St. Ignatius Martyr Parish

Provides shelter, meals, and hospitality for homeless families with children. Families stay for one week at a time in the Annex building for four to five times a year. Volunteer opportunities will be announced in the church bulletin.

Requirements: A desire to serve others as dinner volunteers, evening hosts, overnight hosts, and move in/out volunteers.
Time Commitment: As needed.

Keep reading to learn more about the volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer Sign Up

Many of the volunteer opportunities require only a few hours of time. Volunteers will be needed to help provide the evening meal each night either by dropping off one of the menu items or by helping to prepare and serve the meal in the annex. We will also need evening hosts to come and have dinner with our guests and provide fellowship. One or two overnight hosts will spend the night in the annex each night and see the guests off in the morning. Others may want to get involved by helping to provide some of the supplies we will need for the week, helping to move the families into the Annex on the first day, and out the following Sunday or by helping with laundry at the end of the week.

Volunteer Job Descriptions

The Church also provides pastoral care if asked. It also arranges for posting of "The Gabriel Project" sign on Church property. The sign is the outreach to pregnant women and assures them that the Church community is ready to help. It includes a hot-line telephone number that can coordinate with local pregnancy help centers. The sign also helps educate the community regarding the sanctity of human life.

Dinner Volunteers:

1 to 3 Dinner Preparers: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM - prepare and serve evening meal for guests and enjoy dinner with them in the Annex dining room. Guests arrive by 6:30 and dinner should be ready to serve at that time.

Evening Hosts:

2 or 3(or more) Evening Hosts: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - eat with the guests and provide fellowship. Be available to offer assistance and interact with families. Help with homework, read or play with children, watch TV, etc. Prepare lunches for next day as needed.

Overnight Hosts:

1-2 Overnight Hosts: 8:30 PM to 7:00 AM - assist with expressed needs of guests and spend the night in the upstairs room in the Annex. Lights out at 10:00PM. Usually just sleep all night; serve breakfast in the morning; be sure the common use part of the facility is in good order and close up Annex.

Move In/Out Volunteers:

Help to unload trailer on the Sunday that the guests arrive and load trailer on the Sunday that the guests depart.

Laundry:

Pick up towels and linens at the Annex on the Sunday that the families depart and return them washed and folded the following week.