Water Street Mission

Heather Ross, volunteer coordinator
717-358-2040
hross@wsm.org
wsm.org/volunteer

At Water Street Mission, we provide an environment of hope and healing for 180-220 men, women, and children every day in Lancaster County who are experiencing homelessness. We are determined to provide the path, resources, and support for every marginalized neighbor in our community to be able to actively engage and awaken to their identities in Christ and permanently end the cycle of poverty and homelessness in their lives.

water street serving.jpg

How can your group help:

One-Time Opportunities:

  • Food Prep (Up to 4 people. Monday through Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday thru Friday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

  • Meal Serving. Up to 6 people. Can be one-time; recurring encouraged. Daily breakfast (6 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.), daily lunch (11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.), daily dinner (4 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.).

  • Hold a Donation Drive. Everything from collecting school items, medicine, winter items, even breakfast items. Host a drive at your home or church. Get your whole small group, family and neighborhood involved. See this helpful “recipe book” for creating a drive.

  • Winter Weekend Day Shelter: WWDS provides our Guests with a safe, warm place to hang out during the day on Saturdays and Sundays in the winter. Anyone 18 years old and up can volunteer to hang out with our Guests during a morning or afternoon shift. Some groups have brought activities for Guests (like BINGO, crafts, etc.), others enjoy sitting and getting to know our Guests.

  • Creating and distributing homeless packs. If you and your group are interested in doing this in your homes and keeping them in your vehicles to pass out, Water Street has given us guidelines to create. Please email groups@communityfellowship.com, and we can pass them along!

  • Create Welcome Home Kits. These are kits given to residents when they transition out of Water Street. Email Lori Ober for more info.

On-going Opportunities (minimum 3-month commitment, serving weekly or biweekly)

  • Career Tutoring. You will meet on a weekly basis (daytime and evening hours available) to continue teaching and helping the guest succeed.

  • Presence Ministry. We want to create a safe space for our guests to be able to come and be themselves, even if that’s messy and broken- like most of us. This volunteer role is specifically designed to meet people where they are, not to preach at them, but to sit with them. You will have the opportunity to hear their stories, play games or do crafts and build relationship with them.

  • Children’s Ministry. With morning and evening opportunities, come show the love of Christ to kids from 0-17. Enable moms to make it to important appointments and Bible studies, while giving kids the chance to be kids.

  • Chapel. Intended to be a time of scripturly-grounded, interactive engagement, designed to be a conversation with our guests. Whether you organize a night of praise and worship, a mini drama or a sermonette, chapel is a great opportunity to build relationships with our guests and encourage them in their current season of life. *This is a monthly or bimonthly evening time commitment 7-8 pm.

Next Steps:
Contact Heather for one-time opportunities.
Contact Morgan for on-going opportunities. 

testimonies from cfc members:

I’m thankful to work at Water Street Mission where I get to see the process of restoration in peoples lives; guests, volunteers and staff. Working at a place where God is central to the work and ministry is encouraging and builds hope. - Emily Towers

Serving at the Winter Weekend Day Shelter was a great experience. Admittedly, we went into the experience somewhat hesitantly and instead were blessed with meeting some awesome people. People just like us with the same craving for fellowship and encouragement. It was a great experience, and we're looking forward to doing it again with our community group. - Patrick Kirkham