Volunteer with Us
We are always looking for more volunteers! From people on the ground to drivers to designers to social media wizards, we need all the help we can get!
In Person: We operate our tent in shifts every single day. There are different roles to fill, which we will train you on once you sign up. These roles include: Set Up Van Driver, On the Ground, Driver, and Breakdown Van Driver.
Sign up to volunteer in person
At Home: We operate working groups to tackle issues like fundraising, supply organization, social media, housing opportunities for unhoused folks, and much much more. If you have any skills to contribute to our project, we would love to have you!
Sign up to volunteer from home
Communication: We schedule shifts everyday and do our behind the scenes organizing using 2 apps: Signal and Discord. We can walk you through each app to help you get acquainted with the work.
Each shift for On the Ground and Drivers/Ride Buddies lasts roughly 2 and a half hours
- 1st 6:30 - 9PM
- 2nd 9 - 11:30PM
- 3rd 11:30 PM - 3AM
Breakdown happens at the end of the night, whenever that may be, and the Breakdown Van Driver returns the van to its nightly home.
Supply Runners keep track and re-fill supplies throughout the day, as needed.
On The Ground
- 2.5-hour time commitment
- No vehicle necessary
- Carpool options available
- Low physical labor
- Outdoor Activity
On The Ground folks are the heart of Jail Support and they show everyone who approaches the tent exactly what we're about.
Greet those being released, hand out snacks, drinks, cigarettes, PPE, etc.
Help people get home by setting up rides/cab fares, recommending public transit routes, or letting them use your phone.
Stay in contact while drivers are out on rides and help coordinate the flow of rides/ pickups of released folks by loved ones
Help with setup or breakdown if you're in first or last shift
Drivers & Ride Buddies
- 2.5-hour time commitment
- Vehicle needed
- Low physical labor
- Ride buddies (a volunteer to drive with you and help navigate) are encouraged
Drivers & Ride Buddies are the badass pilots of the Jail Support team.
Navigate one or more stops for getting people home, keeping in contact with the On the Ground team
Make sure each rider has the PPE they need
Help with setup or breakdown if you're in first or last shift
We are now reimbursing drivers for their time/ gas at $1 per mile! We keep you going so you can keep us going!
Setup Van Driver
- 30-minute time commitment
- Medium Physical Labor
- Regular licensed drivers are qualified! No special license needed! (We can give you a full van driving tutorial!)
Setup and breakdown volunteers are angels among mere mortals. Working setup or breakdown for CCJS is an essential and heroic role for our daily operation.
Pick up our van from its parking spot and drive it (less than 5 minutes) to our site at Cook County Jail.
The first shift crew will help you set up our tables/ supplies.
One of the drivers on shift will give you a ride back to your car if you drove to pick up the van!
Breakdown Van Driver
- 30-minute time commitment
- Medium Physical Labor
- Regular licensed drivers are qualified! No special license needed! (We can give you a full van driving tutorial!)
Setup and breakdown volunteers are angels among mere mortals. Working setup or breakdown for CCJS is an essential and heroic role for our daily operation.
Return our van to its parking spot by our storage space
The last shift crew will help you pack up tables/ supplies.
One of the drivers on shift will give you a ride back to your car if you drove to pick up the van!
Supply Runner
- Flexible time commitment
- No vehicle necessary
- Medium physical labor
Supply runners are the fairy godmother of CCJS, delighting folks with snacks and drinks, warm clothes, cigarettes, bus passes, and more
- Organize supplies in storage and inform the working group what needs to be re-ordered
- Pick up supplies last minute when On The Ground shifts run out of things
- Arrange for and pick up clothing donations
Help out without leaving your home!
- Flexible time commitment
- No vehicle needed
- Flexible amounts of work
There are many off-site volunteering opportunities that keep Chicago Community Jail Support running. Here are just some of the ways to plug in:
- Join a working group to build solutions around housing, harm reduction, fundraising, and more.
- Share info about our effort on Social Media, or even help run our accounts!
- Have another way to plug in? Let us know below what you have in mind