Become a Volunteer
Hunger and Homelessness Task Force
The Hunger and Homelessness Task Force meets on the first Sunday of each month at 12:15 pm, and participates in the following projects. Please join us!
For information about any of these events, please contact us (specify “Hunger & Homelessness” in the subject line).
Shoebox Project: Preparing gifts for unhoused men, women and children in DC shelters (in December). For more details, see below.
Christ House Dinner: Volunteers prepare and serve dinner to about 50 men on the fourth Sunday of each month from 3:30 PM until about 7 PM at Christ House, 1717 Columbia Rd., NW, a residential medical care facility for homeless men.
Church of the Pilgrims Lunch: Four volunteers prepare and serve lunch for about 40 homeless people at the Church of the Pilgrims, 2201 P St. NW, two blocks south of Friends Meeting of Washington. Volunteers are invited to help set up from 11 AM to noon and /or serve from 12:45 PM to 2:00 PM on the first Sunday of each month.
The Grate Patrol (Soup Mobile) On the first Sunday of each month, FMW community members work with the Salvation Army to prepare and serve a healthy meal to unhoused DC residents living on the streets. Volunteers are needed to make a large hot soup of stew each month. At Rise of Meeting, Friends are needed to help prepare bagged meals (sandwiches, fruit, bread, hard boiled eggs and cookies), which a smaller team helps to serve from the Salvation Army van between around 6:45 and 8:30 PM. Contact Emilie Schmeidler (EmilieSchmeidler@gmail.com)
Food Baskets: Baskets are placed in the halls on First Day for food donations to Martha's Table, which provides meals to homeless children and to children in the Columbia Heights area. Nonperishable items in boxes or cans are needed.
Shoebox Project
Shoebox Project raises funds and prepares holiday gifts for DC neighbors who find themselves housed in homeless shelters during the holidays. For years the gifts were packed in shoeboxes. Now we use backpacks, themselves a very useful gift as well as cutting down on waste.
Once again, we invite you on Saturday and Sunday, December 13th and 14th 2025 to help assemble over 1600 backpacks filled with gifts of warm hats, warm gloves and personal hygiene items for our vulnerable neighbors. Contact CJ Lewis at 202-704-4430 for more information.
Volunteering for a few hours is a wonderful way to pass on the spirit of the Season. It is also a great way to meet up with Friends. Hope to see you!!
Click here to donate to the Shoebox Project (be sure to designate your contribution for this purpose).
Photos by Jenifer Morris Photography
Personal Aid Committee
The Personal Aid Committee gives spiritual, personal and practical assistance to members and attenders in need. It may call on others in the Meeting for help, bearing in mind that “All Meeting members are called to care for one another and for the Meeting”. It may form clearness committees when appropriate. It may also make referrals to appropriate social agencies. It maintains contact with members and attenders who are ill, hospitalized, or in other special circumstances.
Hospitality Committee
The Hospitality Committee is responsible for providing or overseeing hospitality at Friends Meeting of Washington with the purpose of making the Meeting a warm and welcoming environment where Friends may gather to strengthen the bonds of community and to welcome others to the Meeting for Quaker or other functions.