There are many amazing non-profits in Thurston County, and we encourage you to volunteer anywhere that resonates with you. However, what you find volunteering with OlyMAP is the experience of contributing to extremely important community work that is desperately needed for members of our community experiencing homelessness. With rising prices and increased difficulty finding affordable housing, the number of individuals living unsheltered has risen consistently. In Washington State, there has been a 94% increase in unsheltered homelessness since 2007, with a severe spike in rates of homelessness after the pandemic (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2023).

The first step is to look at the different volunteer opportunities we have available, and then fill out the online volunteer application form. Once your application is submitted, someone from OlyMAP will reach out to you within 3 business days regarding your application. Depending on the volunteer position you are applying for, you may need additional training and to complete a background check. You will then be required to complete the volunteer training, which takes place once every month, and is mandatory for all volunteers. If you are unable to attend the training session due to scheduling conflicts, alternative arrangements can be discussed with the Community Engagement Specialist. Once all training has been completed and background checks completed, you can begin volunteering with OlyMAP!

Any individual who applies for a volunteer position that involves in-person interaction with any of our program participants, a background check is required. Many of our participants are in vulnerable populations or situations, and for everyone’s safety, background checks are necessary. If you have something on your record that will show up in in a background check,

Any in-kind donations we receive (clothing, heaters, food, etc.), are brought directly to local camp communities during weekly outreach. Donated items are distributed across programs based on program and participant needs to ensure items are equitably distributed. Similarly to in-kind donations, all cash donations received online or via mail are distributed equitably between programs, based on need and number of participants served. Unless stated otherwise, donations go directly towards the purchasing of survival gear and supplies for participant services.

Please look at our current Donation Needs List for what items we are currently accepting, as well as what items we generally do not accept for donation.

All donations can be dropped off at our Franz Anderson Tiny Home village, located at 528 Franz Anderson Road, Olympia, WA. Items will be accepted between 9:00am-5:30pm. For more information on donation drop off, click here.