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COLD WEATHER SHELTER MINISTRY

The Cold Weather Shelter provides overflow shelter for homeless clients of Howard County's homeless shelter, Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, Inc. from November through March. It is a partnership between Grassroots, the faith community and Howard County government. Congregations host the shelter for one or two weeks and provide volunteers for transportation, meals, laundry, set up and take down, cleaning and overnight supervision. Grassroots provides administrative coordination and a staff person to act as the team leader during the hours that the shelter is open. Glen Mar has participated in the Cold Weather Shelter program for the past seven years, hosting for a period of one or two weeks.

Volunteering at the Cold Weather Shelter

Many volunteers are needed each year to help with the variety of tasks required to make the shelter run smoothly and provide services for the shelter guests. Providing food, transportation, housecleaning, laundry service, along with hosting our guests during the evening and overnight hours are some of the opportunities to be in service to those less fortunate among us.

Volunteer Job Descriptions

  • clipboard Evening Shift Volunteer:
    Evening Shift -- 2 volunteers to work 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. with a trained Grassroots staff member to assist checking in and seeing to the needs of the guests. Guests could be men, women, and/or families. Volunteer duties could include checking in guests, assisting staff with filling in guest record information, explaining shelter rules to guests, handing out bedding and personal items to guests, collecting any medications or other items that need to be secured, attending to any guest's special needs, setting up for dinner, and collecting wake up time information. No social service experience is required, just flexibility and a good heart.
  • bedOvernight Shift Volunteer:
    Overnight/Morning Shift -- 2 Volunteers to work 10:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. with a trained Grassroots staff member to assist staff in cold weather shelter. Volunteer duties could including staying up at night in shifts with other volunteers and staff to provide supervision for shelter during the overnight period, providing "wake-up" calls for shelter guests who need to get up extra early, setting up breakfast for guests such as coffee and breakfast cereals, finding out who will be returning the following night, and labeling their bedding appropriately. No social service experience is required, just flexibility and a good heart.
  • vanDrivers:
    Morning drivers provide transportation (6:30-7:00 a.m. but possibly as early as 6:00 a.m.) to guests leaving the shelter and taken to the Columbia Mall Bus Stop or other locations.
  • Evening drivers provide transportation to guests from the Columbia Mall to the shelter. Guests are picked up between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  • dinnerEvening Meal Volunteer: Meal Providers
    -- Volunteers are needed to provide dinner for up to 24 shelter guests during the hours of 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Dinner suggestions include casseroles, soups, salad, meat loaf, turkey with gravy, chicken, roast beef, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, and dessert. Dinner menu will be coordinated by Louise Walker.
  • hot cerealMorning Meal Volunteer: Meal Providers
    -- Volunteers are needed to provide BREAKFAST for up to 24 shelter guests during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. Breakfast suggestions include milk (2%), orange juice, apple juice, cereal (hot & cold), fruit, bread, rolls. Food should be dropped off the night before.
  • lunchBag Lunch Volunteer:
    Volunteers needed to provide bag lunches for 12 to 24 shelter guests to take with them in the morning as they leave the shelter. Bag lunches should be prepared off site and dropped off at the shelter the prior evening. LUNCH SHOULD INCLUDE: Sandwich, snack (cookies, crackers, chips), fresh fruit/fruit cup, boxed drink.
  • broomClean-up Volunteer (Between 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.):
    Volunteers are needed to clean shelter during the day. Remove trash, sanitize bathrooms and pantry, vacuum, etc.
  • laundryLaundry Volunteer:
    Volunteers are needed to pick up, wash, dry, and return to the shelter sheets, towels, etc. for guest use, along with a limited number of guests' personal laundry. The amount of laundry each day will vary depending on the number of guests returning for the night, as returning guests will keep the same bedding for a week. Laundry may be picked up after 7:00 a.m. and returned by 5:00 p.m.

Cold Weather Shelter Coordinators

Transportation Coordinator

Responsible for coordinating the volunteers who will be providing transportation for shelter guests from the Columbia Mall in the evening and from Glen Mar to the Columbia Mall in the morning.

  • Checking with CWS coordinator to ascertain number of guests needing rides in the morning and evening and securing enough drivers.
  • Making reminder calls to volunteers.

Shelter Staff Coordinator

Responsible for coordinating the volunteers who will be staffing the shelter in the evenings and overnight.

  • Making sure shifts are covered
  • Making reminder calls

Food Coordinator

Responsible for coordinating the volunteers who will be providing food for the shelter guests. This includes breakfast, bag lunches for the guests to take in the morning, and dinner.

  • Coordinating the types and amount of food provided
  • Making reminder calls

Housekeeping/Laundry Coordinator

Responsible for coordinating the volunteers who will be cleaning the shelter and providing laundry services for the guests.

  • Making sure days are covered
  • Making reminder calls

Hospitality Coordinator

Responsible for providing and coordinating activities for the guests during the evening.

For more information on this ministry, contact Jeff Winter at 410.465.4995 ext. 208 or via email at Winter-J.Staff.GlenMar@glenmarumc.org.
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