Porchlight Men s Homeless Shelter Volunteer Information Contents What is Porchlight?... 3 What is Midvale Community Lutheran Church s connection to Porchlight?... 4 What volunteer opportunities are available?... 4 Saturday Evening Cooking (Overview)... 4 Saturday Evening Serving (Overview)... 4 Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving (Overview)... 4 More details about each volunteer opportunity... 5 Saturday Evening Cooking (More Details)... 5 Planning a Meal/Menu... 5 Determining Quantities... 5 Shopping for Ingredients... 6 Preparing the Meal... 6 Coordinating Transfer of Food... 7 Saturday Serving (More Details)... 7 Coordinating Transfer of Food... 7 Where is the shelter?... 8 Where should I park and enter the shelter?... 8 What is the kitchen at the shelter like?... 8 What do we do when we get there?... 9 What do the guests do?... 10 What do we do before we leave?... 10 What are the guests like?... 10 Sunday Morning Cooking (More Details)... 11 Planning a Meal/Menu... 11 Determining Quantities... 11 Shopping for Ingredients... 12 Preparing the Meal... 12
Where is the shelter?... 12 Where should I park and enter the shelter?... 12 What is the kitchen at the shelter like?... 13 What do we do when we get there?... 13 What do the guests do?... 14 What do we do before we leave?... 15 What are the guests like?... 15 Can I get reimbursed for grocery expenses?... 15 Who can sign up to volunteer for Porchlight?... 15 How do I sign up for a volunteer shift?... 16
What is Porchlight? The mission of Porchlight (http://porchlightinc.org/) is to decrease homelessness by providing shelter, housing, supportive services, and a sense of community in ways that empower residents and program participants to positively shape their lives. Porchlight provides emergency shelter, food, employment services, counseling, and affordable transitional and permanent housing to homeless people in the Dane County area. Porchlight s services are designed to foster independence and the transition into permanent housing and employment. Porchlight is the largest non-profit provider of affordable housing in Dane County and is comprised of an emergency shelter for men, and housing and services for men and women struggling with mental illness. Porchlight was created in 2004 by the merger of two well-established and successful non-profit providers of emergency shelter and low-cost housing in Dane County: Community Housing & Services, (CHAS) and Transitional Housing Inc (THI). Contact Information for the Porchlight Shelter at Grace Episcopal Church Karla Thennes, Executive Director of Porchlight Email: kthennes@porchlightinc.org Phone number: 608-257-2534 x14 Shelter at Grace Episcopal Church Address: 116 West Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703 Shelter phone number: (608) 255-2960
What is Midvale Community Lutheran Church s connection to Porchlight? Midvale Community Lutheran Church has been providing volunteers for the Porchlight Men s Homeless Shelter (located at Grace Episcopal Church, 116 West Washington Ave.) since its creation in 2004. There has been a homeless shelter at Grace Episcopal for many years, and prior to 2004, members of Midvale Church volunteered to cook and serve at the shelter (for over 30 years!). This emergency shelter operates with the support of over 50 volunteer organizations and 1,700 people, who provide 2 meals every day of the year to over 1,000 individuals over the course of the year. Midvale volunteers cook and serve on the first full weekend of each month - dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. These meals can serve between 40 and 140 men. What volunteer opportunities are available? Saturday Evening Cooking (Overview) The Saturday Evening Cooking volunteer shift involves planning a meal/menu, shopping for ingredients, preparing the meal and coordinating transfer of food to the Saturday Evening Servers or to Grace Episcopal Church. Meals can be prepared at any time, but if preparing a warm meal, the food needs to be warm when handed off to the servers or delivered to Grace Episcopal Church. There are two volunteer slots each month for Saturday Evening Cooking. Saturday Evening Serving (Overview) The Saturday Evening Serving volunteer shift involves coordinating transfer of food from the Saturday Evening Cooks, setting up in the kitchen at Grace Episcopal Church, and serving food to the Porchlight Shelter guests. Saturday Evening Servers should arrive at Grace Episcopal Church by 7:30pm (or as early as 7:00pm) to prepare for dinner service at 8:00pm. Servers can park in the Grace Episcopal Church alley/drive located on the southwest side of the building off W Washington Ave. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager will be available for questions/help. There are two volunteer slots each month for Saturday Evening Serving. Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving (Overview) The Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving volunteer shift involves planning a meal/menu, shopping for ingredients, preparing the meal (either ahead of time or at Grace Episcopal Church), setting up in the kitchen at Grace Episcopal Church, and serving food to the Porchlight Shelter guests. If preparing a warm meal, the food needs to be warm when brought to Grace Episcopal Church or cooked at Grace Episcopal Church. Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving volunteers should arrive at Grace Episcopal Church by 5:00/5:30am (depending on prep needed) to prepare for breakfast service at 6:00am. Servers can park in the Grace Episcopal Church alley/drive located on the southwest side of the building off W Washington Ave. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager will be available for questions/help. There are two volunteer slots each month for Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving.
