Sort it All Out! - Clothing Donation Sorting

DESC is the largest multi-service agency serving homeless adults in the Puget Sound region, reaching over 9,000 people annually and providing state licensed mental health and chemical dependency treatment, 279 emergency shelter beds, and over 1600 units of permanent, supportive housing. DESC also addresses a larger community need our services decrease the financial burden on taxpayers by minimizing the utilization of emergency rooms, jails, courts, police, psychiatric hospitals and other highly expensive resources. At the same time, we are improving the quality of life for those who live, work and do business here.

DESC succeeds where others have failed. Stretching the bounds of accepted practices, DESC's professional staff have learned that creative, assertive and holistic approaches, including evidence based and emerging best practices, work best for our highly vulnerable and difficult-to-engage clientele. Many men and women who have a long history of homelessness also have tenuous if any ties to the mainstream community and lack natural support networks such as family members. By eliminating outdated barriers to services and housing, DESC has received national recognition for its work with chronically homeless adults with behavioral health disorders.

Our staff and Board of Directors remain committed to serving those adults in our community who are most disabled and most vulnerable - and most often forgotten or ignored by society. We believe there is no such thing as a throw-away person.

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DESC is looking for weekday/weekend volunteers to help sort through donations at our Donation Processing Center that will benefit our DESC clients/residents. Clothing resources, hygiene and household items are highly requested by our shelter, housing and outreach programs so your assistance would be vital to meeting those needs.

Clothing donations are delivered 2 days a week to our donations processing center, located in our Rainier House building in Columbia City area of Seattle, where you will be sorting. We also receive various donations from the community. Your responsibilities will include identifying items for use by DESC clients across various programs and shelving those items for pick up from case managers.

Hours are flexible and sorting can be done anytime between 8 AM - 8 PM any day of the week / weekend. It is preferred that volunteers choose a weekly scheduled shift but we can also offer flexible pop in shifts as well if schedule will not allow. Most shifts are done solo but sometimes there can be slight overlap.

All volunteers must be fully vaccinated against COVID and adhere to any required safety guidelines. Sometimes lifting around 20-25 lbs is needed but we can adapt depending on individual needs if necessary. Must be over 18 and complete a background check. We ask for a commitment of at least 6 months.