Church Sheltering Project

FM Church WinterSheltering ProjectVolunteer Training Refresher OrientationYour work is LIFE SAVING and AMAZING!

Thank you for your commitment to the FM Winter Sheltering Church Project. Since the projects inception in 2010 when 9 congregations made a commitment to help because all of the local shelters were full, the program has grown to more than 30 congregations assisting individuals who are experiencing homelessness.

We shelter up to 30 individuals in the church each evening, about 2/3 are men and 1/3 are women. No children are provided shelter in the church setting for logistical reasons. These churches open their doors in the evening from November through April to insure those seeking shelter have a warm, safe place to stay during our coldest months.

Each congregation has two trained coordinators who are tasked with providing oversight to volunteers at their location to insure things run smoothly. We have more than 1500 trained volunteers who work together across the community to provide nearly 3,000 nights of shelter during these months. The entire project is staff by these trained volunteers who are supported by professional staff from local shelters and other agencies.

As a result of the project weve not had any deaths related to someone being turned away due to lack of sleeping space. One of the directors of a local shelter commented, Your work is LIFE SAVING and AMAZING!

In this refresher we will review some of the key aspects of volunteer training. These are guidelines that were developed to promote the safety and well being of all volunteers and guests. We encourage you to meet the needs of the guest yet be fairly consistent to reduce the risk of issues with guests as they move from one location to another. Through experience we have learned that these guests function best when there is consistency with interpretation and application of the guidelines. 1Who is Homeless?The 2014 point in time total identifies 852 individuals experiencing homelessness in the F-M area including 223 children.There were only 406 individuals in 201179 were children.There are 5 shelters in the FM area with 265 beds.When mattresses are put on the floor at these shelters they can accommodate 72 additional individuals.

852 individuals are trying to get space in the available 337 beds

Many residents in the FM area were unaware of the extent of homelessness in our community until the FM Sheltering Churches project began. Homelessness is quite invisible as these men and women go off to work and these children are in school most days. The oil boom in western ND enticed many people from across the nation to head this way seeking better employment opportunities. Their skill set may not be suitable for the positions and the high cost of housing there has driven even local residents into homelessness. Most individuals employed in a minimum wage position in the FM area are unable to pay for an apartment as average rent is higher than 30% of their expendable income. As a result there has been a significant increase in the number of individuals who are homeless. The count doubled from 406 individuals per night in 2011 to 852 in 2014; the number of children experiencing homelessness tripled during this time period.

2Set-up of the Host site

A truck delivers tubs and materials on Sunday The host site team organizes their site under the direction of their coordinatorsReview site specific logistics and shift responsibilities Review journal and the log book to get idea of what to expect

The host site rotates locations every Sunday, which is not publically disclosed. One local congregation moves all of the needed supplies from one host site to the next. They bring totes and bins that contain emergency food supplies, linen, over the counter medication, first aid kits, a Trac phone and other paperwork used for the hosting process. The congregational coordinators may ask you to volunteer to help get your host site set up for the week. This involves putting mattresses into the designated sleep space, storing totes out of the way, and placing the linens in locations where they will be accessible yet separate the clean linen from the dirty.

As you get ready to volunteer at a designated host site youll want to review any site specific logistics such as the location of the designated smoking area, evacuation assembly area, bathrooms and so forth. You will also want to review any site specific shift responsibilities as these may vary slightly from one host site to the next.

Be sure to sign in and out as you work your designated shifts; there is a volunteer log sheet in the registration area to record your information. This project is funded primarily by grants and funders want to know how many volunteers are involved as well as the number of volunteer hours provided. Take a few minutes when you arrive at the church to review the journal entries for the past few shifts as this will give you an idea of what has been happening the past few evenings. You may discover that a number of the guests have been experiencing cold symptoms which will remind you of the importance of good hand washing or encourage you to offer over the counter products before bed. The journal may also identify guests who need closer monitoring as their behavior is indicating they may need to be rotated into a local shelter instead of sleeping in the church setting. Review the log book and the daily roster as well because it will help you become familiar with the names, genders and needs of the individuals who are your guests for the evening. 3LOG BOOK EXAMPLE

Pre-screened guests will begin to arrived around 8:30 p.m. You will know theyve been screened at the local shelter as they should have a colored ticket in their possession. Check the date on the ticket to insure they are current with this screening. Most guests will arrive on a YMCA van but a few will have their own vehicles. If there are many guests and the host site is a great distance from the local shelters it may take through around 9:30 p.m. for all guests to be transported to the site. If there are multiple shelters sending guests or the roads are icy this will also slow down the transportation process. Warmly welcome the guests and learn their names which signifies acceptance and maintains their dignity.

