Tuesday, June 21, 2016

SLO: Seeking Volunteers for the Homeless Shelter Overflow for July 1 - 31, 2016

Seeking volunteers as Overnight Hosts: I am a member of a team that manages the homeless shelter overflow in SLO for every night during the month of July. We are looking for volunteers who can spend the night with another volunteer at the overflow, which is located at a church in SLO. You will sleep half the night, and stay awake the other half of the night while the homeless sleep. You will get no more than 4 hours sleep that night. You arrive at the church no later than 7pm and leave between 6am and 7am. Lights are out at 9pm for the homeless to get to sleep.

This is a demanding but rewarding volunteer assignment. Should you be interested, please phone me ASAP at 805-544-2109 or email me at TimWaag@gmail.com so we can discuss this volunteer opportuntiy. 
Above: "Text only" post are boring, so I like posting photos. I'm shown above on a recent backpacking trip to the ghost town of Beveridge in the Inyo Mountains. May 2016. Photo by Larry.

I have been volunteering for the homeless overflow for over a decade, and can testify to the fact that it is the most rewarding volunteer work you could ever take on, but it's not for everyone. The overflow is staffed entirely by volunteers, but without volunteers, our local homeless would be sleeping in the streets. 

We need overnight volunteers for all 31 nights of the month (although some nights may already be full, most nights should still be available). To all of our volunteers: Thank-you for giving so much of yourself to members of our community that have so little.

No experience in this area is necessary in order to volunteer. The only requirement is that you care about providing shelter for our local homeless population. Otherwise, most of these folks would be sleeping under overpasses and out in our creek beds.

About the Homeless Shelter Overflow: The homeless shelter overflow is a system of 12 houses of worship (11 churches and 1 synagogue) in SLO that provide overnight sleeping facilities for our local homeless 365 days a year. It is administered by CAPSLO, who screens all the homeless ahead of time. In addition, the homeless use the shower facilities and eat dinner before being van-pooled from CAPSLO's Maxine Lewis Memorial shelter in SLO to the house of worship.

Location of the Overflow for July: Note that for security purposes, we are not allowed to disclose the location of the homeless overflow to the general public. However, the location is a church in SLO, and (obviously), should you volunteer, you will be told the name of the church and the address.

4th of July BBQ and Party for the Homeless: Also, every year, we put on a fun 4th of July BBQ and Party at the church for our homeless friends, and we can always use some help. 7/4/2016 from 5pm to 9pm. You can help with: bringing a food dish, helping serve food, bringing or helping with 4th of July games, etc. Please contact me if you want to help - Thanks!

Why We Are Here (at the Homeless Shelter Overflow)
This was included this year in the material from CAPSLO guiding how we are to manage the overflow for the month of July. Perhaps this could sway your decision to help those less fortunate, by volunteering at the overflow with us in July 2015.

We are here to listen
Not to work miracles.

We are here to help people discover
What they are feeling.
Not to make feelings go away.

We are here to help people identify
Their options.
Not to decide for them
What they should do.

We are here to discuss steps
With people
Not to take steps for them.

We are here to help people
Discover their own Strengths
Not to rescue them and
Leave them still vulnerable.

We are here to help people discover
That they can help themselves,
Not to take responsibility for them.

We are here to help people
Learn to choose
Not to keep them from making
Difficult choices.

We are here to provide
Support for change

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