Right now, our most immediate need is recruiting volunteers for our Host Homes Program. What are Host Homes? Host homes are a short-term housing intervention for LGBTQ+ youth/young adults ages 16-24 experiencing housing instability. The goal of host homes is for community volunteers (like you!) to open their homes and hearts to provide a safe, temporary, welcoming space for approximately six months where the young person has time to repair their relationships with family (when possible) or make decisions about permanent housing options with the support of our Youth Engagement Specialist.
We also need respite hosts – folks who can’t commit to ~6 months but could open their homes for up to a week, providing respite for the traditional hosts who may need a break (family emergencies arise, etc.).
Our Host Homes Program is not possible without the caring hearts of the community and willingness to step up to the challenge of intervening homelessness when it starts. So – are you interested? Watch this video to hear about the experience of two of our wonderful hosts, Sara and Travis.
Do you live in Marion County or the donut counties?
Are you at least 25 years of age?
Might you have an extra bedroom in your home, or a space that could easily be converted into a private bedroom?
Would you be willing to open your home to a young person who has no place to call home?
Do you have a commitment to affirming LGBTQ+ youth and young adults?
If the answer is yes, please fill out this interest form and we will be in touch.
If the answer is maybe and you have questions, reach out to our Director of Programs, Levi Wagner. He can be reached here: levi@trinityhavenindy.org.
There is an application, interview, background check, and training process to becoming a host, but Levi will walk with you the entire way. Here is a visual of what the process looks like. Please reach out today!
At Trinity Haven, we rely on volunteer support! Whether it’s working directly with the young people we serve or taking care of the lawn/grounds, volunteers are essential to us.
We’re always looking for volunteers in our vibrant, supportive community. Everyone can make a difference, and your help can directly benefit a young person in need.
Available opportunities include…
We do not have a blanket age requirement, but certain roles do:
> Any position working directly with residents must be 18+
> Any position working one-on-one with a resident must be 25+
> Other roles have no age requirements
All volunteer positions require background checks. The cost is $15. If this is a barrier, please let us know as we often have grant funds to help offset this cost. If you are interested in volunteering, or learning more about how you can get involved, please fill out this interest form and we will be in touch!
Special Events Committee!
Do you enjoy planning special events? The special events committee for our annual fundraiser would love to utilize your skills to plan our 4th Annual Homecoming Bash: Under the Big Top on September 7th!
The committee meets monthly, and they are looking for volunteers to help with various things to plan a spectacular event.
Might you be interested in this type of volunteer work? If so, please email our Volunteer & Resource Specialist, Amber, at volunteer@trinityhavenindy.org, as they’d be happy to introduce you to the committee co-chairs and get you plugged in.
Additional opportunities!
If these opportunities are not what you are looking for, but you do want to get involved with Trinity Haven in other ways, please let us know (volunteer@trinityhavenindy.org). We are very excited to engage with you as we create community for and with our residents!
To stay up to date on all things volunteer-related, please consider signing up for our e-Newsletter if you have not already done so. The link is here: Trinity Haven : Sign Up to Stay in Touch
Interested in making a monetary donation to Trinity Haven? THANK YOU!
There are several ways to make a meaningful contribution:
Secure online donations can be made by clicking here. Automatic recurring donations are an easy way to make a long-lasting commitment to Trinity Haven, too.
You can always mail a check to us, if that’s more your style. Here is the address where we get our mail:
Trinity Haven
3243 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Create a Legacy – if you already have a will or are planning to create one, a quick phone call to your attorney or financial advisor is all you’ll need to add a charitable gift. Let us know if you’ve made these plans, as we’d love to celebrate your commitment to Trinity Haven with you! Contact our Associate Director Will Turpin-Doty (will@trinityhavenindy.org) if you need assistance.
Thank you so much for your continued support of Trinity Haven!
Wish Lists!
There are several items that would be very helpful for us to have at the Transitional Living Program. They can be found on Amazon, and you may have to login to your account in order to see them:
Contact Will Turpin-Doty, Associate Director of Trinity Haven at will@trinityhavenindy.org if you have any questions; or if you prefer to shop somewhere else, we can also arrange a contactless pick up or drop off!
Gift Cards!
As we don’t have a lot of storage space, the easiest way to make a difference right now is to either make a Monetary Donation OR, to help us get exactly what we need when we need it, we’d happily accept GIFT CARDS from your favorite stores (and that are close to our house) like Kroger and Target; and Amazon gift cards are also very handy. Every little bit helps!
Examples of what your gift cards can purchase (based on prices at Amazon.com):
$5 = 5 lb. bag of rice
$10 = 4 lb. bag of black beans
$15 = detergent for 150 loads of laundry
$20 = 80 oz. of pasta
$25 = 48 double rolls of toilet paper
Gift cards to places like Goodwill may also be used to help youth buy new and/or gently used clothing that is their size and style.
Several retailers offer the convenience of purchasing gift cards online and can be sent directly to us at info@trinityhavenindy.org. You may also email us to arrange a pickup if physical gift cards are more your style.
Bus Passes!
While the residents of Trinity Haven work toward becoming independent, they may need help with transportation until they are employed and able to afford their own bus passes. Helping us to provide full-day bus passes would be incredible! That way, a resident can use the bus all day to get to all of their appointments and be able to transfer multiple times for multiple rides.
Full-day bus passes can be purchased here.
A thirty-one day pass can provide even more independence, and those may be purchased here.
Capital One Shopping!
If you are interested in donating items from our wish lists, did you know you can save even more on everyday items you purchase online by using Capital One Shopping? This is a free tool that compares prices among various retailers to ensure you are getting the best deal possible while supporting Trinity Haven at the same time! Win-win!
Friends, we cannot thank you enough for your support of these much-needed resources for one of our city’s most vulnerable populations. Many, many thanks to you!
Our online store is stocked with Trinity Haven t-shirts, zip up hoodies, hats, and more! When you purchase SWAG, you directly support our mission of providing safe housing for LGBTQ+ young people. Check out our store today, purchase a shirt, and wear our name with pride, which helps promote Trinity Haven far and wide!
Copyright 2023, Trinity Haven
