Policies/Procedures of Guests and Host Congregations:
Guests arrive for housing at a host facility once every 3-4 months. They reside at the host facility from 6pm–6:30am for a full week, rotating between all of the host congregations over the course of the year. Typically there are 3 families (11 people) participating in the program each week. The host congregation supplies dinner, bedding, breakfast and supplies to pack lunches for the upcoming day. The guests are taken to the Learning Skills Center in Norristown each morning. There they shower, do laundry and generally prepare to go to work or school.
Those guests who are unemployed continue their job search from the Learning Skills Center. All guest receive on-going case management to help them set priorities and goals and to keep their focus on moving forward.
There are volunteers from both host congregations and support congregations. Support congregations do not have the facility to house the guests so members of these congregations volunteer their time at the host congregations.
Volunteer responsibilities:
Set up cubicles for guests, make beds, clean bedding (launder sheets and blankets,
Prepare and deliver dinner by 5:00 p.m. nightly for one week,
Stay overnight stay with guests, from 9 p.m.–7a.m. in case of emergency,
Provide breakfast in the morning and supplies for guests to pack their lunches,
Provide transportation for guests to Norristown or public transportation to their place of employment.
Other facts:
Most congregations use their church budget to supply breakfast and lunch supplies.
Estimated $150 for the week.
Coordinators are involved in the support congregations to schedule volunteers who make dinners, spend hours at the facility, etc.
