Needs From: United Way of the Lakeshore

Are you someone who likes to work behind the scenes? We need help do the shopping for our angels this year. You'll choose toys for each angel based on age and interests from our toy staging area. We have over 1,000 angels in need this year. Shoppers are needed from 10am to Noon and 1pm to 3pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays December 5-16, 2025.

Please note if Orchard View Schools are closed due to weather on the day/s, you are volunteering so are we. 

White Lake Giving Tree – Delivery Day Volunteers Needed

White Lake Giving Tree, a volunteer-led initiative based out of St. James Catholic Church in Montague, supports families in the Montague and Whitehall school districts each holiday season. Through partnerships with individuals, local churches, organizations, and businesses, they collect gifts, winter necessities, bedding, and food for households of all ages—from young families to seniors.

This year, they are serving approximately 300 families, representing more than 800 individuals. Their volunteer team has created a remarkable operation to make sure each family receives the support they need.

They are now seeking volunteers for their busiest and most important day:

Delivery Day
Saturday, December 13
Arrive by 8:45 AM (delivery begins at 9:00 AM)
Location: St. James Catholic Church, Montague

Volunteers will help:

Deliver gifts, food, and essential items to families in the community

Support a highly organized, fast-moving system

Ensure that every family receives their holiday packages with care and dignity

This is a meaningful, one-day opportunity to make a direct, positive impact on neighbors across the White Lake area.

Volunteer Opportunity: Stories & Santa – Holiday Open House Support

United Way of the Lakeshore is hosting Stories & Santa: A Holiday Open House, a festive afternoon for local families to enjoy holiday crafts, refreshments, story time, and a special visit with Santa! We are looking for a few helping hands to support this joyful community event with set-up and clean-up.

Set-Up Volunteers (2 needed)
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Volunteers will assist United Way staff with event preparation, including arranging tables and chairs, setting up activity stations, decorating the space, organizing supplies, and helping our team prepare for guests.

Clean-Up Volunteer (1 needed)
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Volunteer will help United Way staff with breakdown and clean-up after the event, including tidying activity areas, packing supplies, and assisting with light lifting to restore the space.

This is a great opportunity to support families in our community and help create a warm, welcoming holiday experience. Volunteers should be comfortable working indoors, on their feet for portions of the shift, and assisting with light lifting and general event support.

Thank you for helping us make the holidays brighter for local families!

Volunteer Opportunity: Stories & Santa – Activity & Craft Table Volunteers

United Way of the Lakeshore is hosting Stories & Santa: A Holiday Open House, a festive afternoon for local families to enjoy holiday crafts, refreshments, storytime, and a special visit with Santa! We are looking for friendly, patient volunteers to assist at our holiday activity and craft tables during the event.

Activity & Craft Table Volunteers
12:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Volunteers will help children and families participate in holiday-themed crafts by welcoming guests to the tables, explaining simple craft activities, distributing supplies, offering encouragement, and helping with light clean-up at the tables as needed. All craft instructions and materials will be provided.

This is a mostly seated position and is a wonderful fit for volunteers who enjoy working with children in a calm, creative environment. Volunteers should be comfortable interacting with families and providing gentle guidance as children complete their crafts.

Thank you for helping us create a joyful and memorable holiday experience for our families!

Every Woman’s Place is hosting its annual Holiday Boutique, a dignified, supportive shopping experience for families who receive our services. The Boutique allows parents and caregivers to select gifts and necessities for their children and themselves at no cost, helping ensure a joyful and stress-free holiday season during a time of transition.

We are seeking compassionate, dependable volunteers to assist with set-up, shopping support, and clean-up throughout the Boutique week. Volunteers will play a key role in maintaining an organized, welcoming space and assisting families as they shop.

This volunteer opportunity does take place in the lower level of Every Woman's Place, which is accessible by stairs or an elevator.

Keeping the shop stocked, organized, and fully shoppable

Assisting families with selecting items and wrapping gifts

“Checking out” each client by verifying items against a voucher outlining their family’s shopping needs and limits

Providing friendly, respectful support to clients in a trauma-informed environment

Supporting final clean-up and breakdown at the end of the Boutique week

This opportunity is ideal for volunteers who are comfortable interacting directly with families and doing light organizing and stocking throughout their shift

Monday, December 15, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
3 volunteers
Assist with transforming the space into a welcoming Holiday Boutique through decorating, organizing donations, and setting up displays.

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | 2:00–6:00 p.m.
3 volunteers

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
3 volunteers

Thursday, December 18, 2025 | 2:00–6:00 p.m.
3 volunteers

Monday, December 22, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. + 1 hour clean-up
3 volunteers

Shopping shifts focus on assisting families, keeping inventory organized, wrapping gifts, managing the check-out process using client vouchers, and helping with clean-up at the final shift

Comfort interacting with families in a supportive, respectful way

Ability to do light organizing, standing, and stocking throughout the shift

Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries

Background check approval required prior to volunteering

Volunteers should arrive 10–15 minutes before their scheduled shift

The link to the background check approval form will be emailed to you after you register for a shift. If you have completed a background check within the past year through Every Woman’s Place or United Way of the Lakeshore, you will not be required to submit a new background check for this opportunity. Please note this in your registration comments so staff can verify.

