Howard Brown utilizes the talents of many volunteers throughout our organization. Whether it's helping at the Brown Elephant Resale Shops, working at a special event, or assisting with administrative work at our main location, the rewards gained by helping us to provide service to our clients is immeasurable.

Check out our current volunteer opportunities listed below and click here to receive our monthly volunteer e-newsletter. 

Thank you! We simply could not do this work without your help.

Current Volunteer Opportunities

Special Events

Save the Date 
Garden of EVE
 
Save the date!  On May 15th, 2010, our largest women's event of the year, Garden of EVE, will be presented and hosted by Christy Webber Landscapes at their Rancho Verde, a beautiful and award-winning "green" industrial office complex on Chicago's near west side!
 
We are looking for volunteers to help with this years event. Volunteers can help with event preparation, set up, the silent auction, and restaurant set up. Please e-mail Andy for an interest form. 

HBHC - Lakeview

Make it Count!
Skilled Finance Volunteers
 
Our finance department is looking for skilled volunteers, preferably CPA's, to help our wonderful finance staff with day to day operations, special projects, and other tasks as assigned. We are looking for volunteers with accounting experience as well as extensive knowledge of Microsoft Excel. The ability to work in a flexible environment is preferred. Contact Andy for more information.

Sheridan Rd. Center Volunteer Opportunities

Help us Spread our Message!
Violence Recovery Project

Want to help us spread the word about our Violence Recovery Project? We are looking for a few volunteers to help us put flyers up around the city to promote our Violence Recovery Project. We have the flyers and the locations, we just need help from you to make it happen. If you are interested in helping, please contact Arryn by email or phone at 773.388.8882

Computer Expert Needed
Help our client!

We are looking for a volunteer to help out a client by answering some questions and assisting with basic computer tasks (e-mail, etc.). Volunteers would need to have a flexible shceule and the time commitment cna be discussed with the client. If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity or to get more information, please contact Michelle via e-mail or at 773.388.8927.

Broadway Youth Center Volunteer Opportunities

Be the Person You Wish You Had Growing Up 
Mentors Needed at the Broadway Youth Center!* 

The Mentor Program promotes healthy relationships between youth and adult members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and/or queer community. This breakthrough program pairs young people (14 - 20) with caring and trustworthy adult (25+) members of the LGBTQ community who share similar interests to engage in meaningful one-on-one experiences.

Please email Tony, Mentor Program Coordinator, or call him at 773.935.3151, ext. 234 for more information.

* Transgender, HIV+, and LGBTQ-SGL people of color highly encouraged to apply. 

Keep Our Inventory in Check 
Drop-in Supply Inventory

We are looking for volunteers to help BYC staff with the drop-in program's supply inventory. Volunteers are asked to work a 3 - 4 hour shift, one night a month. If you have any questions or want to volunteer, please contact Letty via email or at 773.935.3151.

Drive, Drive, Drive! 
Help Support the Broadway Youth Center

The Broadway Youth Center offers youth a safe, fun place to hang out and connect with friends and other youth. Computers and phones, a daily snack, hygiene supplies, showers, and safer sex materials are all available to youth when they come by. Health and education workshops, as well as social and support group meetings also occur on a daily basis. The BYC provides a safe haven for youth where individuality and uniqueness are appreciated, not admonished.

Our Broadway Youth Center is always in need of toiletries, CTA cards, paper plates, and utensils, as well as new socks, bras, and underwear for the youth who utilize services there. These items have such a significant impact for youth who drop in at the BYC.

We encourage you and your club or organization to get involved by organizing a toiletry drive for the BYC. We are always accepting donations and this is a great way to get involved in the community!

Email Letty for more information on setting up a drive. 

BYC Drop-In Program
Calling all artists, activists, healers, thinkers, LGBTQ folks, organizers, adult allies, and youth workers!

The Broadway Youth Center Drop-In Program, a program that supports LGBTQ youth and young people experiencing homelessness, needs your dedication and support this winter. We are hoping to train a small, yet devoted crew of youth worker bees to support our drop-in program. This opportunity will begin in January of 2010.

We are seeking activists, artists, healers, thinkers, LGBT folks of color, organizers, adult allies, and mentors available for 1-2 shifts per week-which last from 12 noon-5 PM, Monday through Saturday. This opportunity will also include important training and support on issues related to harm reduction, anti-oppression values, boundaries, and the roles of a youth worker in our space.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Lara or 773-299-7613.

Brown Elephant Resale Shops Volunteer Opportunities

Help Us Sort it Out 
Brown Elephant Associate 

Get involved in the energy and excitement of one of Chicago's best resale shops by volunteering as a Brown Elephant Associate. Enjoy a vibrant environment as a Brown Elephant volunteer while meeting new people and raising funds for healthcare services for our uninsured and underinsured clients. You'll serve our customers by assisting with merchandise display, stock help, bag check, donation maintenance, and other tasks as needed. 

Are you an individual or group of two or three interested in volunteering? There's no need to RSVP - just show up! We ask that you commit to a minimum three-hour shift.

Are you a group of four or more interested in volunteering together at the Brown Elephant? We'd love to have your help! Please call us at 773.388.8902 or email Andy to schedule a time to volunteer.

We have three stores - two in Chicago and one in Oak Park. All of our stores are open from 11 am - 6 pm daily, and are always in need of great folks like you. Click here for hours and locations. Click here to learn how you can donate your new and used items to the Brown Elephant.

Donate and Make a Difference 
Brown Elephant Donations

Have a lot of stuff that you no longer use, but that someone else might put to good use? Donate that stuff to our Brown Elephant Resale Shops! We have three locations - two in Chicago and one in Oak Park - and we accept a multitude of items.

Why donate your items to the Brown Elephant? Our Brown Elephant Resale Shops generate 20 percent of Howard Brown's total revenue each year. All proceeds from our Brown Elephant stores help us provide healthcare services for our uninsured and underinsured clients. So not only are you decluttering your space, you're contributing to a great cause!

Questions about donations or donation pick-ups? Please call 773.549.5943.

Interested?

To begin, check out the opportunities above, then follow the steps provided.

To fill out a volunteer application, click here.   

For more information, please contact Andy Witt, Volunteer Coordinator, at 773-388-8902. Thank you for your interest in supporting Howard Brown!