This is the log book that must be filled out as guests arrive. Please fill it out completely and ask the site coordinators if you have any questions. The left side C/N/D/G/Y which represent the 5 local shelters which are Churches United, New Life, Dorothy Day, Gladys Ray and the YWCA. Put a check in the box which designates which shelter the guest came from. Enter the guests name and any relevant comments about them (i.e. illnesses to be aware of, whether they need a wake up call, etc.). Ask the guest if they arrived by bus and whether they will be riding the bus back in the morning then put a check mark in the box in the middle of the page to signify this. Some guests arrive by bus but walk to the Labor Ready employment agency or another work location in the morning. Put a check mark in the appropriate box to identify the guest as either male or female.

After the guest has selected their own bed for the night, he or she will tell you their bed number which should be entered into the right side of the log. Be sure to give the guest their colored ticket back at this time as they need to get into the local shelter for breakfast in the morning.

Providing a tour of the host site to the guests on Sunday evening is important so they can find the restrooms, know where the approved smoking area is and know where to assemble if the site needs to be evacuated. Throughout the week if anyone identifies it is their first night at this location they should be offered a tour so they dont need to fumble around and feel lost. Remember that some guests may have a desire to sit in the sanctuary to pray.

As previously indicated, this project is primarily grant funded so this data is critical and it is important for us to receive comprehensive information from the coordinator at the end of the week of hosting. This information helps us identify many different things including gender of guests, number of women experiencing homelessness and so forth. These statistics also are considered when looking at long term solutions to homelessness.

4SnacksConsider protein snacksBe food sensitive to cultural needssome do not eat pork Have a non-caffeinated alternative beverage

Protein based snacks such as meat, cheese, peanut butter, and hard boiled eggs are appreciated because they promote sleep. Because these individuals may not have access to dental care they may have problems with their teeth so soft foods are best.

There is a bin with two days of food supplies in case a winter blizzard forces guests and volunteers to stay in place. 5Quiet Hours Start at 10:30 pmGive them 30 minute alertDim lighting for safetyRounds every 30-60 minutesMost will sleep full nightSome night owls; night smokersUse host site journal for issues, unusual contacts, helpful hints for upcoming staff

The lights in the sleep area will be dimmed at 10:30 p.m. At 10:00 p.m. remind the guests that quiet time is approaching so they can clean up, smoke, and begin to settle in for the night. Remember that you are working with adults; some may go right to bed and others may not which is okay if they are not disturbing others.

There should be dim night lights in the sleeping area for safety. A volunteer will make rounds in this area every 30-60 minutes and make a brief note in the journal for any issues or unusual contacts. Making a note of helpful hints for upcoming staff is also appreciated.

6Morning RoutineLights come on at 6:00 am so they can pack and put linens awayA small snack (fruit, hardboiled egg, coffee, cocoa, coffee) can be offered) A larger/portable snack is nice for those going to work

Some guests may start getting up around 4 a.m. to go to jobs or to the day labor agencies. Those heading directly to work will appreciate a portable snack which may serve as both their breakfast and lunch.

Guests get up around 6:00 a.m. which gives them time to pack up their belongings, pick up their linen, and have a light snack or some coffee before the bus arrives. Make sure that clean, unused linens are put back in the clean linen cart. Washing linens is one of our two major project costs. We pay by the pound and do not want to wash clean linens.

Have all of the guests sign out in the log book as they leave because you want to make sure everyone has been transported and that no one remains in the host site. The bus typically arrives around 7 a.m. to start transporting guests back to the local shelters. Remember that the bus will not roll if no travel is advised within the city limits so watch the weather. If the roads are icy and there are many guests to transport it can take about 1 hours for all guests to clear the host site. If there are any problems with the bus service call the bus transportation director whose number is listed in the coordinator binder in the registration area. 7Building RelationshipsPractice non-judgementBe respectfulConfidential Appropriate conversations amongst other volunteersCulturally appropriateLong term homelessness has a culture of its ownDemonstrate your faith through service

Establishing an accepting and welcoming relationship with the guests is one of the most important things you will do as a volunteer with this project. Be respectful and maintain confidences. Do not talk about the guests outside of the shelter and recognize that they have shared their story with you with trust that you will maintain their privacy. Maintain professional boundaries and for safety the volunteers should work in pairs. Keep an eye out for your peer volunteers and never be alone with a guest.

We demonstrate our faith through our service. If a guest asks us to pray with or for them we do so. Be interested and curious as guests share their story without being invasive or interrogating.

People who are homeless have their own culture which may include bartering, gruff language and what appears to be tall tales; open your hearts/mind to a new point of view. Their view and experience of the world can be dramatically different than yours.

