Donate Today!
Thank you for your desire to help Hope Villages of America. Each month our programs assist more than 5,000 people in Pinellas County. With your help, we can continue providing help and hope to people in need by providing basic needs of food, shelter, safety, and clothing.
Please consider a donation to Hope Villages or your favorite Hope Villages program, today, by utilizing the donation form located on this page.
Volunteer with Hope Villages
Hope Villages of America offers many opportunities for individuals and groups who want to make a difference in the community. In addition, coordinators of food and item drives are always needed. Please call the Volunteer Manager to schedule your group at 727-443-4031 ext 506 or email volunteer@hopevillagesofamerica.org.
Opportunities available at all programs! Get involved today!
Food Distribution Services
Volunteers help with the most basic part of our mission, getting food to the people who need it most. Most donations need sorting, packing and marked before they are ready to be distributed. That is where you come in! Help us prepare food to be distributed through our program to fight hunger. Another way to help is through a Food/Fund Drive. This is an excellent project for our younger volunteers or as a group project. Volunteer opportunities available at the Food Bank:
- help in the interview room;
- help in the warehouse;
- drivers who do light pick up (bread);
- people to clean
- on Fridays, a person with a strong back to help load crates.
Abuse Services
The opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life is at the heart of the volunteer experience. At The Haven, we recognize that volunteers are a valuable resource and our best ambassadors. We know individual skills and interests vary and that everyone can’t volunteer the same amount of time. Therefore, we offer many opportunities with various time commitments. Persons interested in working directly with clients need to complete the state mandated 30 hour training class. For those who would like to get started right away or cannot take the training programs there are other opportunities available. Currently, The Haven seeks the following volunteers:
- victim advocates
- people to clean
- adults to work with children
*Volunteers at The Haven must also complete CORE Training (three days of classroom training (24 hrs) and 6 hrs on on-site shadowing that is required of certified domestic violence center advocates and volunteers in order to qualify for victim/advocate privilege communications under Florida law.)
Housing Stability Services
Hope Villages provides affordable housing for families who are working towards self-sufficiency. As a volunteer for our Housing Stability Division, you can support the mission of Hope Villages in countless ways. Volunteer opportunities currently available:
- Mentors
- Life Skills Facilitators
- Childcare for Life Skills classes
- Landscaping
- Beautification Projects
- General Maintenance
- Administrative Assistance
Volunteer FAQ’s
- What is volunteer orientation? Volunteer orientation is an opportunity for you to learn about Hope Villages of America with a brief overview of all of our programs and the opportunities we have with in those programs, including ways you can support it.
- How often do you offer orientation? Once a month
- Where do I go? 503 S. Martin Luther King Jr., Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33756
- How long is it? It is about 30 to 45 minutes
- For a one-time group project, does everyone need to attend volunteer orientation? No. A brief agency overview will be provided at your site.
- What is included in a background check? We ask you to provide your current name, Florida driver’s license number, date of birth, and gender so a local background check can be done. Results will not necessarily prevent you from volunteering with us.
- What is FCADV Training? This is only required for volunteering at The Haven. If you wish to work directly with our participants, it is Hope Village’s policy to train you through the FCADV curriculum. FCADV stands for the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. They created a 24-hour training course called Core Competency. By completing Core Competency and passing the written test, you receive certification and the knowledge necessary to work in the field of domestic violence. You will also receive “privileged” status, meaning any information shared between you and a participant will be held confidential.
- How much does Core Competency cost? The course is free for those who volunteer!
- What happens during the staff interview? A staff interview is an opportunity for you and our staff to get to know each other. Our staff will give you a tour of the facility and explain what the volunteer job you are seeking is like. They will ask what you wish to gain from your volunteer experience and you can ask any question about Hope Villages of America, our policies, our philosophy, etc. From there, you and our staff will decide what job is best for you.
- How can I get more information? Call 727-443-4031 ext. 506 or volunteer@hopevillagesofamerica.org
Other Ways to Get Involved
Every gift matters. One meal or a single night in a safe, warm bed can be life changing. Sitting down with an advocate to create a safety plan can truly save someone’s life. An investment in Hope Villages makes a difference in your local community. Your gift is used to provide Help and Hope right here in Pinellas County.
- $25 affords 25 nutritious meals for children and adults who are hungry in our community
- $140 provides outreach services for 4 survivors of domestic violence
- $670 provides a week of safe & secure shelter for a mother and child fleeing domestic violence
- $1,270 covers two weeks of the emergency homeless shelter program for a family of four
Cash Gifts
A gift of cash (or check) is the most common way of making a gift. Checks or Money Orders can be made payable to Hope Villages of America and mailed to:
Hope Villages of America
503 South Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue
Clearwater, Florida 33756
Double your impact – Check to see if your company will match your gift!
Become a Change Maker and Give Monthly to Hope Villages!
Have a specific monthly donation automatically charged to your credit card or deducted from your checking account. You may not notice $20 a month, but it could provide 20 nutritious meals for hungry children and adults every month.
Appreciated Stock
You can give appreciated stock to Hope Villages of America. It’s simple and easy and may save you capital gains taxes! The only cost to you is what you originally paid for it, and the current value may be tax deductible!
Honorary or Memorial Gifts
In the case of a loved one’s death, you can request friends and family to make donations to Hope Villages in lieu of flowers. They can mail gifts to the address above. We will send the family an acknowledgment and thank the donor for their gift. Do you have trouble finding the right gift for a special occasion? Many people have decided to donate money to Hope Villages to honor a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion. Facebook makes it very easy to create a birthday fundraiser. If you would like to send a contribution as a special recognition, please let us know how you would like your gift named and who should be recognized.
Bequests
A will is an important document that lets you determine the distribution of your estate. It also offers a variety of creative ways for you to be an angel of giving directly to Hope Villages of America. Estate gifts help Hope Village’s sustainability, ensuring our reserves and endowments are viable. In preparing your will, you should first provide for your family’s needs. Then you may choose to bequeath to Hope Villages your choice of a dollar amount, specific property, a percentage of your estate, or whatever is left after your loved ones have been taken care of. You may also wish to name one or more charitable recipients in case your heirs do not survive you. If you already have a will, your attorney may be able to add a simple amendment (codicil) to provide a gift for Hope Villages. If you have a living trust, a simple amendment to that trust can accomplish the same thing.
Host a Food Drive
The Hope Villages Food Bank continually accepts donations and relies on community food drives for support. Click HERE for more info.
Host a “Wish List” Drive
We also appreciate drives for other items on our wishlist which are used by the Grace House and The Haven. Click HERE to see our wish list.