Parish Social Ministry Home

St. Francis Parish Home

Volunteer Coordinators'
Position Description & To-Do-Checklist
for hosting the homeless at the
St. Franics of Assisi School Gym
for the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County
Rotating Shelter - Winter
(Normally one week in February)
(For Actual Dates Click Here)

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Before you begin, please read over the online sign-up form for the shelter program.  Please help the Parish Social Ministry Director, Scott Wright, with proof reading it & keeping it up-to-date.

Publicize the need for coordinators.  One overall coordinator person must keep track of the details of who & what is already committed or needed.

"Sign-ups" are e-mailed to all coordinators through the web page.  Decide who is responsible to pay attention to each area of coordination to respond to the sign-ups & any questions that may arise from participants.   The volunteers that sign-up are told, "We will contact you soon to discuss our upcoming plans."   All sign-up sheets that are returned to the office by fax and/or in the collection basket at St. Francis are given to an evening receptionist to be typed into the Web form sign-up, which is automatically submitted to the e-mail addresses of the persons responsible.

During the Summer (about 7 months before the shelter program)
Communication with the Shelter Association & other St. Francis Parish  & School staff will establish a date. Reserve the gym
(Sleep in the School Gym?  or in a warmer place like the School Music Room or Corridor??)
from 8:15PM - 7:00AM beginning on the Monday evening every day until the Monday morning a week later.

Several Weeks Before the Shelter Beginning Date
Contact the Shelter Association - The Delonis Center:
 (734-662-2829ext.224) 
the volunteer coordinator at the shelter.
Our Rotating Shelter contact  person for the week will be here M-F & Sat - Sun . 

• In 2008, Barry Minowitz (cell239-1580 -- 473-1580Pager 24/7)

Just Before the Shelter Beginning Date

• Signs must be posted to welcome our guests & to inform staff & others about the shelter program.   These signs (here in Word format)  are already printed and laminated in the Parish Social Minstry Office file cabinet under "Shelter". 
• Shelter Bedding Drop-off: The Rotating Shelter contact  person will call us on Friday (a week before the shelter week starts) to confirm that the shelter can drop off the bedding on Monday between 2:30pm - 3:30pm.  (2008 contact is cell#734-323-4956)

Overall Coordinator (One needed):

• Arrive at 7:30PM get envelope and keys from Parish Office kitchen.
• Please make sure that you Unlock the Front Gym Door for our homeless guests & volunteers to enter through when they arrive at about 7:45PM - 8:00PM.
• Meet volunteers and make sure all have arrived.
• Brief volunteers on their jobs.
• Identify a leader for the overnight.
• Give the keys and envelop to the overnight leader. Brief him/her on the job.
• Deal with any problems as they come up.
• When all volunteers for the night are present, go home.

• Arrive between 8:00PM - 8:30PM at the Shelter Association - The Delonis Center [312 W. Huron] and pick up clients and drive them to St. Francis gym.
• Pick up more as needed.
• The curfew is at  9PM.

1. Arrive between 8:30PM-9PM
2. Get the keys and envelop from Coordinator.
3. Organize shifts to keep one person awake at all times.
4. Turn off the lights at 10:00.
5. Lights on at 6:00 – Make sure everybody is awake.
6. Boil water for coffee.
7. Meet AM drivers and insure all clients get transported to St. Andrews.

1. Bring food for the evening (finger food, sandwich, etc.) to the parish office kitchen. This should include paper plates, utensils, and cups.

1. Arrive 7:30PM.
2. Set up food and boil water for coffee.
3. Mingle with clients.
4. At 9:30PM, clean up and return extra food to parish office kitchen.

Arrive between 8:30PM-9PM

Shifts:   10-1AM  Lights out at 10PM, Put away coffee.
            1-4AM    Stay Alert!
            4-7AM    Lights on at 6AM. Start coffee at 5-5:30AM
                         Men must be ready for 7AM pick-up.

    Host must dust mop and put away chairs taken out by men. 
    Doors that need to be locked:
            Gym Main doors
            Gym Office
            Gym Boys Locker Room
            Religious Office
            PAC Office Door that connects to School
            Gym Gate Door (Only during the weekend.)
 

Overnight (three needed): 

1. Arrive 9:30 or (preferably) sooner. 
2. At 10:00 lights out, turn heat on as needed. 
3. Remain awake for one shift making sure no client leaves the building. 
4. Sleep when not on duty. 
5. Assist with cleanup next morning.  (Put chairs away.) 

1. Arrive at St. Francis gym at 7:00AM sharp.
2. Drive the men to the Shelter Association - The Delonis Center [312 W. Huron] for breakfast at 7AM.  (Or, to the St. Andrew Episcopal Church Breakfast Program, 306 North Division Street.)
3. Return to St. Francis gym to make sure no clients left behind

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