INFO FOR VOLUNTEERS

We look forward to your team coming to invest of your time, talents and resources in the life-changing work of neighborhood revitalization. Registration information is at the bottom of this article.

GOALS - We have three goals for every team that volunteers with Matthew 25 – goals which flow from our mission of Uniting, Empowering and Changing Lives:

1. Unite - By the end of your time here, you should leave feeling like you are a stronger, more united community than you were when you arrived.
2. Empower -  We want this to be an experience where you feel empowered to use your gifts and discover new gifts to share.
3. Change Lives -  Not only do we want you to feel like you had an impact on someone else’s life with your work, we also want you to have a life-changing experience that leaves you looking at the world differently than when you arrived.

Teams coming for full weeks who register by February 28 will be given priority over teams coming for shorter work periods. Please complete the on-line Registration Form (see below) and send your deposit as soon as possible so that we can reserve the week you desire. 

YOUTH - We love the energy of youth, so we can't wait for you to come as volunteers. Each week we may have up to 20 youth who are at least 14 years of age. (We can be somewhat flexible with this number, so call or email us if you have questions.) For every five youth in the group there must be a minimum of two adult leaders – adults who are at least twenty years of age and five years older than the youth.  Note the Parental Consent Form that must be completed, signed by all parents/guardians, and notarized.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE - For the typical week-long mission experience, plan to arrive by 6 p.m. on Sunday evening. Departure normally will be late Friday morning or early afternoon. We do not work on Sundays. Other schedules can be negotiated with Jerry Oakland, Neighborhood investment Coordinator ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Typically teams work from 8 or 8:30 a.m. until 4 or 4:30 p.m., however each team will determine its own daily schedule.

ORIENTATION - Orientation will be on either Sunday night or Monday at 8:30 a.m. at the Matthew 25 Ministry Hub location, 225 K Avenue NW, Suite G, unless other arrangements are made. At the orientation we will confirm that all paperwork has been completed. Your team captains will be introduced to the support persons from Matthew 25. And final work projects will be assigned – although preliminary assignments will be communicated with your team leader on Wednesday in advance of your coming.

BOARD & ROOM ARRANGEMENTS - Matthew 25 has made arrangements with local churches so that mission teams may sleep in their facilities and may use their kitchens to prepare meals. Showers are available in the church or in a facility close to the church. Please bring your own cots or air mattresses, if needed, and other bedding. A limited number of cots may be available in one of the sites. If you desire we will arrange for meals to be prepared for you (see fee schedule).

SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTEERS - Jerry Oakland, Neighborhood Investment Coordinator for Matthew 25 Ministries, will be your contact person for any questions prior to your arrival and throughout the week of your mission experience.  Contact him at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 319.362.2214 (office) or 712.730.0049 (cell).  Throughout the week, resource persons will be assigned to support your volunteer work and answer general questions. A construction coordinator will answer questions concerning building projects. At the orientation session, cell phone numbers for Matthew 25’s support persons will be given to you.

TEAM CAPTAINS - Please select one team captain for each five persons in your group. For example, if you have 23 participants, name five persons as team captains. At the orientation session, your team captain will be asked for a list of cell phone numbers of your team captains.

TOOLS & SUPPLIES TO BRING - If yours is a faith-based group, bring Bibles and plans for devotions. Also bring gloves, hats, closed-toed shoes, water bottles, sunscreen, insect repellent, first aid supplies, and similar items to make your work experience both safe and enjoyable. Since much of our volunteer work is related to building projects, many work teams choose to bring some of their own tools. We encourage this, as most persons are more comfortable using their own equipment. However, we do have a whole range of tools in our tool library and the resource person from Matthew 25 who is assigned to support your mission team will make arrangements to secure the tools you need for the tasks assigned to you. 

MEET OUR NEIGHBORS - It is our desire to build relationships between volunteers who invest of their time, talents, and resources in our community and residents who live here and have dreams of what their neighborhood can be. Therefore, sometime during each week of the summer we expect to provide a forum so that volunteers and residents can get to know something about each other.

CALENDAR OF 2012 VOLUNTEERS - Please contact us to ensure that dates you are considering are not already filled by other groups.

SCHEDULE OF FEES FOR VOLUNTEER GROUPS

REGISTRATION FORMS – to register your group and reserve your dates, click here, or contact Jerry at 319.362.2214 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   

After you register, you will be sent these forms:

1. Volunteer Application Form (for each individual to complete) - a form that includes a medical & liability release and a parental consent for each youth participant.
2. A Child Protection Policy screening form for adult volunteers working with children and youth.