Volunteers Needed for Warming Shelter

Occupy has occupied every spare minute of my time, but we also need volunteers to help Sarah make the Warming Center a success and to build for a permanent day center. So, help out if you can!

The Daytime Warming Shelter (DWS) will have weekly staff/volunteer meetings. These meetings will be called “team meeting” and will occur each Wednesday morning, before the DWS opens for the day.

Neighborhood Watch
Lead Person and “Eyes on the Street” Team members

Wear DWS green jackets and stroll around the block, intermittently, throughout DWS hours of operation

This will occur at least hourly if not more frequently; especially when DWS first opens this winter

Identify and respond to potential neighbor/community concerns, as appropriate; get a staff member for assistance

Information and Referral
Lead Person and I & R Team Member(s)

Keep bulletin boards and/or information areas stocked with current community resource information

Host weekly information workshop (bring in agency representative to do a presentation and/or similar)

Staff a table at DWS to meet with guests to provide information, answer questions, refer, and/or problem-solve; help guests use 211, as needed

Be aware of housing, employment, health, substance abuse, family, spiritual resources, etc.

Maintain ride-sharing communication board

Maintain community communication board (for messages to/from guests, staff, etc)

Life Goals Help Desk (aka Case Management tasks) Lead Person and Goals Team member(s)

**Porchlight Outreach staff (Sina) will have a significant role in providing case management assistance**

Aid in completion of housing applications, employment documentation, contacting Landlords, basic needs help, etc

Help guests identify goals and task break-down towards meeting goals

Collaborate with I & R Team Members, as needed

Shower Safety
Lead Person and Shower Team member(s)

**IF WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE PORTABLE AND/OR ON-SITE SHOWERS, THIS ROLE WILL BE NEEDED**

Maintain shower sign-up list and problem-solve to accommodate individuals with disabilities and/or other privacy needs

Keep inventory of shower supplies (towels, soaps, shampoos, etc) and shower conditions. Report inventory during Wednesday team meetings; triage if report needs to be made immediately (ex. drain is backing up, etc).

Be available near showers while in use, to insure privacy for guest(s); be available if emergency occurs and help is needed

Clean Towels!
Lead Person and Towel Team member(s)

Pick up used towels, daily, and launder them

Bring back to DSW for the next day’s use or asap

Gather donations for laundry supplies

Storage Safety
Lead Person and Storage Team member(s)

Keep updated list of guests storing personal items and amount of bags/suitcases per person; make sure Storage Contracts in place for all guests using this service

Insure all items have guest’s name and contact information on them
Help guests access their belongings, as needed (belongings will be in secure location and volunteer will need to retrieve and put back belongings throughout shift)

Problem solve to help guests meet their storage goals, as needed
Report storage goings-on during Wednesday team meetings; triage if needs immediate resolution

Beating the Winter Blues
Lead Person and Activities Team member(s)

Keep track of games, books, magazines, etc. Remove broken or outdated material. Remove games that are missing pieces, decks of cards that aren’t complete, etc.

Find donations to keep current stock; report needs to Donation Depot volunteer team

Host twice monthly forum for guests to share what activities they’d like to do and report at a Wednesday team meeting; triage if needs immediate resolution.

Based on information gathered, delegate tasks to team members and/or interested guests (ex: if someone is interested in having hair cuts from a beauty school offered once or twice, yoga classes, resume class, etc)

Work on obtaining working TV/DVD and DVD’s; remove broken items, as needed

Obtain donations of journals/notebooks for guests to use for journaling, or, as needed

Donation Depot
Lead Person and Donation Team member(s)

Made donation receipt forms available to donors; keep copy of form

Thank all donors, even if we can’t take their items

Make available information/directions to alternative donation sites

Keep inventory of this information stocked/current/available
Maintain donation Depot room – keep only needed items in stock, other items to be taken to alternative donation site (i.e. St Vincent DePaul, Goodwill, Salvation Army) on a weekly or more frequent basis

Adhere to DWS donation list- have copies available to give to potential donors/donors

Snacks and Drinks
Lead Person and Snacks Team member(s)

Problem-solve and/or team with lunch providers (T B A) daily, as needed

Maintain inventory of snacks, drinks, and eating/drinking supplies; report information at Wednesday team meeting. Report sooner if immediate resolution needed.

Make sure coffee is available and fresh, along with coffee needs (cups, sweetener, creamer, etc)

Keep coffee/snack areas clean; not all guests are able to clean up their spills

Clean serving area(s) and items used (ex: dishes) at the end of each shift and/or day

Give Donation Depot team a heads up if DWS has too much or not enough of something

Smokers’ Corner
Lead Person and Smokey team member(s)

Make sure butt cans are emptied regularly, to avoid fire hazard
Encourage guests to use butt cans

Make sure smoking area has seating and safe walkways (esp. during winter, use salt/etc)

Rake butts on ground into pile and place into trash at end or beginning of day

Winter Holidaze
Lead Person and Holidaze Team Member(s)

Collect and make available information on no-cost holiday resources (free meals, gifts, etc)

Decorate DWS in an all-inclusive or non-denominational manner for winter Holidaze ( Christmas/Kwanza/Hanukah, New Years’, Valentine’s Day, etc)

Host Holidaze parties: obtain donations of special food and drink items that DWS can manage

Host Holidaze forum to gather information from guests in re: what they’d like and what they do not want