Sewing For Hope

Seton Center volunteers are responsible for offering: safety and excellent hospitality to all visitors by providing a dignified experience of charity; openness, ability & willingness to train and cross-train in the tasks needed in the Outreach Office and Seton Family Store; and hope to our under-served, under-resourced neighbors.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Follow Seton Center’s policies, procedures and guidelines as presented to you in the volunteer orientation and ongoing training.
• Perform the tasks presented to you by your staff supervisor. These tasks will mostly be located in the Thrift Store but could include requests for help in the Outreach Office. Our goal is to follow the workload.
• Specialized tasks in the Thrift Store for this position are: assessing the viability of donated items; taking them home to sew, mend, patch donations to increase their value and returning them to the Thrift Store for sale. When working on-site, other general tasks are: only accept donated items listed on the Donation Guidelines, provide donors with an in-kind donation receipt if requested, evaluate items donated and separate saleable & unsaleable items, expertly repair clothing, linens and/or wooden items to increase sale proceeds as requested (can be done at home), properly use the color tagging system to cycle items on and off the sales floor, research merchandise value via the internet, clean and assess values of donated items, stock/restock/cycle items to be stored as needed, process sales through the Point of Sale system, be mindful of possible theft and report to a staff member if observed, and maintain an organized, safe and clean work area.
• Protect yourself and visitors by observing and encouraging others to follow Seton Center's current health protocols. Stay informed, alert, and creative in preventing injuries, illnesses, and accidents.
• Warmly greet all entering the area in which you are working.
• Occasionally update your knowledge about what our collaborating agencies and Seton Center programs and services offer by watching looping ads on the lobby’s television, and reading fliers, brochures, our website, and Facebook.
• Become familiar and update knowledge about safety and security measures; location of panic button, codes on the back of ID badge, use safety devices, etc.
• Interact and resolve conflict in positive ways with paid staff, fellow volunteers, clients, and customers to help create a pleasant, healthy & productive work environment.
• Other duties as assigned by the Manager or Staff

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to direct all to the appropriate staff without engaging in confidential conversations
• Be a team player and enjoy volunteering independently
• Excellent interpersonal/customer service skills
• Ability to read, comprehend and follow instructions
• Understanding of and compassion for the needs of all visitors
• Ability to maintain high level of confidentiality with personal, staff, volunteer, customer, and client information

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to perform basic math and computer functions
• Ability to stand sit, bend, reach to perform duties assigned
• Ability to lift items up to 50 lbs. with assistance
• Excellent vision and attention to detail to inspect the condition of donations and perform the functions of projects assigned