Roles and quick guides
Planning phase. An independent plan; nothing is funded or built yet.
Our long-term aim is a future where money matters much less, and what counts is people and the work they do together. These are the roles the campus would need. Nobody is being recruited yet; when it opens, joining will go through Project OS.
How it works
- Quests: each task has a clear goal, place and time.
- Paths: training and finished work unlock new roles.
- Badges for finishing, learning and helping: First welcome, Grown here, Nothing wasted, Food safety trained, Fixer, Good with animals.
- Seasons and leaderboards: seasonal leaderboards and rewards by category (quests finished, quality checks, trainings, help given, team goals), set by each league; people choose whether to appear.
- Never scored: hours worked, speed on safety-critical work, or risk-taking. Safety is never a challenge.
- Volunteer shifts last 2 hours at most. Across all projects, at most 10 hours a day, plus 2 bonus hours a week; lower limits from law or employers win. Paid and licensed work stays with paid and licensed people.
- One profile across every project, with stats for each. Chat and community live in Project OS.
Starter quests
- First visit: a welcome shift, then pick your next role.
- Grow it, save it, share it: garden helper, then saved-food helper, then help at a shared meal.
- Fix-it path: lending desk helper, then repair-day fixer.
Quick guides
Welcome host
Open to anyone
- What you do
- Greet people, show them around, and point the way to food, restrooms, the lending shelf and the referrals desk.
- Training
- A five-minute guide on dignity first: no questions about need, no ID, nothing written down about anyone.
- Safety
- Know the exits, the first-aid kit and who the staff member on duty is.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Everyone who came in knew where to go.
- Who to ask
- The staff member on duty.
- Badge
- First welcome
Food and water helper
Open to anyone
- What you do
- Restock the take-what-you-need shelf with packaged and whole produce, and keep the water refill area tidy.
- Training
- A short guide on what goes where and on checking labels and dates.
- Safety
- No handling of open or cooked food; that's the saved-food helper's job. Wash hands; gloves are provided.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Shelves full, dates checked, area clean.
- Who to ask
- The food-safety lead.
Clothing closet sorter
Open to anyone
- What you do
- Sort donated clothing by size and season, and set aside anything worn out for textile recycling.
- Training
- A short guide on the sorting rules.
- Safety
- Lift with care; ask for help with heavy bags.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Today's donations sorted and on the racks.
- Who to ask
- The staff member on duty.
Garden helper
Open to anyone
- What you do
- Plant, water, weed and harvest in the community garden. The harvest goes to the food and water hub.
- Training
- A short guide on the beds, the tools and what's in season.
- Safety
- Gloves, water and shade; tools are checked out and returned. No sprays.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Today's garden task finished and the harvest logged at the hub.
- Who to ask
- The garden lead.
- Badge
- Grown here
Recycling and compost sorter
Open to anyone
- What you do
- Check the sorting points, move compost to the garden bins, and leave every station tidy.
- Training
- A short guide on what goes where.
- Safety
- Gloves; nothing sharp or hazardous by hand. Report anything unsafe to staff.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Every station emptied, sorted and clean.
- Who to ask
- The staff member on duty.
- Badge
- Nothing wasted
Saved-food helper
Trained
- What you do
- Label, date and store saved food in the shared fridges and freezers, and keep the temperature log.
- Training
- The hub's food-safety training, signed off by the food-safety lead after supervised shifts.
- Safety
- Fridges at 41 °F or colder, freezers at 0 °F or colder. When in doubt, it goes to compost, never to the shelf.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Everything labeled with what it is, the date and the allergens, and the log is up to date.
- Who to ask
- The food-safety lead.
- Badge
- Food safety trained
Lending desk helper
Trained
- What you do
- Check tools and equipment in and out, and note their condition.
- Training
- A short lending-desk training in Project OS.
- Safety
- Items that need training to use are only lent to people who have it.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Every loan and return recorded, and the shelf in order.
- Who to ask
- The staff member on duty.
Repair-day fixer
Trained
- What you do
- Help people mend clothing, bikes and small household items at repair days.
- Training
- A repair-day training and supervised shifts with an experienced fixer.
- Safety
- No mains-electrical, gas or safety-critical repairs; those go to licensed professionals.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Items fixed, or a clear note on why not and where to take them.
- Who to ask
- The repair-day lead.
- Badge
- Fixer
Referrals desk helper
Trained
- What you do
- Help people find the right existing health or social service and make the call if they want.
- Training
- Training on privacy, the current referral list, and when to bring in staff.
- Safety
- Never give medical or legal advice. Never keep notes about anyone. Health information is never stored.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- The person left knowing where to go next.
- Who to ask
- The referrals coordinator.
Animal care helper
Trained
- What you do
- Walk dogs in the outdoor run, refill water, clean kennels and the wash station, and keep pet supplies stocked.
- Training
- The animal care partner's handling and hygiene training, signed off after supervised shifts.
- Safety
- Non-medical tasks only; the licensed vet or rescue does all care. Gloves and handwashing; follow each animal's handling notes.
- Shift
- Up to 2 hours, outdoors where possible.
- Done looks like
- Every animal walked, fed and watered as listed, and the area clean.
- Who to ask
- The animal care lead from the partner.
- Badge
- Good with animals
Food-safety lead
Qualified
- What you do
- Run the food and water hub's food safety: rules, training, sign-offs and inspections.
- Training
- A recognized food-safety certification (requirements to confirm with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture).
- Safety
- Sets what the hub doesn't take and can pause the hub at any time.
- Shift
- A paid role, set by the operator.
- Done looks like
- The hub passes its checks and every helper knows the rules.
- Who to ask
- The site manager.
Site manager, custodial and referrals staff
Qualified
- What you do
- Run the campus day to day, keep it clean and safe, and keep the referral list current.
- Training
- Hired by the operating nonprofit.
- Safety
- Paid roles; volunteers never replace them.
- Shift
- Paid roles, set by the operator.
- Done looks like
- The campus is open, clean, safe and welcoming.
- Who to ask
- The operating nonprofit.
Licensed veterinarian or animal rescue
Qualified
- What you do
- Run all animal care: checkups, vaccinations, short stays and rules for the animal area.
- Training
- A licensed veterinarian or an established rescue, working under written agreement.
- Safety
- Follows animal-welfare law and licensing; can close the animal area at any time.
- Shift
- Set by the partner.
- Done looks like
- Animals are cared for safely and the area passes its checks.
- Who to ask
- The site manager.
Licensed trades
Qualified
- What you do
- All building, electrical, plumbing, solar and fire-safety work.
- Training
- Licensed professionals working for the responsible contractor.
- Safety
- Regulated work is never an open or volunteer role.
- Shift
- Set by the contractor and labor law.
- Done looks like
- Work passes inspection.
- Who to ask
- The contractor.
Partner coordinator
Coordinator
- What you do
- Post the day's needs as tasks, welcome new helpers, and sign off training.
- Training
- Coordinator guide in Project OS; one step of leadership, no pyramids.
- Safety
- Sees only their own partner's requests. Nobody signs themselves off.
- Shift
- As agreed with the partner.
- Done looks like
- Every task posted had someone who knew what to do.
- Who to ask
- The site manager.