More details about each volunteer opportunity Between each section (Saturday Evening Cooking, Saturday Evening Serving and Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving) some information is repeated so that a volunteer may read only the section that applies to their assigned shift. Saturday Evening Cooking (More Details) The Saturday Evening Cooking volunteer shift involves planning a meal/menu, shopping for ingredients, preparing the meal and coordinating transfer of food to the Saturday Evening Servers or to Grace Episcopal Church. Volunteers will receive a reminder email approximately one week before the assigned volunteer shift. The two Saturday Evening Cooks should discuss a menu, how much to prepare based on the expected numbers, and how to do the shopping and cooking. Meals can be prepared at any time, but if preparing a warm meal, the food needs to be warm when handed off to the servers or delivered to Grace Episcopal Church. The warming trays at Grace Episcopal will keep the food warm, but will not heat the food if brought cold. Planning a Meal/Menu Saturday Evening Cooking volunteers may choose whatever they would like to prepare for the Saturday evening meal. A typical menu consists of a meat/protein, side/grain, vegetable/fruit, dessert and beverage. Some suggestions for a main dish include: (some of which have meat/protein and grain, or meat and vegetable in one dish) Chili/white chicken chili Ham Beef stew Chicken and rice casserole Sub sandwiches BBQ chicken/pork Sloppy Joes Meatballs and spaghetti Mac and Cheese Tuna noodle casserole Some suggestions for other items include: Scalloped potatoes Mixed vegetables Tater tots Salad Bread/buns Cookies/bars Milk/juice Determining Quantities Planning the quantity of food can be a challenge. The shelter does not know ahead of time how many guests will be arriving for the dinner meal. The numbers can also vary according to the time of year and the weather. Typically, the warmer summer months have fewer guests (40-60) and the colder winter months have more guests (100-120, or more).
Volunteers will receive a reminder email approximately one week before the assigned volunteer date, including the expected number of guests for that time period. It is generally a good idea to plan for more rather than less so that there is enough food for all guests who do arrive. Leftover food will be used for a later meal. Estimates from Porchlight for quantities are: Main Dish: About 3 steam table trays for 70-90 guests, and about 4 steam table trays for 90-120 guests Beverage: 4 gallons for 70-90 guests Shopping for Ingredients Many volunteers shop at warehouse clubs (like Costco), Woodman s or Gordon s Food Service, but shopping can be done anywhere. It is preferred that generics or off-brand food items be used whenever possible, to keep costs low. Most food items are not taxed, but if you are purchasing items that are taxed (disposable pans, cups, etc.), items purchased for Porchlight or Midvale church are tax exempt. Tell the cashier that the transaction is tax exempt and you are shopping for Midvale Community Lutheran Church. The shelter will likely have items such as salad dressing, hot sauce or butter (no guarantees) but it is ok to bring more to replenish the stock. Preparing the Meal Shopping and meal prep can be done however the two cooks decide. Volunteers can use their own home kitchens or the Midvale church kitchen. The Midvale Church main door near the elevator is open 4:00pm - 6:00pm for Saturday worship. With advanced notice (before Friday of the week needed), the Fellowship Hall door can be set to open/close at a specified time. To check availability of the kitchen or to request access through the Fellowship Hall door, contact the Midvale church office at (608)238-7119 or info@midvalelutheran.org with date, start time and end time of usage. The Midvale church kitchen has cookware and utensils that can be used to prepare food. There are also warming trays that are compatible with those at Grace Episcopal and can be used to transport the prepared food. If any equipment from Midvale church is used, please be sure to wash, dry and put away any dishes you use. Also, be sure the servers are aware of any equipment that needs to be washed and returned to Midvale church. Prepared food can be delivered to Midvale church, a server s home, directly to Grace Episcopal Church or can be picked up by the servers at the cook s home. Some suggestions include: Divide ingredients and shopping as desired, both bring assigned ingredients and cook together in the Midvale church kitchen.
