Volunteer

The Family Living Center
Homeless Shelter

The Family Living Center Homeless Shelter is a service of Community Services of Stark County, Inc. The Shelter program provides up to 90 days of emergency housing for Stark County’s homeless families and single women. Working closely with our Housing Coordinator and Social Services Coordinator, families learn to acquire emotional and economic self-sufficiency and independence.

The objective of the program is to break the cycle of poverty by empowering each family with the necessary skills to eventually attain the ability to function in an independent living arrangement and maintain independent housing. The program addresses and works to alleviate traditional barriers that prevent the movement out of welfare dependency by providing a coordinated system of agency programming and supportive services.

There are several opportunities for volunteers at the shelter. A clothing room where donations are stored is provided for the families when they need additional clothing. The clothing is sorted by size and style and volunteers are needed to sort and organize the donations.

Also on site are a food pantry and “store”. The food panty provides the families with food while they are at the shelter. The “store” provides items that the families can use to set up household when they are ready to leave the shelter. Volunteers can help organize both of these rooms as the donations can come in on a daily basis.

Volunteers looking for a more personal experience can find that by helping the children at the shelter. Volunteers can choose helping the children with homework or simply reading to them.

The shelter is located in Massillon at 876 Amherst Rd.

If you would like to be a part of the Family Living Center’s mission or simply want to see the program in action, please contact Anita Kociuruba of Community Services by e-mail or by phone to 330-455-0374 ext. 153.

Click here to see a brochure on this program

Samaritan’s Table
Hot Meal Program

Founded in 1986 by Community Services of Stark County, Inc., the Samaritan’s Table provides nutritious meals free of charge to those in need within the Stark County Community.   The guests come from all walks of life. Some are homeless, but unlike many urban “soup kitchens” Samaritan’s Table guests are mostly the working poor.

Many are low income seniors on a fixed income, single-parent families, and multi-generational families all struggling to make ends meet.  At the Samaritan’s Table they find a free healthy meal in an environment that upholds their dignity. The Samaritan’s Table fulfills the most basic need of hunger in a respectful manner through our hot meal program.

Hot meals are prepared by volunteers and served in the social hall of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (717 McKinley Avenue N.W. in Canton) every Thursday from 11:00 AM—1:00 PM to anyone in need. On average 500 to 550 hot meals are provided each serving day.

The operation of the Samaritan’s table is in the hands of dedicated volunteers. Each year, this group of volunteers contributes over 11,000 hours of labor to operating the Samaritan’s Table. The volunteers interact with the guests and ensure that no one leaves hungry.

Along with those dedicated individual volunteers the need still remains for ongoing donations of time, money, and food. The Samaritan’s Table provides numerous volunteer opportunities for groups, individuals, and organizations.

If you would like to be a part of the Samaritan’s Table mission or simply want to see the program in action, please contact Anita Kociuruba of Community Services by e-mail or by phone to 330-455-0374 ext. 153.

Click here to see a brochure on this program.