Ways to Cook, Connect & Contribute
Cook & Connect makes it easy to prepare and serve chef-led meals while building community and offering dignity to shelter guests. Individuals and groups are invited to enjoy a fun, organized, meaningful way to make a real impact.
Every year, Simpson volunteers contribute over 10,000 hours of their time to help people impacted by homelessness. This represents the work of multiple full-time employees. Ending homelessness is a community effort, and volunteers are vital to Simpson’s work.
We invite you to partner with us as we partner with people impacted by homelessness. Together, we can work toward a future where everyone has safe, stable housing.
Volunteers are an essential part of Simpson’s mission to house, support, and empower people experiencing homelessness — and your time and energy are needed now more than ever.
Visit the calendar, find the opportunities that speak to you, and sign up!
Volunteer Trivia Night!
Wednesday, June 10, 5:30-7:30 pm
Eat Street Crossing, 2819 Nicollet Avenue, Mpls.
Enjoy a fun night of Trivia and great eats along with your fellow volunteers.
Volunteer Applications
Ready to volunteer with Simpson Housing Services? Wonderful, we’re excited to meet you!
Complete the application below that fits your interest:
General Interest
Shelter Support
Youth Group Mentor
Literacy Tutor
Prep Cook
Gather your group for an experience that truly brings people together. We welcome your friends, family, colleagues, and classmates to serve a meal, make sandwiches or lead a donation drive.
COOK & CONNECT: Gather your group (up to six people) for a volunteer experience that truly brings people together and serve a meal at Simpson’s shelter. Cook & Connect makes it easy to prepare and serve chef-led meals while building community and offering dignity to shelter guests. Whether you’re a workplace team, faith group, or group of friends, you’ll enjoy a fun, organized, meaningful way to make a real impact. Sign up, show up, and share connection over a great meal — your group will have a positive experience and walk away transformed.
SIGN UP HERE
DONATION DRIVES: Simpson Housing Services has a list of urgent supply needs, updated weekly. We welcome groups that wish to organize a donation drive; read more here.
Being a Simpson Housing Services volunteer can be a powerful way to support people transitioning out of homelessness. By offering your time you support a foundation of dignity and safety for individuals and families working toward stability. Even just a few hours can make a huge impact!
COOK & CONNECT: Cook & Connect makes it easy to prepare and serve chef-led meals while building community and offering dignity to shelter guests. Individuals are invited to enjoy a fun, organized, meaningful way to make a real impact. Sign up, show up, and share connection over a great meal. You will have a positive experience and walk away transformed.
SIGN UP HERE
PREP COOK: The Volunteer Prep Cook assists the Shelter Kitchen Specialist in prepping food to serve to shelter guests when meal groups are not scheduled. All levels of kitchen skills are welcomed. You will gain knowledge about kitchen tools, cooking for a large group, meal prepping, and menu planning. Email Katelyn Jaksha, Lead Volunteer Coordinator, with questions.
APPLY HERE
COOK ON-CALL: Be available as need arises to work alongside a professional chef to create nutritious meals for guests of Simpson Community Shelter & Apartments. We potentially work with sharp utensils so the age limit for this volunteer opportunity is 15; all 15–18-year-olds need to be accompanied by an adult. Shifts are from 10:30 am to 1 pm or 5 pm to 7:30 pm, every day of the week. Contact Aaron with questions.
APPLY HERE.
SHELTER SUPPORT: Volunteers build meaningful relationships with shelter guests and assist shelter staff in distributing supplies, doing laundry, serving coffee, enjoying dinner with guests, and much more! Volunteers commit to two shifts a month in a six-month time period.
APPLY HERE.
Volunteering with Simpson Housing’s Children & Youth Programs is a chance to spark confidence, joy, and stability for young people experiencing homelessness. As a tutor, mentor, or activity volunteer, you become a steady, encouraging presence to empower young people to thrive academically and emotionally. Your time can open doors, build resilience, and remind every child that they are seen, valued, and capable of big things.
LITERACY TUTOR: We have gotten a boom of interest in tutoring, so we are especially looking for Reading Tutors. Reading Tutors meet once a week with an elementary-age person to work on literacy skills, social/emotional skills, reading engagement, and relationship-building. Weekly tutoring is specifically designed to meet the needs of each individual student, including improved academic performance, increased attendance, improved self-efficacy, and strong parental involvement in their child’s education.
APPLY HERE
YOUTH MENTOR: The Youth Group Mentoring Program is a space where young people, in partnership with supportive adults and each other, build on their inherent strengths and capacity for leadership. Adult volunteers commit to being in relationship with a small group of young people in order to support their learning, social-emotional skills, and identity development. We are always recruiting Mentors for our Youth Group Mentoring program.
APPLY HERE
Donating supplies to Simpson Housing Services is a powerful way to support the essential items needed at our shelter. Your generosity ensures we have the tools, resources, and everyday items they need to serve guests with dignity and care.
SUPPLIES: Make a real difference by donating urgently needed supplies to Simpson Housing Services — from personal-care essentials like shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, and lip balm to items like waterproof winter gloves, umbrellas, and hair products. Every donated item supports shelter guests and families moving into housing feel safe, respected, and supported during a difficult time. READ MORE…
DONATION DRIVES: A donation drive — whether among friends, coworkers, or your community — is a simple, powerful way to come together and supply many of the items Simpson needs. Organizing a drive for travel-size toiletries, household goods, or “Welcome Home” basket items can provide families and individuals moving into housing with the essentials they need to start fresh.
GET STARTED
Your financial gift to Simpson Housing Services strengthens every Simpson program. With one donation, you help ensure the Simpson team has the tools, supplies, and resources they need to show up for individuals and families impacted by homelessness.