Both volunteers shop for and cook a half-batch of the same meal in their own home kitchens and both deliver prepped food as discussed with the servers. One volunteer cooks the main part of the meal in their own home kitchen and delivers the prepped food as discussed with the servers. The other person shops for and drops off other planned food items at Midvale church as discussed with the servers. Coordinating Transfer of Food Cooking and Serving volunteers may coordinate food transfer as they desire. If food will be dropped off and picked up at Midvale church, it is recommended that all food be labeled for Porchlight. The Midvale Church main door near the elevator is open 4:00pm - 6:00pm for Saturday worship. With advanced notice (before Friday of the week needed), the Fellowship Hall door can be set to open/close at a specified time. To check availability of the kitchen or to request access through the Fellowship Hall door, contact the Midvale church office at (608)238-7119 or info@midvalelutheran.org with date, start time and end time of usage. Some suggestions include: Bring the warm food to Midvale church, keep it warm until it is picked up by the servers. Coordinate drop off or pick up at volunteer s own homes. Drop off the prepared food at Grace Episcopal Church (this can be done as early as 7:00pm). Saturday Serving (More Details) The Saturday Evening Serving volunteer shift involves coordinating transfer of food from the Saturday Evening Cooks, setting up in the kitchen at Grace Episcopal Church, and serving food to the Porchlight Shelter guests. Saturday Evening Servers should arrive at Grace Episcopal Church by 7:30pm (or as early as 7:00pm) to prepare for dinner service at 8:00pm. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager will be available for questions/help. You will receive a reminder email approximately one week before your assigned volunteer shift. The two Saturday Evening Servers should discuss when to arrive at Grace Episcopal Church. The food needs to be warm when brought to Grace Episcopal Church. The warming trays at Grace Episcopal will keep the food warm but will not heat the food if brought cold. Coordinating Transfer of Food Cooking and Serving volunteers may coordinate food transfer as they desire. If food will be dropped off and picked up at Midvale church, it is recommended that all food be labeled for Porchlight. The Midvale Church main door near the elevator is open 4:00pm - 6:00pm for Saturday worship. With advanced notice (before Friday of the week needed), the Fellowship Hall door can be set to open/close at a specified time. To check availability of the kitchen or to request access through the Fellowship Hall door, contact the Midvale church office at (608)238-7119 or info@midvalelutheran.org with date, start time and end time of usage.
Some suggestions include: Bring the warm food to Midvale church, keep it warm until it is picked up by the servers. Coordinate drop off or pick up at volunteer s own homes. Drop off the prepared food at Grace Episcopal Church (this can be done as early as 7:00pm). Where is the shelter? The Porchlight Men s Homeless Shelter is located at 116 W Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703. Where should I park and enter the shelter? Servers can park in the Grace Episcopal Church alley/drive located on the southwest side of the building off W Washington Ave. The alley is well-lit. The alley has 2 parking spots that Porchlight volunteers can use (these spots have signs indicating that they are designated for coffee servers on Sunday mornings). Some volunteers choose to back into the driveway and park. The alley is too narrow to turn around in. Volunteers should enter the building using the door located on the southwest side of the building in the alley. This door opens right into the kitchen. Volunteers should ring the doorbell and the shelter shift manager will let you in. Shelter Entrance Driveway Shelter Entrance Driveway Parking Parking What is the kitchen at the shelter like? The kitchen at Grace Episcopal Church has a serving counter with 4 electric warming trays and tables set up for placement of other food items. Large bowls, platters and utensils are available for serving. Mixing bowls are located near the stairs to the shift manager office. Utensils (mixing spoons, whisk, tongs, serving utensils) are located in drawers under the stove.
There are electric griddles and pots and pans available for cooking as well. There is a gas stove with four burners, but no oven. There are three microwaves. There is no guarantee that equipment is in working order (some volunteers have found that none of the griddles work and choose to bring their own). There is lots of fridge space. There is a little space on either side of the stove for set up of electric griddles. The kitchen is separate from the eating/sleeping space that the guests use. Volunteers are not allowed to leave the kitchen, and a bathroom is not available for volunteers. There is no air conditioning in the kitchen, but there is a large fan for the warmer summer months. What do we do when we get there? After arriving at Grace Episcopal Church, volunteers should place warm food in the warming trays (there are four of them available). Volunteers should make sure they are on and warm (they should be ready to go when you arrive). Set up the remaining portion of the meal for service (salads, bread, desserts beverages, etc). Large serving bowls and platters are available to use for serving (these are good for bread, fruit, dessert, etc). Individual disposable plates and bowls are available at the shelter. These can be placed on the counter for easy serving. Check the refrigerators for any items that should be used up before opening a new container (e.g., salad dressing, croutons, butter, milk). Plastic gloves are worn by all servers. Hair nets are not required, but it could be nice to have long hair pulled back. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager oversees all that goes on and makes sure that all guests follow the rules. The shift manager can help figure out what to do and where to put things. The shift manager typically sits at the top of the stairs, outside the shift manager office to coordinate flow of guests. In the event that a volunteer is unable to be at the shelter at the assigned shift, there are other shelter volunteers present to help with cleanup and other tasks, who can also help with service. It s a good idea to touch base with the other volunteer in your assigned slot to coordinate arrival time. Food Set Up Suggestions Warm food (such as chili, meats, stew, casseroles, etc) can be served into individual plates or bowls directly from the warming trays as the guests come through the serving line. Salad can be set up in individual bowls on a table next to the main counter. Salad dressing and croutons (if available) can be added before service begins, with several bowls with different types of dressing, or it can be added as the guests go through the line. Bread can be put on a large platter for self-serve or can be handed out (depending on what else is being served, perhaps on individual plates). Dessert can be put on a large platter for self-service or can be handed out. Many volunteers put the dessert at the end of the serving line, near the dishwasher and the door to the sleeping area.
