Safe Haven signup sheet

Safe Haven Homeless Shelter is Feb 22nd to Mar 1st 2015

This will be the seventh year that St. George’s has participated in Safe Haven, and the fifth year that we have hosted the shelter at our church. The shelter has room for up to 15 men, for whom we provide a hot dinner, a place to sleep, a hearty breakfast, and help with laundry and showers.

Organizational Meeting is Sunday, Jan 25th after the 10 am service in Miller Hall. We will go over the details, explain the various tasks/shifts, and indicate what donations are needed.

Daily schedule:
6 pm: Doors open, men check in at registration table
7 pm: Serve Dinner
8-9 pm: Shower run to Good Samaritan
10 pm: Lights out (volunteers take turns staying awake)
6 am :  Serve breakfast
7 am : Men leave for the day

We will be sending via the parish email an online form OR look for the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.

Tasks & roles:
Set up: On Sunday, Feb 22nd after 10 am service we will need volunteers to help set up.
Registration: Arrive at 5:45 pm each evening to let the men into the church. Collect their registration slips and record their attendance in the log. This is a really fun role because you get to greet everyone.
Dinner: Each evening we will need 2-3 people to prepare/serve/clean up dinner. This year we will attempt to coordinate the menu, so as to achieve a varied menu and to avoid having to throw out food.
Overnight: Every night it is best to have 3-4 people (men or women) stay overnight. Each will take turns staying awake in the office. We need to have at least 2 people on site throughout the night.
Breakfast: You can drop off a breakfast casserole, and/or help serve and clean up breakfast.
Laundry: We may need volunteers to help with laundry – details to follow.
Metro run: On Sunday, Feb 22nd at about 5:30 pm we will need someone to pick up some of the men from the Metro (this is because the buses do not run on the weekend).
Transporting men to shower & to do laundry: Each evening we will drive the men down the road to Good Samaritan to use their shower. On Tue & Thu we take the men to the Laundromat.
Break down & transportation to next church: On Sunday, Mar 1st after the 10 am service we will need volunteers to help drive the cots/supplies the next church.

NEW ROLE (DAILY SHADOW): In order to ensure that this important ministry continues to be vibrant and strong, we are asking for individuals to consider shadowing Joann or Gene for an evening. It is critical that more than just a couple people in our parish understand this ministry from both the big picture to the little details. Besides, wouldn’t want to hang out with Gene for a night?!

If you wish to donate something, we will have a list of needed supplies.

Get others to volunteer: Ask others to come assist with this important ministry. We can only manage this if we expand our “circle ever wider” and ask others for assistance.

Even if you are not signed up for a task, you are welcome to join us in the evening to eat dinner and to engage with the men (please let us know that you will be coming so we can make enough food). Let’s make them feel welcome and part of our community.

For more details speak to Joann Prosser jprosser@umd.edu, or Gene Ferrick gene@umd.edu.

Thank you in advance for your help with this important, rewarding ministry.