Uncovering the vital and unexpected contributions of Bridging volunteers.

Bridging simply could not fulfill its mission without the hundreds of individual volunteers and thousands of group volunteers who drive Bridging’s services. Volunteers are engaged in nearly every aspect of Bridging’s operations, working alongside individuals and families who furnish their homes with hope at Bridging.

Wendy Erickson and Erin Colburn manage Bridging’s individual volunteer program. They coordinate volunteers and build relationships with community members who are prospective and current Bridging volunteers.

They gave us a Behind the Scenes look at the vital role of volunteers at Bridging and how they work alongside this highly dedicated group of people.

“Volunteers are the face of Bridging,” says Wendy. “Our goal is that volunteers feel seen, heard, and taken care of, so they can meet the needs of clients. We build strong relationships with the volunteers, so they have what they need to do their job well.”

Communication is key with the Volunteer Services team! Wendy and Erin facilitate volunteer shopping team meetings in Bridging’s Bloomington and Roseville locations every weekday morning. They also have daily check-ins with all other volunteer departments and join volunteers for coffee time.

“We give inventory updates and share best practices for how to work with people who are shopping,” says Erin. “We make sure volunteers have the information they need. In every area of Bridging’s operations, volunteers are vital. I cannot literally imagine how our work would get done without volunteers.”

Volunteers at Bridging play numerous roles, aiming to deliver exceptional service for the recipients of Bridging’s services. Wendy and Erin describe how volunteers make Bridging’s work come together:

• Sorting volunteers make sure housewares and linens are good quality and the shelves are fully stocked. Volunteers want the shelves to look beautiful for the clients, just like a store! Volunteers will fill in the art section, so it will look beautiful and spark joy for clients.
  
  The sorter’s work is so timely. Someone may put six sheet sets on the shelf. An hour later, they are gone! People selected them for their homes. Sorting volunteers will go through more boxes and restock the shelves.

• Check-in volunteers are some of the first people at Bridging to connect with recipients of our services. They welcome clients, let them know what to expect, and confirm plans for transporting furnishings to their homes. Someone may come in and not know what to expect. They could be feeling stressed. I remember someone coming in after having a flat tire, and they were running late. The volunteer helped the person calm down and become excited about their shopping appointment.

• Shopping Volunteers work with clients directly as they walk through the warehouse as they select furnishings for their homes. Volunteers help find furniture, but they also want to make sure that the client experience goes very well, that each person is treated with great care. Shopping volunteers listen to find out each person’s needs and preferences. Their style, their favorite color, their hopes for their furnished home. A volunteer might say, “you have a three-year-old and they like Paw Patrol. We have a Paw Patrol blanket!” There is a lot of difficult stuff that that people are dealing with on a regular basis. We hope there is a lift in how they feel, smiles on their faces, and a sense of hope.
  
  There is a huge amount of cross collaboration across departments. Shopping volunteers might notice that this is a large family, and they want larger pans. The volunteers may seek out the sorting volunteers to help find larger pots and pans.

• Electrical shop volunteers fix and test lamps, vacuums, and small electrical appliances to make sure they meet safety standards. A electrical shop volunteer might hear somebody say “Do you have any TVs?” They might be testing a TV in the shop, and they’ll try to finish. They’ll put the tested TV out on the shelf, and they’re excited to see the client’s reaction of taking it.

• Woodshop volunteers repair and refurbish items that meet quality standards but may need some extra attention. A client loved a table that needed something fixed. The shopping volunteer took it right back to the woodshop, and they fixed it up. The client was so happy that she could have the table in her home.

• Warehouse volunteers – they can do it all! They go out on trucks to pick up donations, load trucks with furnishings, and stock the shelves. They take in donations and provide great customer service to donors. They help share the story of Bridging with so many people. They ensure dignity, by making sure furniture and household items meet Bridging’s high quality standards.

• Office, fundraising, and leadership volunteers: Office volunteers greet visitors and respond to phone calls from people who need to help or want to donate items. Volunteers follow up on every call to make sure each person has needed information and next steps. Volunteers also help with other behind-the scenes work like sending letters for in-kind donations, participating in Bridging’s fundraisers like the Gala and Bedrace, and providing leadership on the board of directors.

“The volunteers, no matter their role, are so focused on the Bridging experience, that one client in that one moment,” says Wendy. “Each day, we serve 24 households at Bridging. This is a concrete way we can assist people as they transition to housing stability. Without our amazing volunteers, this would simply not be possible. We are grateful beyond words for them.”

The Bridging team is grateful to the volunteer team for their countless contributions. Thank you!

Volunteer at Bridging

Did you know? Last year, nearly 4,000 volunteers donated more than 70,000 hours to Bridging!