Volunteers Needed to Help Run Faith-Based Warming Shelters This Weekend of Frigid Temps
News Brief by Cassy Benefield | FāVS News
UPDATE: Saturday, Jan. 13, 11 a.m.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse, 420 East Second Street, Moscow, Idaho, will transform their location into a warming shelter in the evenings for community members in need located in the Palouse region. They will be open nightly from Saturday, 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., through Wednesday, at 8 a.m, Jan. 17.
Anyone who wishes to volunteer to provide food or staff the facility can contact the Unitarian Universalist Church at 208-882-4328 or sign up for volunteer opportunities online.
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Friday, Jan. 12, 12 p.m.
Four faith-based warming shelters run by Jewels Helping Hands are looking for volunteers. These shelters housed in local churches use the help of local volunteers to assist the homeless as they come inside from the below freezing temperatures this weekend.
“This is a unique opportunity for us as a community to step up and help,” Christian McKinney, organizer of this faith-based warming shelter program with Jewels Helping Hands, said. “We need people basically willing to care with their time — willing to be there, an extra body, a compassionate presence.”
Current locations include:
- New Apostolic Church, 3923 N. Cedar St.
- Liberty Park United Methodist (509-535-5588), 1526 E. 11th Ave.
- Morning Star Baptist (509-534-4878), 3909 W. Rowan Ave. (available for Monday evening only)
- Knox Presbyterian Church (509-328-7540), 806 W. Knox Ave.
Each church location will only be able to house 12-20 people, with 15 likely to be the average.
Those who will be housed in the churches will come by referral only.
Volunteer duties will include assisting Jewels staff in keeping and maintaining a quiet, restful space for those who will be staying there, sometimes helping hand out meals or snacks, monitoring restrooms, basic clean up, etc.
Volunteers sign up for two-hour blocks and can sign up for several at a time to help run these shelters. Overnight volunteers are especially needed, McKinney said.
Use this link to access the sign ups. Volunteers will need to click another link on that page that will take them to a volunteer waiver form. Each Jewels-run warming shelter has its own tab.
“Sign up for as many slots as you want!” McKinney said.
If a church would like to help out in other ways, such as with meal assistance, or if they have any further questions, they can contact McKinney with ideas at 503-347-2407 or christian@slihc.org.
