Volunteer
Notes
Click
on your topic of choice.
- It’s
nice to hear your
name,
so learn the names
of our guests, too.
- Labeling
people creates invisible
barriers. Remember
that guests are guests,
not “the homeless.”
Labeling—whether spoken,
or printed on a posted
sign—creates divisions
and can foster an
“us” and “them” syndrome.
- Personal
questions can be tough
to answer, so don’t
put guests in awkward
positions by asking
personal questions.
If guests need to
talk, give them the
chance, but don’t pry.
- We
all like to keep some
things to ourselves.
All information about
guests is confidential.
Don’t discuss guests’
situations with other
people.
- Everyone
can use a little privacy.
Our churches and synagogues
become temporary homes
for our guests. Knock
before entering a
guest’s room.
- Sometimes
we need to spend time
alone. Respect guests’
needs for quiet times
alone or with family.
- We
all have bad days.
Depression, sadness,
and hopelessness may
come. Allow guests
the space to deal
with their emotions.
Be prepared to forgive
outbursts without
judging guests ungrateful.
- We
understand and care
for our children.
Allow guests to do
the same. Avoid contradicting
guests’ instructions
to their children.
Always ask parents’
permission before
giving things to children.
- Parents
need a break. Offer
to tutor, play with,
and plan activities
for interested children
while their parents
take a break.
- Adult
guests should be treated
like adults. Although
our guests are in
situations that may
make them temporarily
dependent on others,
remember that they
are adults who are
capable of making
their own decisions.
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How
does your church organize
its Host Committee? Here’s
the standard GIHN model.
- Primary
Coordinator: manages
the program at your
church, heads planning
and implementation
of volunteer training,
communicates with
last week’s and next
week’s Hosts, greets
guests on Sunday,
the person to call
if there’s a problem,
serves on the Rotation
Advisory Committee.
- Assistant
Coordinator: makes
the master schedule
and ensures that
all shifts are covered,
recruits and encourages
volunteers, serves
as backup to the
Primary Coordinator.
- Setup
Coordinator: recruits
and schedules volunteers
to set up and take
down beds and furnishings
at the beginning
and end of your week
of hosting.
- Meal
Coordinator: recruits
and schedules volunteers
to prepare meals,
ensures that meals
are nutritious and
that meals are not
duplicated (lasagna,
fried chicken, spaghetti,
etc. only once).
- Transportation
Coordinator: recruits
and schedules van
drivers for mornings
and evenings, checks
van for needed maintenance,
ensures van is gassed
up and ready for
the next week.
- Supplies & Donations
Coordinator: makes
sure Host and GIHN
pantry supplies and
staples are stocked,
solicits and coordinates
gifts to guest families
(clothing, furniture,
household good, jobs,
etc.)
- Activity
Coordinator: plans
special activities
for the guest children
and adults, maintains
the supply of games
and toys. (Note: With
kids out of school,
summer offers many
more ministry opportunities
with GIHN for your
church. It’s hard
for us to imagine
what an afternoon
at the park or a
trip to the ice cream
shop means to our
guest families. Outings
don’t have to be
expensive to be blessings.)
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When
we first explain Guilford
Interfaith Hospitality
Network to folks, they
almost always ask how
they can get involved in
or help with our ministry
to homeless children and
their families. Unless
the folks asking are a
grant-making foundation
or the like, we try to
steer them to one of our
Network faith congregations.
Besides being too thinly
staffed to supervise and
coordinate single volunteers,
we believe and practice
the first phrase in our
mission statement, “By
uniting the faith community
and those who support
our mission . . .” Our
prayer is that Guilford
Interfaith will bring
folks together with and
into the faith community.
That
being said, here are
the Top Ten Ways folks
can help achieve it’s
vision and mission,
which are printed just
under your name and address
on the mailing front
of this newsletter.
- Pray!
Being a faith ministry,
Guilford Interfaith seeks
relies on prayer for its
fiscal, material, and spiritual
provision. Pray for the
ministry. Pray also for
our guests, that they would
know peace and find strength
to achieve healthy sustained
independence and freedom
from want, lack, and fear.
- Support
some of Guilford Interfaith’s
fund raisers. Sedgefield
Presbyterian is having
a Christian Rock Concert
on Saturday, Dec.
5, from 7 - 10pm to
benefit GIHN. Go make
a joyful noise! Or,
honor a friend on
behalf
of GIHN. This year
Honor Cards are available
for a suggested minimum
donation of $5 each.
These cards are perfect
for someone you’d
like to bless with
a gift but who might
not need or want another
neck
tie or scarf. These
gift cards have a
short pre-printed message
on the back about
your gift in their
honor
supporting Guilford
Interfaith, but there’s
still plenty of room
inside for your personal
message. To order,
call us at 336-574-0333,
email us at Clarke@GIHN.org,
or click
here.
- Become
a regular GIHN supporter.
With a $30,000 hole
in our budget, we
encourage
you to make a tax
deductible contribution
today by check or click
here to
make contributions
online. We
have dozens of
churches
and scores of individuals
who regularly support
GIHN as part of
their stewardship.
About 35% of GIHN’s
income
comes directly
from
local churches
or
their members as
part of their own
outreach, tithes,
and offerings.
- Arrange
a Guilford Interfaith fund
raiser at your church.
High School senior Kay
Alderson is organizing
the concert at Sedgefield
Presbyterian. You can do
something like that at
your church, maybe a pancake
breakfast, a spaghetti
dinner, or a hymn sing.
Proceeds and love offerings
can go to Guilford Interfaith
to make sure our two shelters
remain open.
- Volunteer
on your church’s GIHN team.
There are 57 of them out
there, and all of the Primary
Coordinators will be happy
to help you find your place
in the ministry. Every
seasoned Primary Coordinator
is always on the lookout
for their successor as
well as coordinators for
meals, van drivers, laundry,
and evening activities.
You can become one of those
coordinators or just take
one of the slots in the
volunteer schedule, i.e.,
drive the van one morning,
help fix dinner one evening,
or be an overnight shepherd,
the easiest job in the
Network (you sleep!). You
could also schedule an
hour so or to just “be
present” at one of the
day centers. You might
be surprised what your
presence could mean to
mom struggling to keep
her head up for her family,
or what it might mean to
a little one who needs
a hug!
- Become
a part of the Network.
What? Your church isn’t
one of the 57!! Well, give
us a call, and let’s see
how we can facilitate it
joining the Network. On
page one of this newsletter
you read that we need 3
churches to host our families
in High Point.
- Join
a Guilford Interfaith events
task force. You can help
plan, organize, and execute
one of our fund raisers.
Right now we do a golf
outing, a couple of concerts,
a silent auction, and an
annual dinner. Bring your
talents, ideas, and energy
to one (or more) or these
events. Ideally, up to
20% of our funds would
come from events.
- Join
a GIHN committee. We need
a few folks to plan the
year-long activities of
several committees: Events,
Communication, Outreach,
and Finance. You’ve been
blessed with talents and
interests. We value and
need them!
- Join
the GIHN Board of
Trustees. The commitment
is a bit longer than
other committees,
and the challenges
are more strategic.
The rewards of ministry
leadership for Guilford
Interfaith are knowing
you’re sheltering
homeless families not
just for today, this
week, or
next month but for
years to come. That’s
the Board’s goal.
Click
here to see who's
on the Board today.
- Pray
some more. “Pray without
ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians
5:17
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