Dawn Timberlake
Community Relations Manager
773-388-8902

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 administrative work at our main location, the rewards gained by helping us to provide service to our clients is immeasurable.

To begin, check out the opportunities below, then follow the steps provided. To receive our monthly volunteer e-newsletter, click here.

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

Current Volunteer Opportunities

A Taste for Every Palate

Taste, one of Chicago's premier tasting events that helps to provide services and programs to the women of our community, showcases cuisines and wines from restaurants throughout Chicago. Come help us make this year's Taste the best one yet! We are looking for a large number of volunteers to help with every aspect of this incredible evening. Volunteers can assist the restaurants, help run the silent auction, sell raffle tickets, and so much more!

Interested in volunteering the day or evening of the event? Please review the volunteer job descriptions below and if you see something of interest to you, complete and return the interest form below. Check it out soon because spaces fill up quickly and are filled on first-come basis.

Interested in helping prior to the event?   We need fun, outgoing, and energetic volunteers to help us promote the Taste by walking around various Chicago neighborhoods posting flyers in local businesses.  If you can help, please complete and return the interest form below.

Volunteer Job Descriptions    Volunteer Interest Form

And of course, if you have any questions, please e-mail Andy.

For more information about the Taste, or to volunteer for an event committee, please contact Eryn Jennings at 773-388-8794, or Erynj@howardbrown.org.

Drive, Drive, Drive!

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 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!

Contact Andy for more information on setting up a toiletry drive.

Spring Cleaning?

Doing a little spring cleaning? Have a lot of "stuff" you no longer use or need, but someone else might be able to put to good use? Donate your "stuff" to our Brown Elephant resale shops. We have four locations, three in Chicago and one in Oak Park and accept a multitude of items.

Why donate your "stuff" 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 resale 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.

Online & On-the-Street Outreach 

We are looking for volunteers to serve as "the face of Howard Brown" in the Chicago MSM (men-who-have-sex-with-men; specifically gay, bisexual, and transgendered) communities. Provide HIV/STD prevention materials, information, and referrals in bars and clubs, social events, or work in online sex-seeking environments such as Manhunt, Adam4Adam, Craigslist, and AOL.

Outreach experience is preferred, but training will be provided Howard Brown. Street outreach is held in fun environments such as bars, clubs, and other social venues and will provide you the opportunity to reach out to your peers. 

Contact Jackie for more information about On-the-Street outreach opportunities in bars, clubs, and other social venues. 

For more information about online outreach, contact Jeff.  

Health Promotion

We need your help reviewing medical records and calling primary care patients who smoke. You'll discuss and encourage smoking cessation and ask patients to participate in a reasearch study through Howard Brown Health Center.

Please contact Daliah for more information.

Howard Brown’s Mentoring Program

Be the person you wish you had growing up. 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 adults (25+) who share similar interests to engage in meaningful one-on-one experiences. Positive role models are always needed, so if you’ve got the dedication and desire to be a mentor, contactTony Alvarado-Rivera, Mentor Program Coordinator. People of color, HIV+ folks and transgender individuals are highly encouraged to apply.

Brown Elephant Associate

Help us sort it out. 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 our uninsured/underinsured clients.

You’ll serve our customers by assisting with merchandise display, stock help, bag check, donation maintenance, and other tasks as needed.

If you’re interested, there’s no need to RSVP- just show up (preferably for a 3 or more hour shift), and the fantastic folks at the Brown Elephant will set you up! They’re open from 11 am – 6 pm daily (save Oak Park), 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.

Interested?

To begin, check out the opportunities above, then follow the steps provided. To fill out a volunteer application, click here .

For further questions, please contact Dawn Timberlake, Community Relations Manager, at 773-388-8902 or dawnt@howardbrown.org. Thank you for your interest.