Serving/Volunteering

There are several ways for you to get involved in the mission and ministry of Fourth Presbyterian Church. Please see below for current volunteer needs as well as details on Helping Hands, a new hands-on outreach group.

Contact Larry Nicholson, Director of Volunteer Ministry, (312.981.3382) for more information on how best to share your gifts of time and talent.

Please check back often for updates on volunteering needs.

Current Volunteer Needs

• Teachers to teach the “Intro to Computer Basics” class for guests of the Chicago Lights Elam Davies Social Service Center on Wednesdays from
  2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
  This class is held over five weeks. This volunteer should have confidence and competence in using the internet, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.
  
  
• Benevolent Guild volunteers to prepare holiday tray favors and stuffed animals for hospitalized children on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
  
  
• Servers for Monday and fourth Friday suppers from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m.
  On rotation
  
  
• Grocery shoppers for Sunday and Monday Night Suppers, on rotation
  

  Grocery shoppers are needed to purchase supplies for Sunday Night Supper, Monday Night Supper, and sandwich teams. Shoppers are scheduled quarterly and shop about once per month. A list of the items to be purchased is emailed early/mid-week of the assigned shopping date. Volunteers shop for groceries at a time convenient for them (typically on Friday or Saturday for use on Saturday or Sunday), deliver them to the church, and secure them in refrigerators and cabinets downstairs. Shoppers are provided a copy of our sales tax-free letter and submit receipts for reimbursement.

  Email access and a car are essential. A two-person team makes the job much easier! The project takes two to three hours, depending on the length of the grocery list, traffic, etc.

• Dishwashers from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. following Sunday Night Supper
  150 guests are served supper at 5:00 p.m. in Anderson Hall. The guests are served on plastic divider plates. On a rotating schedule, volunteers rinse the dishes, run them through the dishwasher, stack them to air dry, and then
  store them.
  
  
• Sorters to go through donated clothing items on Mondays or Thursdays
  Hours are flexible. Volunteers may work alone or in small groups on a rotating schedule.
  
  
• Food truck unloaders in the morning on the second and fourth Fridays
  of the month
  The Greater Chicago Food Depository arrives about 9:00 a.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. Volunteers are asked to arrive shortly before that time. Volunteers need to be physically capable of carrying boxes and pushing heavy carts from the truck, into the church, and to the Social Service Center. Rotating schedule.
  
  
• Helpers at the Chicago Lights Urban Farm (gardening, painting, cooking, composting, etc.) on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. at 444 W. Chicago Ave.
  Volunteers may work alone or be part of a small group. If part of a group, please contact Natasha Holbert (312.274.3831) in advance. This volunteer opportunity is “family friendly”—bring your children!
  
  
• Church members to usher during 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. worship services
  Members who enjoy “serving” hospitality are a perfect match for ushering responsibilities. Ushering morning services is a weekly commitment so that volunteers learn the routine, get acquainted with the members who attend that service, and become part of the team, helping to establish an esprit de corps.  There is a sign-out book when ushers wish to take a Sunday off. 

To volunteer, contact Larry Nicholson (312.981.3382).

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Helping Hands

Fourth Presbyterian Church’s newest mission group, Helping Hands, works as a team on painting, construction, cleaning, and gardening projects. If you’re interested in hands-on outreach in the Chicago community, this group is for you!

For more information about Helping Hands, contact Nancy Davis (312.274.3815).