New volunteers operating severe weather shelters this
season, through Interfaith Coalition, can get training Monday Dec. 16, said
Kara Hauerwas, who works at Interfaith Coalition.
The Coalition
partners with two congregations to host the shelters.
The men’s shelter is
located at Faith Lutheran Church, on 2750 McLeod Road, and the women and
children’s shelter is hosted by Garden St. United Methodist Church, on 1326 N.
Garden St.
The Minister of College, Youth & Children at Garden
St. United Methodist Church, Angie Ritchey, said, “The shelters open when there
are life threatening weather conditions.”
Volunteers put effort into making those who arrive “,
feel like honored guests,” Ritchey said.
The Pastor of the
Faith Lutheran Church, Sharon Swanson, said there is no way of telling exactly when
the shelter opens; and it can be possible to not open at all in some winters.
Other winters, the
shelter could be open multiple days in a row.
“The most I’ve seen is 14 days one December,” Swanson
said.
Laura Harker, the
executive director of Interfaith Coalition, and others from the coalition make
the decision to open the shelters first thing in the morning, said Hauerwas.
We set out flags
outside the shelters and sandwich-board signs in town, Ritchey said, but
word-of-mouth is another way people hear about the opening.
When the shelter is
open multiple nights in a row and word-of-mouth spreads, the turn-out grows and
more volunteers are coordinated to work, Hauerwas said.
A volunteer
coordinator contacts volunteers and media as soon as the decision is made to
open, Hauerwas said. The decision could be made at 6 a.m. to open the shelters
that night, and volunteers organize in time to get the shelter open by 5 p.m,
Hauerwas said.
“We really couldn’t
do it without volunteers,” said Hauerwas.
“We feed guests
dinner and make them comfortable,” said Richey.
Likewise, Swanson said volunteers make an effort to make
the shelters comfortable.
“We respect the
privacy of the guests so they each have their own space,” Swanson said, “they
work very well together because everyone wants to make it work.”
While the shelter is open, volunteers may organize special
things but it isn’t officially planned, Swanson said, for example in one
instance a pizza place in town donated pizzas to one of the shelters.
“It
can be hard to coordinate, so we keep it very simple,” Swanson said.
About 10 volunteers
will be in the shelter at one time, and “the congregation is very involved,”
Swanson said.
Because these severe
weather shelters are a partnership, volunteers can come from outside the
congregations too.
“We just host it.
People all over the community volunteer,” Ritchey said.
“We’ve had to learn we are not providing
long-term care, so it’s a hard thing to do,” Richey said, but “its amazing
experience for me being able to help these people for a short time.”
Some of the tasks
volunteers take care of, Hauerwas said, include heating water for hot chocolate
and making sure guests have enough blankets.
If the shelter is
open multiple nights in a row, blankets get labeled in bags for guests to
re-use the same blanket the next night, Hauerwas said, otherwise they are
washed.
“But sleeping mats
are sanitized each night,” Hauerwas said.
Both men and women volunteers can work at the men’s
shelter, while only women volunteers can work at the women and children’s
shelter, Hauerwas said.
While the shelters
can be open multiple nights and a row, the shelter hours are 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.,
Hauerwas said.
Hauerwas
also explained volunteers work in three shifts:
4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
10 p.m. to 5:45 a.m.
5:30 a.m. to 8:30
a.m.
The first shift of
volunteers arrive before 5 p.m. in order to register and orient guests as they
arrive and to get dinner prepared, Hauerwas said.
At the men’s shelter
only men volunteers work the night shift, Hauerwas said, and during the night
shift volunteers are able to take turns to sleep while a few volunteers are
always awake for safety and security.
Morning volunteers
get hot water and breakfast ready and help guests as they leave, Hauerwas said.
The Interfaith Coalition also has a housing program for
homeless families, manages an annual coat drive, and provides medical services
through the Interfaith Community Health Center, a private non-profit
organization.