Here is an example of one guest weve met through sheltering:We met Ellen one Saturday evening in a church host site. She sat trembling on her mattress. When a kind volunteer talked with her she disclosed that her boyfriend had threatened her life. In the past, when he became violent shed spend a few days at her mothers home but her mother died a few months ago so she had nowhere to go. She arrived on a bus from Minneapolis with a 21 inch suitcase filled with neatly folded clothes. As she spoke it was apparent she was intelligent and employable. For all practical purposes she appeared to be on a business trip. She trembled as she disclosed shed left behind a good job, had never been homeless before and she was scared. Because the volunteers were kind and she openly shared that night, she learned of a job opening. On Monday morning she headed directly to the local business, applied and was offered the position. Within a week she was able to move into a low cost hotel until she found an apartment. The volunteers provided her with loving support which restored her hope. There are many Ellens amongst the homeless. Good people who just need a second chance. Some have made mistakes or bad decisions which contributed to their homelessness but many have not. They simply came out of difficult circumstance of poverty, low education levels or other factors which make life challenging. 8Respond to Challenging Behavior

When someone is escalating their speech is rapid and the tone of their voice is loud. They may take an aggressive stance, finger point, make intense eye contact, or stand face-to-face in close proximity.

Challenging behavior is any behavior that makes you uncomfortable or that puts you or others at risk. Please use the pdf resource document to be prepared for handing this behavior. If the guest has anxiety they probably will let you know that they are winding up and they will tell you what has/has not worked for them in the past. You may observe they pacing or they may be talking at a rapid pace. Listening calmly and respecting their personal space often is enough to help these individuals settle down. Even if the individual does calm down please give the administrator on call a ring to brief them on the situation. They will evaluate the case more thoroughly the following day to determine whether the individual needs medical assessment or to be housed in a local shelter rather than returning to the host site the next evening.

On the other hand, a person who is angry or aggressive can be unpredictable. They may point their finger, have intense eye contact and try to tower over you in close proximity. Give them a wide berth, put distance between yourself and them as they could strike out to hit you. Be calm and alert another volunteer to come to the area. If possible take a relaxed pose with your arms at your side and give them simple directions using a calm, low tone. Please sit down over there. Calm down or leave. Any guest who leaves the church during the night is not allowed to return that evening.

One of the volunteers should call the on-call shelter administrator right away to discuss aggressive guests. These shelter staff are experts at assessing the level of risk. Most often they will know whether this guest is de-escalating (calming down) or whether other precautions are needed. If a guest refuses to calm down, is escalating or has been physical, call 9-1-1 immediately to ask law enforcement for assistance. Local police officers have extensive training with agitated individuals. For your safety and the safety of everyone in the host site allow the officers to handle these situations.

Here is an example of escalation:We encountered Ben at a host site last winter. When Paul arrived from another local shelter he starting pushing and taunting him. Within a few minutes several male guests came to assist Paul while other male guests lined up behind Ben. Smart, trained volunteers recognized a situation that had the possibility of progressing to an outright fight between multiple guests and called the police. Ben spit in the officers face and relayed that he had a bone to pick with Paul which had started downtown earlier in the day. Recognizing that these two guests needed to be separated the officer escorted Ben to one of the local shelters. The volunteers were relieved that the rest of the night was quiet and relayed the situation to the administrator on call to insure these two men were not both sent to the host site the following evening. 9

Handling EmergenciesChest painBlue lipsPale/sweaty skin & unable to rouseShallow or difficult, labored breathingSeizure Prolonged loss of consciousness, Vomiting blood

Fire or the smell of smoke with an unknown source

Call 9-1-1

Most of the medical needs that arise are non-emergent issues. Guests experience headaches, nausea, heart burn, rashes, and toothaches. There are first aid kits and over the counter medications in the supply totes to respond to these needs. Encourage guests to tell the nurses in the shelters in the morning if they have needed assistance as these nurses can help the guests get appointments at the Homeless Health Clinic.

Occasionally a guest has a more urgent situation that will require a visit to the Emergency Room. For example, a guest slipped coming down the church stairs. As their ankle began to swell the volunteer was uncertain as to whether the guest had a sprain or a break. Call the administrator on call who will authorize a taxi voucher to transport the guest to the ER. The guest should take their personal belongings with them when they leave the shelter.

Obviously if a guest is in distress you will call 9-1-1 so EMTs can assess and transport the guest by ambulance. An individual who is sweaty and difficult to rouse may have a low blood sugar, if you can wake them up you can offer some orange juice or soda through a straw. Someone who passes out in front of you may have fainted due to low blood sugar; pregnant young women are especially prone to this. However, if the person does not awaken quickly you should err on the side of caution and call 9-1-1 as it may be a cardiac event.

If you smell smoke and the source is unknown or you see fire, get all of the guests and volunteers outside to the assembly area. One of the volunteers should grab the binder with the volunteer and guest rosters while exiting the building so you can quickly do a roll call to insure everyone is out safely. If someone is missing, DO NOT re-enter the building but alert the fireman of this as soon as they are on the scene.

