We look forward to your team coming to invest of your time, talents and resources in the life-transforming work of neighborhood revitalization.
Group 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:
- 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.
- Empower - We want this to be an experience where you feel empowered to use your gifts and discover new gifts to share.
- 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.
WORK ASSIGNMENTS - Each group may be involved in all three of Matthew 25's service areas: Cultivate Hope (typically woring on the Urban Farm); Neighborhood Building (typically working to rehab a house); and Youth Empowerment (typically working with children and their activities. In addition groups may be assigned to work with one of our partner agencies which address issues of hunger or poverty.
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 33 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 one adult leader – adults who are at least twenty years of age and five years older than the youth. Small groups require a minimum of two adults. Parental permission is required for all volunteers under age 18.
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 afternoon or Saturday early morning. 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 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., however we can negotiate with each team concerning its own daily schedule.
ORIENTATION - Orientation will be on 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 introduce the group to the work of Matthew 25, confirm that all paperwork has been completed, and introduce the support persons from Matthew 25 who will work with your group. After a period of reflection work projects will be assigned to each team.
REFLECTION TIME- Each morning at 8:30 a.m. the teams will gather at Matthew 25 for a period of guided reflection on issues related to the community and the projects on which the team is working. In addition, Matthew 25 staff will provide resources for evening reflection time and introduce the group to one or more neighborhood representatives.
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. If you desire we will arrange for meals to be prepared for you (see fee schedule). 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. Sack lunches for noon may be eaten at Matthew 25's Groundswell gathering center.
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 numbers for Matthew 25’s support persons will be given to you.
TEAM CAPTAINS - Please divide your group into teams of 5 to 8 persons, selecting one person in each team to be a team captain. Captains may be youth or adults. Captains will be asked to help coordinate the team's efforts during the week.
TOOLS & SUPPLIES TO BRING - Have each person bring a journal or notebook for personal reflections. If yours is a faith-based group, bring Bibles. 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 some of our volunteer work is related to building projects, some work teams choose to bring their own tools. You may do this if you are more comfortable using your 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.
CALENDAR OF 2013 VOLUNTEERS - Please contact us to ensure that dates you are considering are not already filled by other groups. Although we will plan to fill the summer with volunteers, volunteers are also need for late spring and early fall. Our first priority is to schedule groups for entire weeks. After March 15 we will schedule dates for 1-3 day groups.
SCHEDULE OF FEES FOR VOLUNTEER GROUPS, effective 1/1/2013
Basic Support Fee (includes T-shirt)............................................... $35.00
Meal* - Sack Lunch............................................................................ $3.50
Meal* - Dinner..................................................................................... $5.00
Total Costs...................................................................................... $52.00
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 .
Teams coming for full weeks will be given priority over teams coming for shorter work periods. Please complete the on-line Registration Form.
After you register, you will be sent these forms:
- An invoice for a non-refundable deposit of 5% of the estimated total cost. Payment should be sent as soon as possible so that we can reserve the week you desire.
- Volunteer Application Form for each individual to complete - a form that includes a medical & liability release and a parental consent for youth participants.
- A Child Protection Policy screening form for each adult volunteer to complete if the group includes children and/or youth.
- A final invoice about one month before arrival, to be paid two weeks prior to arrival.