Beverages can be poured (either in cups the guests have grabbed on the way into the kitchen or disposable cups) as the guests come through the line. Many volunteers put the beverages at the end of the serving line, near the dishwasher and the door to the eating/sleeping area. Serving Food Food is served by the volunteers to each individual as they come through the line. Specific quantities are determined by the volunteers (for example, 1 bowl of soup, 1 piece of bread, 2 cookies, 1 glass of milk, etc). Extra non-perishable food (and some perishable food) is saved at the Porchlight shelter. In the event that there is a higher than expected number of guests and volunteers are short on food to serve, this saved food can be used. The Porchlight shift manager is a good resource for what to do in this situation. What do the guests do? The guests line up in the eating/sleeping space, which is separate from the kitchen. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager signals the guests when it is time to start dinner service (8:00pm). The guests come into the kitchen in groups of 5 at one time. They continue as small groups of 5 or have one-in one-out movement through the kitchen. The guests sanitize hands, grab a tray, cup and utensils. Then they come through the serving line. The guests eat in the eating/sleeping space separate from the kitchen. The Porchlight shift manager determines whether seconds are available and lets the guests know. Those interested come through the kitchen and serving line. When the guests are finished eating, they bring trays, cups and utensils back to kitchen to the counter next to the dishwasher, right inside the door to the eating/sleeping space. What do we do before we leave? Servers stay at the shelter until all guests present have eaten. Meal service takes 30-60 minutes, depending on how many guests are present for the meal. Package any leftover food and place in the refrigerator. Make sure all serving trays and remaining dishes are clean (usually the Porchlight Shelter shift manager or another shelter helper will assist with packaging of food and cleanup of dishes). If any equipment from Midvale church was used, be sure it has been washed and take it with you when you leave. Return any equipment to Midvale church as soon as possible and convenient. Sign the volunteer log before leaving. Porchlight uses the hours you volunteer to match federal grants and state funding requirements. Many times, Porchlight is required to provide a 50% match for grant funds and they use the hours volunteered at the shelter. What are the guests like? The guests of the shelter are all men. They are a variety of ages, races and demeanors. Many are thankful and appreciative of the servers and food.
Sunday Morning Cooking (More Details) The Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving volunteer shift involves planning a meal/menu, shopping for ingredients, preparing the meal (either ahead of time or at Grace Episcopal Church), setting up in the kitchen at Grace Episcopal Church, and serving food to the Porchlight Shelter guests. Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving volunteers should arrive at Grace Episcopal Church by 5:00/5:30am (depending on prep needed) to prepare for breakfast service at 6:00am. Because of the early start time, most volunteers choose to cook at Grace Episcopal Church. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager will be available for questions/help. You will receive a reminder email approximately one week before your assigned volunteer shift. The two Sunday Morning Cooks/Servers should discuss a menu, how much to prepare based on the expected numbers, how to do the shopping and cooking and when to arrive at Grace Episcopal Church. Meals can be prepared at any time, but the food needs to be either warm when brought to Grace Episcopal Church or cooked there. The warming trays at Grace Episcopal will keep the food warm, but will not heat the food if brought cold. Planning a Meal/Menu Sunday Morning Cooking/Serving volunteers may choose whatever they would like to prepare for the Sunday Morning Meal. A typical menu consists of a protein (eggs or meat), grain (potatoes, pancakes, oatmeal), fruit and beverage. Some suggestions for a main dish include: Pancakes Sausages Bacon Scrambled eggs Scramblers (eggs cooked with shredded potatoes, vegetables, meat) Oatmeal Hash browns Some suggestions for other items include: Fruit Milk Juice Granola bars Determining Quantities Planning the quantity of food can be a challenge. The shelter does not know ahead of time how many guests will be arriving for the dinner meal. The numbers can also vary according to the time of year and the weather. Typically, the warmer summer months have fewer guests (40-60) and the colder winter months have more guests (100-120, or more). Volunteers will receive a reminder email approximately one week before the assigned volunteer date, including the expected number of guests for that time period. It is generally a good idea to plan for more rather than less so that there is enough food for all guests who do arrive. Leftover food will be used. Estimates from Porchlight for quantities are:
