Park City Makes Volunteering as Easy as One Click

The Christian Center of Park City just made it ridiculously easy for people to start making a difference in their community.

The nonprofit, which runs food pantries and social services across Summit and Wasatch counties, launched a new one-click volunteer application. Before, people interested in helping had to navigate multiple forms and unclear next steps. Now they fill out one simple form, check what interests them, and coordinators respond within two business days.

The change matters because the center depends entirely on volunteers to run programs that feed hundreds of local families. Without willing hands, food sits unpacked, shelves stay empty, and kids go hungry on weekends.

Susan Gleich knows exactly what that means. A mom once stopped her in public to say Gleich was "the angel who kept her two daughters fed on the weekends" through the Snacks in Backpacks program. That single moment of gratitude inspired Gleich to volunteer for ten more years and convinced her entire friend group to sign up too.

The center offers volunteer shifts for every schedule and skill level. Morning people can pick up donated food from grocery stores between 7 and 10 am. Parents with school-age kids can sort donations at the food pantry during flexible daytime shifts. Even people with just two hours can help organize thrift stores in Park City, Heber, or the outlet mall.

The Snacks in Backpacks program alone reaches food-insecure students across the county. Every Friday, teachers discreetly hand out bags filled with easy meals like microwave mac and cheese and oatmeal so kids don't go hungry when school breakfast and lunch aren't available.

Operation Hope does something similar for the holidays. For 17 years, the program has run a free toy store where parents in need can choose gifts for their children at no cost.

The Ripple Effect

One simplified form is creating waves far beyond easier paperwork. When volunteering becomes accessible, more people show up. When more people show up, more families eat. When more families eat, entire communities grow stronger.

The center even welcomes volunteers with specialized skills like grant writing, graphic design, or social media management. Anyone with unique talents can email the volunteer coordinator to create a custom role.

A small tech upgrade just opened the door for thousands of Park City residents and visitors to transform someone's weekend, holiday, or entire year.