Volunteer opportunity: Peace at Home Family Shelter

The Peace at Home Thrift Shop is located inside Oak Plaza Shopping Center at 1200 N. Garland Ave. in Fayetteville.

Carolin Lehmann

Want to keep up your New Year’s resolution to volunteer more? This is the second in a weekly, seven-part series to help you get involved. Read on to see what organizations could use your help.


If you want to be part of a social justice movement that saves lives, Peace at Home Family Shelter is the ideal place for you to volunteer according to shelter director Teresa Mills.

“If you’re passionate about social justice, women and children, this is the agency for you to be involved in,” Mills said.

Peace at Home is looking for two types of volunteers: those who want to work directly with clients and those who don’t.

Volunteers that work directly with clients by answering the crisis line, helping with childcare and the like must complete five hours of direct service training and five hours of shadowing before they may begin.

Peace at Home Family Shelter

Contact: (479) 973-9571
Website: peaceathomeshelter.org
Summary: help out in an emergency shelter for women and children in danger
Requirements: age 18+, criminal background check for those interested in working with the clients, all volunteers must be willing to sign confidentiality forms
Who they’re looking for: volunteers who work directly with clients, volunteers for the thrift store, volunteers to help organize

Volunteers who choose to not work directly with clients don’t need to go through the training and shadowing process. These volunteers may work at the Peace at Home Thrift Store, help organize the Peace at Home storage room, prepare art projects for the clients and the like.

There are currently openings for both types of volunteers. There is no minimum amount of hours volunteers must complete each week.

Susan Schell has volunteered at Peace at Home for over seven years. She answers the crisis line, watches the security cameras and buzzes guests into the building.

Schell enjoys volunteering at Peace at Home because it makes her feel like she’s making a small contribution to the process of empowering women and getting them back up on their feet.

While Peace at Home has volunteering positions for people with various talents, Schnell says it’s important for those who choose to answer the crisis line to be good listeners, problem solvers and understand the mission of the shelter.