Making a Difference
October 2017

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Michael Roberson, a  software developer at the University of Connecticut and a volunteer in the NLHHC Help Center . In the Help Center, Michael is able to assist guests with many tasks that help them get back on their feet, such as putting together a resume, applying for jobs online, and searching for apartments. 

Michael appreciates how much he has learned since he began volunteering just over one year ago. In particular, he has learned that homelessness is a complex issue with many causes. "Everyone has their own story", Michael says, and he notes that many of the people he encounters in the Help Center end up homeless through no fault of their own. Many of our guests need just a little bit of extra help to get back on their feet, which Michael is often able to provide.

Michael recommends anyone with a heart for service to get involved, noting that NLHCC is a unique and rewarding place to volunteer. "HHC is not just a shelter," he observes, "it is a place that offers dignity and hospitality to the guests." 


Find Your Place at NLHHC

There are many ways to get involved at NLHHC, and we have opportunities available for a wide variety of personalities and skill sets. Here are just a few of the ways that YOU can be a part of the work we do:
  • Prepare and serve a light evening meal to shelter guests
  • Check in guests as they arrive for the evening
  • Staff the front desk of the shelter (morning, afternoon, and evening shifts available)
  • Volunteer in the Help Center (morning, afternoon, and evening shifts available.
  • Volunteer at Homeward Bound Treasures, our downtown retail thrift store
These are just a few of the ways you can be a part of the work that we do at NLHHC. To learn more, visit our website, or email Paul Hardy, our volunteer manager. We hope to see you soon!

If you are currently unable to volunteer, but still want to be involved, please consider giving a donation to help support our guests and combat homelessness in our community. 


Let us work together to create a homeless hospitality center in New London that will be a model for the rest of our region and our nation. Let us see the invisible poor, and live together with all our sisters and brothers in the beloved community the God of justice invites us to become.
-Emmett Jarrett, co-founder of NLHHC