How you can help
Participants in the Interfaith Shelter Network
describe the experience as positive and enriching.
How your congregation can help
How your congregation can help
HOST
CONGREGATIONS
The
Interfaith Shelter Network is a unique collaborative program which unites
congregations throughout San Diego County in providing emergency shelter
for homeless individuals and families, who are screened and referred to
the Network by local social service agencies. In each of seven regional
branches, anywhere from three "host" congregations each sign up
for two-week rotations during which time up to twelve homeless guests are
housed and fed by congregation volunteers.
Additionally, "support" congregations within each branch are
available to assist with overnights, meals and provision of toiletries and
other supplies.
Requirements for HOST CONGREGATIONS
SPACE
- NOTE: Shelters are open from 5:30/6:00 p.m. to approx. 7:00 a.m. daily.
Guests leave the premises during daytime hours.
- 750 square feet of space (60 sq.ft. per cot)
- Adequate ventilation; two independent exits;
sufficient lavatory facilities
- Food preparation/storage area
VOLUNTEERS
- A volunteer coordinator to organize and oversee
the entire shelter operation
- Overnight volunteers for 14 nights*
- Volunteers to prepare meals and provide
transportation for guests*
SUPPORT CONGREGATIONS
Opportunities for Participation by SUPPORT
CONGREGATIONS
VOLUNTEERS
- Support congregations can help by providing
overnight volunteers for any of the 14 shelter nights
- Volunteers can provide meals and/or
transportation for shelter guests
- Volunteers can prepare the "hygiene
packets," individual supplies of toiletries which are provided to
guests during their shelter stay
DONATIONS
- Support congregations can also assist host
congregations by donating food supplies, linens, and/or funds to cover
costs of laundering, transportation and other expenses incurred during the
rotation.
For those who are unable to
make the commitments required of a host congregation, being a support is a
great way to involve congregation members in this cooperative effort to
assist less fortunate members of the community.
Want to Volunteer?
There are a number of ways to volunteer your services
to the Network, as our needs change rapidly to meet upcoming challenges.
-
Volunteer for the Rotational Shelter Program
- Volunteer in the shelter
- most congregations recruit volunteers
from within their community, but few turn away willing hands.
If your congregation is not part of the Network, contact us, and
we'll try to put you in touch with a host congregation near you.
-
Workshop presenters - the Network provides workshops to
our homeless guest on career planning and on budgeting. Often, these
volunteer presenters are in the Human Relations or Financial fields, but
that is not a requirement. If
you are interested, please forward us an application, found here.
- Office help
- on occasion, we need assistance with basic office
tasks or Mailings (labeling, stuffing and sorting);
Compilation of volunteer packets (involves copying &
sorting; Typing) ;
Some data entry in computer (instruction/supervision provided); Occasional
assistance with phones. Familiarity with IBM compatible PC's
on a Windows platform would be helpful, but not necessary.
-
Volunteer for El Nido
- As this is a domestic
violence safe harbor program, volunteers must be carefully screened.
Help is sometimes
needed for respite child care, seasonal events, tutoring (both adults and
children), donation pick-up, and transportation, to name a few.
To volunteer as a Workshop Presenter, for Office
Help, or for El Nido, please fill out our volunteer Application
Donate
The largest single source category for our budgeted
income is individual and corporate donations.
While we maintain a very small staff and limited office, they do
require funding to operate. The
$90,000 we must raise annually helps leverage nearly $330,000 in donated
efforts to the program. Won't
you help and become a Special Friend of the Network?
