Want to volunteer with NEED?

Just send an email to volunteers@berkeleyneed.org! We are always looking to staff the following positions:

Outreach Volunteer

Outreach volunteers go out in groups of two to three and walk around People's Park and the downtown Berkeley area. Volunteers pass out injection supplies, condoms, hygiene items, and socks to street-engaged individuals. Additionally, outreach volunteers offer overdose prevention and education along with naloxone, an opioid antagonist that reverses overdoses. Outreach is a great opportunity to work with transient and highly marginalized populations: people who inject drugs, transient youth, the recently released, and the elderly homeless. Working with NEED to distribute supplies in a "low-threshold" approach with minimum data collection grants you the opportunity to both provide accessible services and interact one-on-one with participants.

Fixed Site Volunteer

Site volunteers assist in running a two-hour site, passing out a variety of syringes, harm reduction supplies, and hygiene items. Volunteers also provide participants with overdose prevention education, and distribute naloxone, an opioid antagonist that reverses overdoses. Depending on the site, volunteers work in groups of 2—5 people. Volunteers collect basic anonymous demographic information from our participants, assist in basic community referrals, offer harm reduction education, and prep supplies during slow periods. Working site is a fantastic experience in offering low barrier, accessible health services to marginalized communities.