To focus our efforts and resources on securing the items our families need most, we are now offering our pick-up service exclusively for furniture donations that either:

• Include one of our 4 most requested items (mattress and/or boxspring, sofa or upholstered living room chair, dresser, or dining table and/or set of dining chairs).
  
  
• Include at least 3 other pieces of furniture, if they do not include one of the four items listed above.

Click here for more information on these new guidelines.

To schedule a pick-up, please email furnish@awidercircle.org with the following information:

• Your name and phone number
  
• The pickup address
• The list of items you wish to donate
• Whether you can bring items outside for a curbside pickup, or need our team to go inside for an in-home pickup
• REQUIRED – Pictures of all the furniture items you wish to donate

For added convenience, we recently placed a drop-off bin in the parking lot of our Center for Community Service (9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910) for clothing, linens, and shoes. The bin is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Additionally, two partners in our community have drop-off bins to support our work at the following locations:

• Hughes United Methodist Church: 10700 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902
• The Station @ Riverdale Park: 6621 Baltimore Avenue, Riverdale Park, MD 20737

Long-term volunteer opportunities are a great way for volunteers to continue using existing skills, learn new skills, and meet new people. Once you have registered and volunteered in our warehouse, you can contact a Volunteer Coordinator to discuss any of the following long-term opportunities. Alternatively, you can contact us at volunteer@awidercircle.org and use “Long-Term Opportunity” in the subject line.

Personal Shopper

A Personal Shopper is a volunteer who is trained to assist clients with their clothing appointments. As a volunteer, you welcome clients into our clothing showroom, assist as clients select clothes and accessories, and pack up the selected clothing at the end of the appointment.

You will be working in our Center for Community Service located at 9159 Brookville Road in Silver Spring, MD 20910.

This opportunity is available for individuals who are 18 and over and can commit to a minimum of one shift (three hours) every two weeks. Personal Shoppers are needed Monday through Saturday, starting at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Administrative Services Assistant

An Administrative Services Assistant is a volunteer who is trained to work in our Welcome Center as the initial point of contact for clients as they arrive for furniture and clothing appointments. As a volunteer, you will log arrivals, alert the relevant staff, and orchestrate the connection between the client and the staff. You will also respond to telephone calls, forwarding calls to the appropriate A Wider Circle team members. Other administrative opportunities include data entry and general administrative support.

You will be working in our Center for Community Service located at 9159 Brookville Road in Silver Spring, MD 20910.

This opportunity is available for individuals who are 18 and over and can commit to a minimum of one weekday per week for two hours between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Furniture Shopping Assistant

The Furniture Shopping Assistant is a volunteer who is trained to support clients during their furniture appointments. As a volunteer, you will work with clients to complete a confidential intake form and assist with the selection of their items, including furniture, household items, and baby items. As a volunteer, you work alongside an A Wider Circle staff member.

You will be working in our Center for Community Service located at 9159 Brookville Road in Silver Spring, MD 20910.

This opportunity is available for individuals who are 18 and over and commit to a minimum of one day every other week. Furniture Shopping Assistants are needed Monday through Saturday. Shift hours are either 9:00 am – 12:00 pm or 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Care Package Delivery Drivers

Each month, we deliver nearly 200 care packages to the residents of Highland Dwellings and Additions in Southeast DC. As a Care Package Delivery Driver, you will use your own vehicle to pick up Market Bags at our offices located at 9141 Brookville Road in Silver Spring, MD. You will be asked to deliver a portion of the Market Bags to the homes of the residents, in a contactless and safe way. Deliveries are made on the last Tuesday and Thursday of the month during the morning and early afternoon. Volunteer shifts for this opportunity are at least 3 hours long.

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact us at volunteer@awidercircle.org and use “Market Bag Driver” in the subject line.

Whether this is your organization’s first volunteer event or you’re a seasoned pro, A Wider Circle provides a rewarding, easy, and engaging experience. We host youth groups of up to 25 volunteers and adult groups of up to 50 volunteers* Monday – Saturday. Available shift times are 10:00 am – 12:00 pm or 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, but we are also happy to explore other shift times.

Our Essential Support program focuses on providing basic needs items for our neighbors seeking to rise out of poverty. The donations we receive include furniture, housewares, linens, toys, and baby and professional clothing and accessories. Volunteers help us sort donations and stock the showrooms where our clients select their items. With the help of volunteers like you, A Wider Circle is able to furnish 10-15 homes free of charge each day for our neighbors experiencing furniture poverty.

You will be working in our Center for Community Service located at 9159 Brookville Road in Silver Spring, MD 20910. All volunteers are required to register as a volunteer using our online portal.

To coordinate a group visit, email us at groups@awidercircle.org.

*For adult groups larger than 50 participants, please email groups@awidercircle.org to schedule a meeting to discuss what is possible.

Make a big impact, right from where you are!

If you’re looking for an off-site group volunteer opportunity, you can make a meaningful impact by donating and preparing Care Packs for the neighbors we serve. Whether you’re at home, in the office, at school, or a member of a faith community, you and your group can collect essential items, assemble Care Packs, and drop them off at our Center for Community Service.

We gratefully accept all types of Care Packs and will ensure they go directly to our clients. Examples of our most needed Care Packs include:

Market Bags — Market Bags contain laundry detergent (42 oz), toilet paper (4 rolls), all-purpose cleaner (32 oz), soap bars (2-4 oz), and dish soap (18-20 oz).

Baby Care Packs — Baby Care Packs contain unopened baby formula and diapers, as well as new baby bottles, baby wash, and gender-neutral baby clothing up to size 4T.

Personal Care Packs — These kits contain deodorant, lotion, socks, and a small bottle of sanitizer.

Oral Care Packs — These kits contain a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and a small mouthwash.

Snack Packs — Snack Packs contain any non-perishable and ready-to-eat items. Examples of these items include protein bars, granola bars, applesauce or fruit cups, beef jerky, trail mix, cheese crackers, and peanut butter crackers.

To plan a Care Pack event, contact us at volunteer@awidercircle.org.