Volunteer Opportunities

The Arbor is run by church and community volunteers, with 100% of proceeds used to support the missions of River Oaks United Methodist Church and Arborlawn United Methodist Church.

If you are interested in becoming part of The Arbor volunteer team, email thearbor@arborlawnumc.org.

Currently, we are recruiting volunteers for the following positions:

• Cashier – Greet guests in the shop, answer questions and handle voucher, cash and credit card transactions at the front counter.

• Finance – Reconcile bank statements and prepare monthly QuickBooks report to submit to ROUMC and AUMC Finance Chairs.

• Intake Counseling – Meet with guests to evaluate applications for assistance. Volunteer counselors will determine a family’s eligibility for shopping vouchers. Volunteers will also advise clients about other support available through the church, and community agencies.

• Marketing and Publicity – Coordinate publicity efforts through a variety of media platforms.

• Pricing Guidelines – Maintain an Excel spreadsheet of appropriate prices for individual items. Update annually by shopping competitor prices.

• Solicitations – Pursue opportunities for donated goods through local retailers, schools, and other churches.

• Sorting, Sizing & Pricing – Check clothing for stains, tears, missing buttons, etc., before sizing, hanging and pricing according to guidelines provided. Household items are also carefully checked to ensure all components are clean, intact and operating properly before pricing.

• Steaming – Steam clothing on hangers and place on appropriate racks.

• Transportation – Collect items at AUMC and transport to ROUMC, as needed. Occasionally, there may be a need for a volunteer with a pickup truck to transport larger items.

• Volunteer Coordinator – Recruit, train and schedule volunteers for The Arbor retail store and workrooms.