Volunteer Opportunities with Starfish Project Foundation

Starfish Project Foundation/The Beach
is open M – F, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Due to the upcoming I-35 & Santa Fe construction project, our current location will be going away. We are in dire need of a new location. Do you know a business or storage company that would be willing to donate space (retail/warehouse/dock preferred)? If so, please reach out to joni@starfishproject21.org.

If you want to be added to our weekly email update, please opt-in here: SIGN UP. Feel free to forward this to anyone you believe would also like to know about us.

If you have ever volunteered with us or we have been able to get you assistance, please consider leaving us a Google Review.

SFP receives food daily. Items can be picked up between 9 am and 5 pm, M – F, with no vetting or questions asked (except how many in your family and the county you are from). This does not affect your ability to get services, it just helps us know how to expand our services to meet the current needs.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND FUNDRAISERS

*November 26 – 27, Thanksgiving Treats for Police and Sheriff’s Office.– We will be dropping goodies off to our local law enforcement on Thanksgiving Day and need your help with fresh baked goods. If you can help, please have items dropped off by 5pm on the 26th. This could be anything from cookies, pies, candy or anything you enjoy over the holidays. If you would like to deliver some of the treats on Thanksgiving Day please sign-up and pick-up the treats by Noon on November 27th. SIgn-up here

HOLIDAY HOURS:
November 27, close at 1:00pm
November 28, closed all day
November 29, closed all day
November 30, open 10:00 am – Noon

*December 6, Mayor’s Christmas Tree Light for the Mayor’s Children’s Fund

*December 7th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Photos with Frosty! food, drinks, crafts for the kids and many giveaways. Open to the public; no registration is needed. We will have several surprises that day ONLY for those who stop in.. Sign-up to bring food or help here.

*December 14, Second Saturday pot luck lunch, hair cuts and free health screenings. Want to volunteer, or bring a food donation? Sign up here

December 16 & 17, Fireman’s Treats for the Holidays. we will be taking treats to the local fire stations on December 17th. If you would like to make something please bring it to Starfish on Dec. 16th or 17th. If you can help us deliver treats we would love it. You can sign-up here for treats or delivery.

*December 24, closed at Noon

*December 25, closed all day

Have a student interested in receiving the President’s Volunteer Service Award? Click here to learn more about how you can earn those hours at Starfish. Students at OATC can also earn their CTE’s volunteering at Starfish.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

–-Your contributions help us provide several thousand meals and supplemental food items every year and hundreds of full-sized toiletry bags to those underserved in our community. Please consider a one-time or monthly donation. No amount is small! Click here for ways to donate.

–Does your company match donations and give out community grants? Click here for more details on how you can help us with those connections.

–UPS employees, spouses, and retirees: have you considered The Employee Giving Program, Dollar for Doers, or volunteering with us and having your hours entered into UPS Community Connections? If not, please consider looking HERE for more details. Here are their next volunteer dates: Tuesday April 30th – 6:00-8:00 p.m.

–Need printing: fliers, newsletters, banners, posters, canvas prints. Consider using Sand Dollar Print Shop. Proceeds from print jobs help support Starfish Project Foundation. For free estimates, email printshop@starfishproject21.org or call 913-353-8021.

–What do we need most? WE NEED MORE SPACE and funding to keep that space self-sustaining! We are continually being blessed with large (a lot of times pallets at a time) amounts food and project donations and in dire need of additional space. Do you know a business or storage company that would be willing to donate space (retail/warehouse/dock preferred)? If so, please reach out to joni@starfishproject21.org. We can provide a donation receipt.

–We have several volunteer shifts we need to fill to help distribute our food donations, here are the top slots needed: Tuesday/Thursday 830-130, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 1:30-5, Everyday 11-1:30. If you are able to assist, please reach out to suzannephillips@starfishproject21.org.

–We have a program every afternoon the Olathe school district is in session where we take in leftover food from all the junior high and high schools and then send them back out to families the same day. We are in great need of more volunteers due to our overwhelming number of families coming in. Our biggest needs are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The shifts are 1:30-4(ish). If you are interested please email Suzannephillips@starfishproject21.org

–Do you like to work with people? Consider helping us answer the phone and greet those that come in looking for help. please contact suzannephillips@starfishproject21.org.

–We get food deliveries every Saturday and Sunday at 8 am until about 10 am If you are interested in helping with receiving, counting, and putting items away for Monday, please contact suzannephillips@starfishproject21.org.

–Do you like to help with fundraising? We are putting together a committee to help us and would love to have you on our committee! Please email contactus@starfishproject21.org if you would be interested in helping!

–Looking for ambassadors that would like to help spread the word, help with event tables and spread acts of kindness around the city. Please email contactus@starfishproject21.org and let us know if you would like to be a lead or help.

–Do you have a cleaning service or like to clean? We have so many people going through our location daily that we would love to have a volunteer help clean and sanitize a couple of times a week.

–WE NEED YOUR HELP! With our limited space, we are not able to take in larger items. However, we can still fill those needs with your help. Do you have a few hours a week and can help us coordinate online?

–3 volunteers are needed on Friday afternoons to assist with the large number of deliveries that come in. Please contact suzannephillips@starfishproject21.orgif you can help.

–We are looking for a volunteer that could help us with some animation. This would be for our website and carry over to our marketing materials.

–We would love to start a Pay It Forward/Acts of Kindness group or groups. If you would be interested in creating or leading a group, please contact us at contactus@starfishproject21.org. We would provide the support, meeting place, pay it forward cards, and share your requested needs in future volunteer emails.

–Social Media: If you are on social media, including Nextdoor –Connect Here, Facebook Volunteer group –Request to join here, please consider sharing what we do with others you know. You never know who is struggling and who may need help finding their next meal.

Part of a group?

–Scout groups and groups looking for a project: We have several placemats looking for homes in senior and retirement centers. We would love to have help from local scout groups getting those distributed. For more information, email contactus@starfishproject21.org.

–Groups or organizations that would like to volunteer as a team? Here is a link with additional details on signing your team up.

–Do you want to volunteer but don’t know where to start or how you can help? Please stop by The Beach, and let’s get you plugged in! We have opportunities that come up daily.

DONATIONS

Do you have items you would like to donate? We always have people in need looking for items! Due to our limited space, we can only take so much. Consider sharing your items on our volunteer page or Nextdoor group. Upload photos and contact information; this will help people connect much faster.
Facebook volunteer group
Nextdoor

STARFISH PROJECT FOUNDATION WISH LIST ITEMS

10 more 66-quart clear plastic tubs for storage
Clean/dry grocery sacks
Gallon-sized zip lock bags
4×6 craft zip lock bags
Unused travel-sized toiletries
Clam shells click here to see example
We will take open bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash (maybe you got, but did not like after you tried it)
Do you have bottles of wine that were given to you as a gift but won’t drink? We would love to have to make wine baskets for our silent auction
Have you ever gotten a new gift, but it was not for you? Maybe it is still in the back of a closet or in storage; consider donating to Starfish Project Foundation.
Empty unlabeled clean medicine bottles
Washcloths
Old t-shirts (can be stained with holes, but please be sure they are clean)
Fleece (used for dog toys and muzzle mats for the rescues)
*Full-sized toiletries for Raleen’s Kids (especially shampoo and liquid body soap for boys and shaving gel/cream for both boys and girls). We created an Amazon wishlist for those that prefer to shop online.