Peace UMC participates in Project Home, a program for providing overflow emergency shelter services to homeless families in Ramsey County. The program is run by the St Paul Area Council of Churches.

The primary shelter for homeless families is a 55-bed facility operated by Catholic Charities under contract with Ramsey County and other public agencies. Once this is filled, overflow shelters are provided and staffed by local churches through Project Home.

Currently, Peace provides help to other churches that host the shelter by covering evening and overnight shifts. Every December, we've typically provided volunteers 2-3 days per week. In other months, we often try to assist host churches by providing volunteers on an "as-needed" basis. If you'd like to volunteer, please contact Rick Mons (rickmons@gmail.com or 651-334-6825) and Rick will advise you about current needs.

Peace is also exploring the possibility of serving as a host church if a third overflow church is needed in June of 2010. (Similar plans fell through last year when there was a delay in funding received by the St Paul Area Council.)

Generally, there are up to six families at an overflow shelter and up to 25 guests. Most families are single-parent families although there are two-parent families on occasion. (And, the single-parent families are occasionally headed by a father.) Most guests are African-American but not exclusively. Some families are immigrants, some from other states but the majority are from St Paul and its suburbs. During the day, families spend time at the Family Center and school-aged children are typically in local schools that they've attended before becoming homeless. They are transported from the Family Center and generally arrive at the overflow shelters between 5:30 and 6:00. The following morning -- between 6:30 and 7:00 AM -- they're transported by a van or small bus back to the Family Center.

Generally we ask for two adults (and/or families) to staff the shelter from 5;30 until about 8:30 as part of the Evening Shift. A paid staff member from Project Home assists the guests as they check in and is available at the start of the shift to explain how the program works, expectations of and from the guests, etc. The evening volunteers aren't expected to be babysitters but realistically many of the parents are pretty tired (and/or emotionally drained) by the time they reach the shelter. The kids often are content with playing games, watching DVDs, etc. Volunteers often will bring a light snack or treat but there are also snacks and the like available through various donations.

The overnight shift is responsible for keeping an eye on things and making sure there's a reasonably quiet and secure environment overnight plus preparing a light breakfast (e.g. cereal, toast etc) in the morning before the transportation arrives. The shift starts around 8:30 and ends shortly after 7:00 (overnight hosts are asked to make sure the common area is vacuumed and cleaned up, etc).

We'd also like two adults for the overnight shifts but often we end up with just one volunteer. (If the overnight volunteer is by themselves and haven't previously volunteered, we'll arrange for a more experienced volunteer to help them the first time and thereafter until they're comfortable.)

Again, please contact Rick Mons if you have any questions or would like to lend a hand in staffing this program.
Revised 12/30/09