Volunteer Opportunity: Adopt a Working Family – Intake & Distribution Support

United Way of the Lakeshore is seeking friendly, organized volunteers to assist with donation intake and family pick-up for our Adopt a Working Family Program. These volunteers play a vital role in ensuring gifts and donations are received, organized, and distributed smoothly to families during the holiday season.

Volunteers will help check in donations and gifts from donors/adopters, assist families as they arrive for pick-up, and help move items in and out of the building as needed. This is a rewarding opportunity to directly support local families.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to assist with light to moderate lifting

Comfortable standing, walking, and assisting with general event flow

Able to interact professionally and compassionately with donors and families

Available Shifts (2 volunteers needed per shift):

Tuesday, December 16

9:30 AM – 1:00 PM

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Wednesday, December 17

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Volunteers will receive on-site guidance and instructions from United Way staff. This is a meaningful opportunity to support dignity, organization, and holiday cheer for families in our community.

Thank you for helping make this program a success for both our donors and the families we serve.

Volunteer Opportunity: Adopt a Working Family – Holiday Gift Delivery Drivers

United Way of the Lakeshore is seeking reliable, compassionate volunteers to help deliver holiday gifts and donations to local families participating in our Adopt a Working Family Program. This role is essential to ensuring families receive their gifts in time for the holiday season.

All deliveries will take place within Muskegon County. Volunteers will use their own vehicles to transport gifts and donations to assigned homes.

Volunteer Requirements:

Must have a valid driver’s license

Must use your own vehicle

Able to lift and move light to moderate items in and out of your vehicle

Comfortable with short-distance travel within Muskegon County

If you prefer a specific delivery area (for example: Norton Shores, Ravenna, Twin Lake, etc.), please note this in the response notes when signing up

Available Shifts:

Wednesday, December 17

12:00 – 2:00 PM (2 volunteers needed)

2:00 – 4:00 PM (2 volunteers needed)

Thursday, December 18

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (2 volunteers needed)

11:00 – 1:00 PM (2 volunteers needed)

3:30 – 5:30 PM (2 volunteers needed)

Monday, December 22

12:00 – 2:00 PM (1 volunteer needed) - please note, this shift will support any last-minute donations/gifts that come in. If we don't have late arriving gifts, we may cancel this shift.

Volunteers will be provided with delivery details, family information, and route guidance prior to their shift. This is a meaningful opportunity to directly support working families in our community during the holidays. Shift may last up to 2 hours depending on how many deliveries are needed per shift, but there is a possibility that they they'll be shorter.

Thank you for helping ensure no family is overlooked this holiday season.

Can you stay in the Christmas spirit and keep recipients on a tight timeline? Santa's Helpers are needed to walk with recipients through the Chapel to pick out stocking stuffers, books, hats etc. with a maximum of 5 minutes to make selections.  Once selections are made, you will walk them out the back of the Chapel to the Gym to pick up their pre shopped gifts for their family.  Once dropped off, you will return to the Check In and get a new recipient!   December 17-18, 2025

Can you stay cheery in the midst of the cold and busyness of the season? Santa's Reindeer are needed to bring angel gifts from our building out to recipient vehicles. Once the gifts are checked for accuracy, you will offer to take the bag/s out to the car with a grocery cart.  Place them in the vehicle and wish the recipient a Merry Christmas.  Come back in to help the next recipient. 

Please bundle up and bring a hat and gloves.  Be sure to wear your winter boots too! December 17-18, 2025

Do you enjoy looking for names/numbers and checking them twice?? Santa's Elves are needed in the gym to pull the pre shopped bag/s for each recipient.  Once located you will have the recipient check that they have gifts for each child in their bag/s and sign their sheet. Once the gifts are checked for accuracy, you hand them off to Santa's Reindeer for assistance out of the building. December 17-18, 2025

Do you like to organize, clean and stack? Once all the gifts are passed out, we need to close the toy shop down for the year. We are looking for volunteers on Friday, December 19, 2025, to help us make sure an unused toys, boxes and stocking stuffers are put away for 2026!

Lunch will be provided. 

Volunteer Opportunity: Love It Again Resale Store – Christmas Season Set-Up

Love INC of Muskegon County is seeking volunteers to help prepare the Love It Again Resale Store for the Christmas shopping season. Volunteers will assist with seasonal store set-up and inventory rotation to ensure the space is ready to serve the community during this busy and meaningful time of year.

Volunteer Schedule:
Flexible weekday shifts during the first two weeks of December:
• 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Volunteer Responsibilities:
• Assist with Christmas season store set-up
• Rotate seasonal inventory
• Organize and arrange merchandise
• General light lifting and store preparation as needed

Skills & Requirements:
• No special skills required
• Ability to stand, bend, and lift light-to-moderate items
• Team-oriented and dependable

Impact:
Your support helps Love INC continue providing affordable clothing and household items while supporting their mission of walking alongside neighbors in need with purpose and dignity.

Location:
Love It Again Resale Store

525 W Sherman Blvd. Muskegon Heights, MI 49444

Volunteer Bell Ringers need to sign up at www.registertoring.com it lists our volunteer ringer locations in two-hour shifts from November 15 through December 24.  The funds raised through bell ringing help to keep our programs going throughout the year.  Every cent made at the kettles in Muskegon County stay here in our county. Your help is greatly appreciated!