Informational Meeting July 28, 2013

What is Room at the Inn? Room at the Inn is a temporary shelter for homeless families and single women. One of only three emergency shelter providers in St. Louis County Room at the Inn serves about 200 families each year by providing: Safe, clean housing for families and their possessions Clothing and personal items if needed Case management Physical and mental health screenings Life skills classes Housing replacement assistance A caring environment in which to regroup and begin again

How does this work? Room at the Inn is a ministry of Sisters of Divine Providence, a 501(c)(3) agency incorporated in Missouri The “day site” for Room at the Inn is located in Bridgeton Room at the Inn’s model is to partner with local congregations (“night sites”) to provide lodging, as well as evening and morning meals There are about 60 night site partners Most of these congregations participate one night each month This allows many congregations to interact with homeless families and learn their stories Some congregations take two nights per month

What is Living Word’s Role? Living Word is a night site on the second Thursday of each month We host up to 10 people and provide: Transportation from the Room at the Inn site in Bridgeton to Living Word Dinner that evening Hospitality and fellowship prior to sleeping over night Breakfast the next morning Transportation from Living Word back to the day site in Bridgeton

What costs are there? On-going costs include food, transportation, toiletries, and laundering expenses Volunteers provide these at their own expense as personal ministry However, church resources can be used for such tasks as laundering linens, cooking, and driving

Who is served by Room at the Inn? All clients are homeless About one half children About one quarter single mothers of these children About one quarter other single women Occasionally, other homeless persons Married couples with or without children Single men with children Single homeless men do not participate, but are referred to other service agencies for men All are very poor Most have no job, no car, no health insurance, no family that can or will help them Because Room at the Inn is emergency/transitional only, clients can stay with the program for up to 45 days

More about the clients The maximum number of clients that Living Word can have at one time is ten Room at the Inn serves a maximum of twenty persons each night – split between two night sites When do we know how many guests we will have? Room at the Inn communicates to us by 3:00 p.m. how many we will have and their ages This information will be forwarded to volunteers Where do they eat and sleep? Meals are in Fellowship Hall Lodging is in the Chapel and Room 211/212

What about the rest of the day? Adults work with social workers at the day site Case management services To help identify and correct the causes of their homelessness Physical and mental health evaluations Domestic abuse counseling Debt management services Telephone, computer, and Internet access Transportation to/from appropriate agencies/services Housing placement assistance Shower, laundry, and kitchen facilities School-age children are transported from the day site to school Lunch is provided at the day site for adults and preschool children

What does a typical stay look like? 5:00 p.m. Drivers pick up clients at day site in Bridgeton 6:00 p.m. Arrival at Living Word 6:15 p.m. Dinner 7:00 p.m. Fellowship and activities 9:00 p.m. Children in bed and quiet 10:00 p.m. Adults in bed and lights out 5:20 a.m. Lights on 5:45 a.m. Breakfast 6:15 a.m. Departure from Living Word 7:00 a.m. Drivers drop off clients at day site

How can I serve? Evening driver Cook dinner Set-up beds and greet guests Serve dinner Host (spend evening time with families) Innkeeper (stay overnight with families) Provide breakfast Launder linens Clean-up Morning driver

Drivers Drivers must be 21 years of age, have a current driver’s license, and car insurance. Drivers must pick up clients at the Bridgeton Room at the Inn facility by 5:00 p.m. (leaving Living Word around 4:15 p.m.). Drivers will pick up a large plastic tote which contains a Med Pack and Information Binder. Car seats will be provided for each parent with children under 8 years old, 80 lbs or less. Parents are responsible for putting the child in the car seat. Drivers are responsible for returning families to the Room at the Inn facility in Bridgeton by 7:00am the next morning (depart by 6:15 a.m.) The large church bus can only be used by authorized drivers with a chauffer’s license. The smaller T-Top bus can be used by anyone, although there is a short training before being allowed to use it.

