|
|
|
Project Home Selects SAPUMC as September Host
The continued slow down in the economy has resulted in the continued need for
additional shelter for children and their parents in St. Paul. Project Home asked for
additional funding to re-open site 3 again for August thru November.
We were again contacted by Project Home to host the additional shelter in
September. Members of our congregation learned of the need for a third site and the SAPUMC council once again offered the
Project Home our basement, assuring that 20 homeless children and their parents will have a
safe and welcoming place to sleep throughout the month.
The program, run by the St. Paul Area Council of Churches, provides
temporary shelter for homeless children and their parents when the Ramsey
County Family Shelter is full. Typically, families stay at a Project Home
site for about a week until they obtain permanent housing or temporary
housing in the Ramsey County facility. Each of the three Project Home
sites has 20 beds available for families. Most of the guests are
children.
Our Commitment
So what does it mean to be a Project Home host site? We agreed to
provide kitchen space, play space, sleeping space; a volunteer room; and
perhaps most important, volunteers. Project Home provides the rest – guest
transportation; beds, bedding and laundry service; basic hygiene and
clothing; volunteer training and on-call Project Home staff accessible by
phone in the event of emergencies.
But SAPUMC won’t be staffing the temporary shelter alone. Six other
churches in our neighborhood -- St. Matthew’s Episcopal, St. Anthony Park
Lutheran, Church of Saint Cecilia, St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, Church of Corpus Christi and a new partner Guardian Angels Catholic – have already agreed to provide volunteers,
covering 21 days of our month-long commitment.
That means we have the opportunity to serve as hosts the remaining 9 days.
Each day, two shifts of volunteers are needed: 6 to 8:30 p.m.; or 8 p.m. to
7 a.m. During the evening shift, volunteers assist parents in providing
activities for children and youth, and put out a light snack. Overnight
volunteers visit with guests before 9:00 p.m. lights out, have their own
room, and ensure everyone is ready to go at 7:00 a.m.
The responsibilities for volunteer hosts are minimal, but Chris Mikesell,
our Project Home coordinator, insists the returns are greater.
“I’ve been a volunteer for Project Home for around five years now,” notes
Chris. “The one thing I can tell you is that the experience has given me
more back than I have put into it. For me the most rewarding experience
comes when I take the additional time to get to know our guests over a
period of a few days.”
Volunteers Needed
The time to sign up is now. Katherine Tondra and Betty Gumbrell are organizing
SAPUMC volunteers to fulfill our commitment. Don’t wait for one of them to call you,
let one of them know when you and your family can help. If you are unsure about volunteering,
ask Katherine or Betty to place you with someone who has volunteered with Project Home
before, or visit St. Matthews during August between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.
|
|
|
Ways We Serve
Alternative Giving
Caring Ministries
Crop Walk
Mustard Seed Project
Project Home
Simpson Shelter
United Methodist Women
|
|