1. Volunteer Hospitality
HOSTING VOLUNTEERS
Dave Thalman
Volunteer
National Response Team
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
I’m a vol. – that means you can’t ask me any hard questions
Can take questions, but prefer to wait to end.
You should have a hand-out with notes.

2. Volunteer Hospitality
Goal for this Session
To inform long-term recovery groups about:
Volunteer hosting
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) resources
Review goals – anyone involved with planning a vol. hosting site?
Have a new video about the steps churches and communities should take in setting up a volunteer hosting site
Most VOAD partners have developed experience and expertise in specific areas of disaster response
Hosting vols. Is one of PDA’s niches like LTR organizing & ESC
Will hear from Carolyn about ESC later
Near the end I will share specific resources PDA can provide.

3. Long-Term Recovery Purpose of LTRG is finding and meeting unmet needs
At the top of the list of unmet needs is home re-building
Restoring homes usually requires volunteer labor
Google Images
Big Picture - How do we get from LTR to Vol hosting?
The most complex unmet need is repairing homes
Part of economic equation of rebuilding is using vol. labor
Photo by K. West 2011

4. LTR – Volunteer Labor
LTR “Bubble Chart” - Committee relationships – raise funds, manage cases, manage const., manage vol labor
With limited funds, need vol labor to make re-building feasible
There is always a pool of volunteers who will travel for a week to help re-build. Can get more done faster than with day-workers.
If you have the work AND you need volunteers who are not local,
THEN the volunteers need to be housed in a place that is safe, predictable, and supportive

5. PDA Hospitality Transition
Post Katrina
Church-based villages
Self-supporting
Run by volunteers
Work with LTRGs for jobs
Utilize national Call Center for scheduling
PDA got into the volunteer hosting business big time in response to Katrina. The need was huge and so were the donations to support vol. villages (stand alone work camps)
Since then finances have tightened and disasters have been more locally concentrated, so this niche for PDA has evolved from stand-alone volunteer villages to assisting with setting-up hosting sites using existing churches or community centers.
The basic model is now church-based, self-supporting villages that use local volunteers as staff and charge the volunteers $20 - $30 per night per person
Can have paid manager if resources allow
One of the things that helped with expenses was working with local LTRO’s for CM & job assignments rather than hiring Construction and Volunteer Managers.
Call Center will schedule volunteers and manage calendars (more about CC later)
FPC Cedar Rapids, IA – provided by Sara Dyck

6. What does hosting volunteers involve?
Video – Becoming a Volunteer Hosting Site 11 topics to consider What’s the one element mentioned most?
PDA helped develop a new 20 min. video based on the response to Sandy that organizes the process into 11 steps.
There will be a quiz at the end – What is the most important recurring item mentioned throughout this video that leads to a successful volunteer hosting experience?

7. Q: What element of Vol. Hosting was mentioned most in video
Q: What element of Vol. Hosting was mentioned most in video? A: Meaningful work!
NOTE: Video should play automatically (on a Mac) - video (.mp4) is embedded. Not sure how this behaves on a PC. You will need powered speakers for audio in a large room. Video link is:  

8. Hospitality Site – Goals
Support LTRG – needed skills
Provide a rewarding experience for volunteers –
Safe, adequate accommodations
MEANINGFUL WORK
So – PDA has changed the hosting model fm corporate/institutional to a mission outreach activity of local churches serving local LTRGs.
Goal for creating: Focused outward on unmet needs - Support LTRG with pool of volunteer labor (LTRG Const. Mgmt. Sub-Cte is customer)
Goal for operating: Focused inward on the vols. - Provide a consistent, safe, and rewarding experience for volunteers – linked to meaningful work
Model yields hope for the survivors and provides powerful mission outreach opportunities for churches and volunteers - building their own faith journeys and getting others involved.

9. Assessment of facilities Consultation: Set-up & management
How Can PDA Help?
Assessment of facilities
Consultation: Set-up & management
Sample forms, documents & manuals
Grants to qualified recipients
Some loaned equipment and/or tools
Host sites listed on the PDA web page
Use of the PDA National Call Center
PDA can send a team to assess the need for a Village – have a questionnaire.
PDA can train or provide Village Managers.
Seed Grants are available to help offset some of the added costs such as: upgrades to kitchen equipment, showers, internet, water heater, etc.
Tools may be provided or a tool grant can be applied for to purchase needed tools.
Call Center (next slide)

10. PDA Resources PDA National Call Center Little Rock, AR
Manager, Eden Carroll
(866)
Scenario 1: PDA National Call Center – process:
Collects info from host sites (nature of disaster, rules, forms)
Collects info from vol. teams (availability, skills).
Pairs work teams with host/work sites, much like a “dating” service, and schedules the visit, forwards site info & forms
Call Center can save host sites much time in scheduling and preparing volunteer work teams
There is no charge for the PDA Call Center.
Scenario 2: PDA web site:
Lists active host sites, provides brief site info, gives contact info.
The responsibility for preparing teams and scheduling is left to the host/work site.

11. PDA Resources
PDA Rick Turner, Associate Disaster Hospitality
Resources and contacts are listed also at the end of your notes handout.
Remember: Just as all disasters are local (affects individual hearts), so too hospitality supports and adds to each individual’s contribution.
Vol. hospitality, if done right, can connect a person with needs to a vol. who can be present, listen, and provide some hope (and if some drywall gets repaired in the process, so much the better).

12. Volunteer Hospitality
Questions?
Q & A time.