Your neighborhood
has been waiting
for you.
Retired hands, local needs. The school on Oak Street. The pantry on Thursday mornings. The library story hour. A seat is already saved.
“I taught for 31 years. The first Tuesday I sat down with Marcus, I remembered exactly why.”
— Barbara S., 3 years with HearthThird-graders at Oak Street
need someone like you.
One morning a week, from 9 to 11. You sit beside a child who is learning to read. You bring patience — the kind that comes from having lived a whole life and knowing none of it needed to be rushed.
The school provides the books. You bring the time. The children bring everything else.
Two corners of the neighborhood.
Two ways to matter.
Thursday mornings,
every week.
The Maple Street Food Pantry opens at 8:30. Sorting, stacking, greeting. The work is simple and the company is good. Volunteers say Thursday mornings have become the best part of their week — not because of the task, but because of who is there.
· Thursdays, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
· Maple Street Community Center
· 8 spots open — 3 filled this month
“My wife and I used to do this together. Coming back alone felt impossible. But the first Thursday I walked in, Deb handed me a clipboard and said, ‘You’re on cans.’ I’ve been on cans ever since.”
— Gerald M., 5 years with Hearth
Story hour,
Wednesday afternoons.
The Elmwood Branch Library has a blue reading rug, a basket of picture books, and a circle of children who show up every Wednesday at 2 o'clock. They are waiting for someone to open to page one. That someone could be you.
· Wednesdays, 2:00 – 3:30 pm
· Elmwood Branch Library, Reading Room B
· 4 spots open — stories ready
“My grandchildren are in Portland. I read to the kids on Wednesday and I swear I can smell crayons all the way home. It’s the best smell in the world.”
— Patricia O., 2 years with HearthAlready know you’re ready?
See This Week’s Needs →Notes left on the corkboard.
First names and years only — the way neighbors introduce themselves over a back fence.
“I walked into the orientation not knowing a soul. Six months later, Tuesday mornings are the only part of my week I don't let anything touch.”
Helen R.
4 years with Hearth
Former high school principal
“The pantry people are my people now. We argue about the best way to stack soup cans and then we go for coffee. I haven't laughed that hard in years.”
Donald K.
3 years with Hearth
Retired electrician
“I was a reading teacher for 28 years. I thought I was done. Hearth showed me I was just getting started on the part that matters most.”
Lorraine T.
6 years with Hearth
Retired reading specialist
“My doctor told me to find a reason to get out of the house. I found three. The school, the pantry, and the friends I made at both.”
Frank N.
2 years with Hearth
Retired postal worker
Helen R.
4 years with Hearth
“I walked into the orientation not knowing a soul. Six months later, Tuesday mornings are the only part of my week I don't let anything touch.”
Former high school principal
Riverside Park cleanup crew.
First Saturday, every month.
Gloves and bags are provided. Coffee is in a thermos on the picnic table near the south entrance. The crew meets at 8am, works until noon, and then someone always suggests the diner on Elm. Most months, everyone ends up there.
The park has been cleaner every year since 2019. The crew takes quiet pride in that. You would too.
“I showed up thinking I’d pick up some trash. I stayed for the people. That was four years ago.”
— James W., 4 years with Hearth
The door is open.
Coffee is already poured.
A five-minute orientation call. We listen to what you love, what you have, and what you need. Then we find your spot together.
No commitment required. No form on this page. Just a conversation.