10SafetyHave guests handle own linen and personal articlesAlways wear gloves when handling dirty linen or wiping up spills Be aware of needle stick or punctures from sharps Make sure sharps containers are available

All body fluids of guests and volunteers are potentially hazardous. Always have the guests pick up their own linen to put it in the dirty linen cart. This reduces the risk of you coming in contact with urine, diarrhea or a sharp object mixed within the linens. If someone vomits, bleeds or leaves some other body fluid on the floor or another surface put on gloves, use a paper towel to wipe up the liquid then place the paper towel and your gloves inside a Ziploc bag before disposing in the garbage can. There is a spray bottle with a bleach solution that should be used to wipe off hard surfaces but do not spray this solution on cloth or carpeted areas as it will damage those surfaces.

There is a red sharps container amongst the supplies. Any needles or other sharp objects (i.e. razor blades) should be discarded in this container.

If you are accidently punctured wash the area with soap and water. Go to the local emergency room to let them know you were punctured so they can follow the established protocol to test and treat your exposure. 11Total Expenses for one season

It costs about $25,000 per season to offer this sheltering or about $5 per person per night.

Laundry about $10-12,000Transportation about $10-12,0000Trac phoneSupplies(meds, food, paper)Taxi for emergenciesCopiesAdministrative costs

We are grateful for the grant funding and for generous donors who support this Church Sheltering. It costs about $5 per night to provide a warm safe place for these guests. Our biggest expenses relate to washing the linens and transporting the guests from the shelter to the host site.

Although this sheltering keeps people safe, it is not a home. To improve long term stability for these individuals we need to work together to increase access to affordable housing. 12WE need changeCongregations set goals to:Increase availability of affordable housingProvide direct support such as mentoring for those who are homelessEngage by offering activities that bring members together with those in this situation

Weve made progress in these areas:Coordinated assessmentMitigation fundsAffordable housing units

Local congregations have now set their sites on coming up with solutions to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness. They are supporting efforts to increase the number of affordable housing units. Some volunteers are mentoring those who are homeless in important life skills such as budgeting. Other congregations have increased the number of volunteers who go to the local shelters to serve meals, help grow gardens and assist children with homework. All of these are important efforts which build community and prepare individuals to move out of shelters and into apartments.

The community has also made progress over the last 5 years. Coordinated assessment insures there is no wrong door to accessing housing or other resources for which they are eligible. In the past, an individual had to go from agency to agency putting in multiple applications and paying fees at each agency. Today any agency can collect the individuals personal information then identify their eligibility to expedite referrals. Individuals who go through a divorce commonly experience financial difficulties. In the past a poor credit rating made a person ineligible to rent an apartment. Today a mitigation fund provides assurance that if someone defaults on their rent or damages a unit the landlord will be compensated. This insurance increases the landlords willingness to give 2nd chances to families who have had financial problems in the past.Growth is evident in all corners of our community. Fortunately a number of the apartments being built were designed for individuals with low to moderate income. These units which are managed by the housing authorities, local shelters or other agencies accept vouchers. As a result several hundred families have been or will be able to move into a place they can call their home.

13ContactsThe most comprehensive information about this project and about homelessness is available through the FM Coalition for Homeless Persons at http://www.fmhomeless.org/ Call lists are in the binder at the registration tableQuestions or concerns about the program can be directed to:Lois Ustanko at (701) 234-5818 or lois.ustanko@sanfordhealth.orgLaurie Baker at (701) 200-0855 or director@fmcoalition.onmicrosoft.comSue Koesterman at (701) 232-2574 or pastorsue@elim-lutheran.org

The FM Coalition for Homeless Persons is an invaluable resource for information about homelessness in general and about the FM Sheltering Churches project. You can sign up at this site to volunteer for any shifts in any location throughout the sheltering season. Documents related to the project are also posted at this site. Keep both the host site coordinator and the shelter administrator on-call informed of unusual or problematic situations that came up during your shift. Call the bus coordinator if there are any transportation or driver issues. The host site coordinator should call the laundry if there are needs or issues with the bedding. All of these telephone numbers are in the binder at the registration tale. Lois Ustanko, Laurie Baker, and Sue Koesterman provide oversight for the project, the host site coordinators and the volunteers. Contact one of these ladies with any questions, concerns or suggestions related to the FM Winter Church Sheltering project.

Thank you, again, for your willingness to assist with this project and for your openness to becoming a supporter of the longer term efforts to reduce homelessness in our community.

Note: Documents we should think about posting at this site include but are not limited to a list of churches involved in the project (just an alphabetical list). Telephone lists for the program planners, host site coordinators, linen, bus and other aspects of the project. Our volunteer and coordinator manuals. Samples of some of the paperwork (i.e. statistics form for coordinators, resident and volunteer log). The FACTS handout and a handout related to maintaining personal safety while de-escalating a situation.

In the future we may want to develop segmented on-line modules for initial education.

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