverty so that the kingdom of God can be experienced.
Good Works is a faith-based organization and our vision is to create a loving Community of HOPE with people who are struggling with poverty and homelessness in rural Appalachia. Since 1981, we have been forming diverse contexts in which people in need can experience welcome, connect with a caring community, access practical assistance, and find ways they can use their abilities to help others. The people we are especially focused on loving are men, women and children who are without homes, children experiencing the risks of poverty, and older adults who are widowed or have a disability.
As a community, we are motivated by the love of God: “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us” (Romans 5:5). Our care for our neighbors in need is born from the overflow of Christ’s love and care for us. Half of our purpose is to come alongside people who are vulnerable by reaching out to them in practical service, and the other half is to provide an avenue for volunteers to serve with us. We believe that only a limited amount of education occurs in the classroom— the rest is obtained through the experience of associating, serving, loving, and knowing those in need. Our intent is to create opportunities that bring volunteers face-to-face with their neighbors, and in doing so, to encourage and inspire our volunteers towards growth.
As a Christian organization, our purpose is to worship God through loving our neighbors. With each person we serve, we desire to build relationships founded on love. We want to both demonstrate and communicate our faith. Therefore, we must: (1) Earn the right or permission to share our lives, values and convictions with those in need. (2) Through integrity, work to establish trust as the primary ingredient and foundation of all our relationships. (3) Recognize that whatever we have to say about our faith and our relationship with God comes in the context of what already exists inside each person we meet. (4) Use respect as the primary lens through which we conduct ourselves in every relationship.
Inside the worldview of Good Works are the following core concepts:
(1) As human beings seeking to grow, we need to serve others regardless of whether or not they express gratitudea.
(2) Under no circumstances do we believe it is loving for our staff or volunteers to take any form of abuse from those we are serving.
(3) All service requires some measure of sacrifice, and volunteers should expect to be challenged emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.
(4) The personal growth of our volunteers is equally important to us as the personal growth of the people we are serving.
(5) Where you as a volunteer meet the people that Good Works serves determines what kind of relationship you will have with them. If you meet them at a local restaurant, for example, Good Works will have a limited “voice” into how you conduct yourself. If you meet them through Good Works, we will expect you to listen and consider our guidance in your relationship. This means that we expect you to ask for input from your staff supervisor prior to exchanging contact information with or spending time with a recipient of a Good Works program outside of your volunteer setting. Recognizing the wisdom of those who served with Good Works for a long time is essential to being a volunteer.
A WORD FROM KEITH
Greetings friends,
Thank you for your desire to explore Good Works’ volunteer opportunities!
Good Works was established through volunteers, is supported by volunteers and sustained by volunteers. I was 22 years old and attending Ohio University when I started Good Works in the basement of my home, volunteering to provide a place to stay for people who were experiencing homelessness. During the first 4 years of Good Works, my wife and I worked jobs in the community and volunteered our time to build and sustain what we now call ” a community of hope”.
I hope you will consider making a commitment to associate, serve, love and know our neighbors struggling with poverty, exclusion and homelessness here in rural Appalachia.
Love is a verb,
Keith Wasserman
Founder and Executive Director
