Support Our Work
You can help address the root causes of crime and build a community where everyone can thrive.
On this page: Clothing Donations | Book Donations | Financial Donations | Volunteer Tutor Program
Clothing Donations
Our community clothing closet is always in need of new items.
The most in-demand items include:
We are also in need of winter gear, including:
Please note: We don’t have as much need for formal wear such as suits. While our participants do use our clothing for work and job interviews, the type of work they do seldom calls for dress clothes.
If you have clothing that you would like to donate to our clothes closet, please call (204) 775-1514 and ask to speak to our Reintegration Department, or fill out our contact form. We will arrange a time for you to drop off your clothing.
Book Donations
Our Literacy Department maintains a library in our literacy classroom and brings books into the Winnipeg Remand Centre. We are always in need of new titles, especially popular fiction and nonfiction such as biographies.
Books in demand include:
Please note: We prefer not to receive romances, westerns, cookbooks, or anything overly academic.
Hard cover books are not permitted in the Winnipeg Remand Centre for security reasons, but we do have a small amount of space for them in our library.
Volunteer Tutor Program
Our volunteers tutors work one-to-one with literacy learners in our classroom and assist with group sessions at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. The commitment requires about 2-3 hours per week. Tutors must sign on to a declaration of principles that outlines the goals and philosophy of the literacy program.
We are looking for people who:
Around a dozen volunteers work in the John Howard Society’s literacy program. We take new volunteers two or three times per year.
We prefer that volunteers have some prior tutoring or teaching experience. Comprehensive orientation is provided for volunteers, as well as ongoing training workshops through the year.
Note: Tutors hoping to work in the Winnipeg Remand Centre must pass a screening by Manitoba Corrections to receive clearance to enter a correctional institution. Having a criminal record will not necessarily disqualify you; it depends on what the record is and how long ago it was. However, individuals with outstanding criminal charges are not eligible for clearance.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact us at (204) 775-1514 or fill out our contact form.
Financial Donations
Monetary support helps us keep our programs running and occasionally allows us to spearhead new initiatives. We are very appreciative of contributions from the community and will provide tax receipts for donations over $10.
