"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."

-Aboriginal Activist Sister

If you are interested in volunteering at the Open Door Community, we ask you to read the pages referenced at the bottom of our Home Page. We desire that our volunteers walk with us as we together seek God's Beloved Community through service to the least fortunate of our sisters and brothers.

If you desire to "do good deeds" or fulfill a community service requirement, we suggest these resources.

To inquire about volunteering, please call Chuck Harris, Volunteer Coordinator, at 770-246-7627 or email odcvolunteer@bellsouth.net.

Current Volunteer Needs

Help serve Breakfast on Monday or Tuesday mornings, 5:45 to 9:30 a.m.

Help serve Soup Kitchen on Wednesday or Thursday mornings, 9:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

(We regret that, because of space limitations, we cannot accommodate groups that desire to help us serve breakfast or Soup Kitchen. If you have a group, please consider making sandwiches, collecting items we need, or bringing supper for the Community.)

Drive on the monthly Hardwick Prison Trip when needed. We go the third Saturday of each month and especially need drivers with minivans or full-size sedans.

People or groups to cook or bring supper for the Community on selected Mondays, Tuesdays,  Wednesdays or Thursdays. (Prepare food for 30-35 people.)

Groups to make and bring sandwiches for our hungry friends – We give two sandwiches each to as many as 200 people at Soup Kitchen...and we distribute sandwiches often in the evenings in our front yard!

Groups to collect items we use in our ministries.

How Volunteers Help

The Open Door Community could not exist without the loving service and support of the many friends who contribute to our ministry. We use volunteers who assist in a variety of ways.

Sandwich Making: The soup kitchen needs up to 400 sandwiches each day we serve, but contributions of smaller quantities are always welcomed. We also distribute sandwiches in the evening in our front yard. We have refrigerator and freezer space to store sandwiches until they are needed. In the interest of good nutrition, we request sandwiches of luncheon meat and cheese on whole wheat bread. Please choose a meat other than baloney (it is high in sodium). You may bring sandwiches to the Open Door Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Monday through Thursday 9-11 a.m. and 2-8:30 p.m.

Soup Kitchen: Volunteers work from 9:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 8 - 11 a.m. Thursday, to make sandwiches, assist the cook, serve the meal and offer hospitality to hungry guests. Volunteers are always encouraged to stay for worship and lunch with the residents of the Open Door after we serve our guests.

Weekday Breakfast: Volunteers arrive at 5:45 a.m., Monday and Tuesday. Breakfast is served  from 6:45–8 a.m. Following breakfast clean up, community members and volunteers join together for breakfast and reflection, concluding their morning together at about 9:30 a.m.

Evening Meal: Having a supper meal prepared by volunteers is very much appreciated – it is a real boost to the community after a full day of work. The evening meal is served at 6:00 p.m. for the residential community only. We need volunteers to prepare a main dish, including a vegetarian option, for approximately 30 people. Salads or vegetables are also appreciated. Prepared dinners can be brought to the Open Door, Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Monday through Thursday between the hours of 9-11 a.m. and 2-8:30 p.m. This is a particularly good volunteer activity for groups. Joining us for the evening meal also provides an opportunity to become acquainted with the Open Door Community members and to learn more about the Community’s purpose and mission. Another need is for volunteers to assist a community resident in preparing the evening meal. Meal preparation usually begins about 4:30 p.m.

Hardwick Prison Trip: We need volunteers with vehicles (minivans or 4-door sedans) to help transport family members of prisoners on this day-long trip to the state prisons in Hardwick near Milledgeville, Georgia, on the third Saturday each month. Hours are from 8:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Telephone: We need volunteers to answer the phone and door Monday through Saturday. We ask that you give a minimum of three hours at a time, and some training is required.

Clothes Closet and Showers: We use volunteers to help give out toiletries, towels, and a change of clothing on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The clothes closet and showers are available from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Donations: We have a constant need for a variety of items. Please click here to see a detailed list of items we need and other information about donating to the Open Door.