Set-up and greet Arrive around 5:00 p.m. Remove resources from storage Fold up tables/stack chairs in Room 211/212 Stack chairs in chapel (Room 209) Set up mattresses in the chapel, 211/212, the library for guests and innkeepers Make beds and lay out towels/toiletries Welcome guests as they arrive at Living Word Show guests where they will sleep, bathe, recreate, and eat Explain evacuation plan in case of emergency Escort guests to dinner You may stay and eat with the clients if you choose

DINNER Cooks Prepare dinner for up to 20 guests and volunteers Cooking may be done at your home and brought to church by 5:45 p.m. You may also use the church kitchen to prepare the meal Dinners should include salad, protein dish, vegetable, and dessert If you use the church kitchen, you are also responsible to clean up the kitchen when you are finished Cooks can stay to help as a server if they choose It is OK for cooks to simply drop off the meal they have prepared

Breakfast preparers Provide breakfast for up to 12 guests and volunteers Breakfast can be fruit, juices, cereal, bagels, pastries, milk, which can be stored in kitchen refrigerator the night before A hot breakfast is NOT required – most clients eat a very light breakfast Breakfast needs to be ready by 5:45 a.m. You can bring breakfast on Friday morning, or drop it off on Thursday night

SERVERS Arrive around 5:00 p.m. Set tables for dinner Set out buffet line Help serve and carry food for families with very small children Wait tables and provide drinks, etc. Sitting down to eat dinner with the clients is encouraged! Clear tables, wash any dishes used, return food to storage containers Set up tables for next morning’s breakfast

Hosts Arrive at 6:00 to meet and have dinner with guests Just spend time with the guests! Games, playground, conversation Board games provided – or bring your own! Young children can utilize the ECC play room (112) Older children can utilize the youth room Some adults have had a long difficult day, and prefer to simply read or have quiet time Client parents are responsible for care of their own children at all times Showers are available if clients want them (there are also facilities at the day site) Be aware that guests may want to retire early as they have to awake at 5:30am the next morning Children are welcome to serve with parents as hosts! Client children often enjoy playing with host children

InnKeepers Arrive by 8:00 p.m. Spend the night with the guests Review the binder in the plastic tote brought by the driver. This will contain guest information and any important medical needs of the guests. At 8:45 announce that children need to be in bed in 15 minutes At 9:45 announce lights out in 15 minutes (lights out policy for adults is 10:00pm) Set alarm for 5:20am You do not sleep in the same room as the guests, but they need to know where to find you in case of emergency. You need a cell phone which is turned on during the night. When the alarm goes off, turn on lights in the sleeping rooms and let the guests know what time it is. Direct guests to remove all linens and place in a laundry bag Unlock front doors for any volunteers who are arriving to serve breakfast If breakfast was dropped off the night before, set it out Gina Timme, the Night Site Coordinator is available 24 hours a day at 314- 209-9181. If any kind of issue arises and you are unsure how to handle it, call Gina at any time.

Launderers Pick up bed linens Friday morning between 6:15 and 6:45 a.m. Towels and linens should have been removed and gathered by guests Launder all sheets, pillowcases, blankets, mattress pads, towels and washcloths This can be done at your home, or using the washer/dryer in the church kitchen Towels, linens, and blankets must be laundered after each use. Return items to storage at Living Word within one week

Clean-up Arrive around 6:15 a.m. on Friday morning Clean up the dining area after breakfast Take out food trash from Fellowship Hall and Kitchen to dumpster behind kitchen Return mattresses to storage Return any games/toys to storage Set up tables/chairs in Room 211/212 Set up chairs in the chapel Generally ensure facility is back in order once guests have left the building Cleanup is usually over by 7:00 a.m.

MORE VOLUNTEER INFO How do I sign up? How will I know if I am needed? Go to www.livingwordumc.org/missions, and click on the Room at the Inn tab How will I know if I am needed? Pastor Greg will maintain a 4-month serving schedule, and distribute it to volunteers on the first of each month. You will also be emailed one week before you are scheduled to serve as a reminder. If I sign up, do I have to serve every month? No – you can volunteer as often or as little as you like How frequently you are called on to serve will depend on how many volunteers we have participating in each role! Will I ever be asked to serve at another night site? No – each night site arranges its own volunteers Can I invite non-Living Word people to participate? Yes! But recognize that some roles require Good Shepherd certification (next slide).

What about Good Shepherd? Good Shepherd is Living Word’s program to keep children, youth, and vulnerable adults safe These Room at the Inn roles DO require Good Shepherd certification: Drivers Innkeepers Adult Hosts Servers Set-up and Greet These Room at the Inn roles do NOT require Good Shepherd certification: Dinner/Breakfast Cooks Launderers Clean-up IMPORTANT – ALL adult volunteers must sign a Room at the Inn Confidentiality Statement To become Good Shepherd certified, go to www.livingwordumc.org/goodshepherd

Should I be concerned about safety? All clients are referrals from the Housing Resource Center, which screens for eligibility Fighting, verbal aggression, possession of illegal drugs, alcohol, firearms or weapons, and continued argumentation are all ground for immediate dismissal from the program Church doors remain locked overnight If a client’s behavior is not in line with expectations, the Night Site Coordinator should be called immediately