Main Dish: About 3 steam table trays for 70-90 guests, and about 4 steam table trays for 90-120 guests Beverage: 4 gallons for 70-90 guests Shopping for Ingredients Many volunteers shop at warehouse clubs (like Costco), Woodman s or Gordon s Food Service, but shopping can be done anywhere. It is preferred that generics or off-brand food items be used whenever possible, to keep costs low. Most food items are not taxed, but if you are purchasing items that are taxed (disposable pans, cups, etc.), items purchased for Porchlight or Midvale church are tax exempt. Tell the cashier that the transaction is tax exempt and you are shopping for Midvale Community Lutheran Church. The shelter will likely have items such as cereal, syrup, butter, hot sauce and coffee (no guarantees) but it is ok to bring more to replenish the stock. Preparing the Meal Shopping and meal prep can be done however the two cooks/servers decide. Because of the early start time on Sunday morning, most volunteers choose to cook at Grace Episcopal Church. There are four warming trays available at Grace Episcopal Church. One suggestion is to divide ingredients and shopping as desired, both bring assigned ingredients and cook together in the Grace Episcopal Church kitchen. Food may be prepped before arriving at Grace Episcopal Church, for example, pancake batter can be brought pre-mixed, eggs can be brought already cracked and in a bowl. Where is the shelter? The Porchlight Men s Homeless Shelter is located at 116 W Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703. Where should I park and enter the shelter? Servers can park in the Grace Episcopal Church alley/drive located on the southwest side of the building off W Washington Ave. The alley is well-lit. See diagrams on the next page. The alley has 2 parking spots that Porchlight volunteers can use (these spots have signs indicating that they are designated for coffee servers on Sunday mornings). Some volunteers choose to back into the driveway and park. The alley is too narrow to turn around in. Volunteers should enter the building using the door located on the southwest side of the building in the alley. This door opens right into the kitchen. Volunteers should ring the doorbell and the shelter shift manager will let you in.
Shelter Entrance Driveway Shelter Entrance Driveway Parking Parking What is the kitchen at the shelter like? The kitchen at Grace Episcopal Church has a serving counter with 4 warming trays and tables set up for placement of other food items. Large bowls, platters and utensils are available for serving. Mixing bowls are located near the stairs to the shift manager office. Utensils (mixing spoons, whisk, tongs, serving utensils) are located in drawers under the stove. There are electric griddles and pots and pans available for cooking as well. There is an electric stove with four burners, but no oven. There are three microwaves. There is no guarantee that equipment is in working order (some volunteers have found that none of the griddles work and choose to bring their own). There is lots of fridge space. There is a little space on either side of the stove for set up of electric griddles. The kitchen is separate from the eating/sleeping space that the guests use. Volunteers are not allowed to leave the kitchen, and a bathroom is not available for volunteers. There is no air conditioning in the kitchen, but there is a large fan for the warmer summer months. What do we do when we get there? After arriving at Grace Episcopal Church, volunteers should place warm food in the warming trays (there are four of them available). Volunteers should make sure they are on and warm (they should be ready to go when you arrive). Set up and start cooking any food that you plan cook at Grace Episcopal. Cooked food can always be kept warm in the warming trays. Some volunteers prefer to have approximately 2/3 of the expected total food to be cooked and ready in the warming trays by the time breakfast service begins at 6:00am. Set up the remaining portion of the meal for service (fruit, cereal, granola bars, beverages, etc). Large serving bowls and platters are available to use for serving (these are good for fruit, granola bars, etc).
Individual disposable plates and bowls are available at the shelter. These can be placed on the counter for easy serving. Check the refrigerators for any items that should be used up before opening a new container (e.g., syrup, butter, milk, juice, coffee). Plastic gloves are worn by all servers. Hair nets are not required, but it could be nice to have long hair pulled back. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager oversees all that goes on and makes sure that all guests follow the rules. The shift manager can help figure out what to do and where to put things. The shift manager typically sits at the top of the stairs, outside the shift manager office to coordinate flow of guests. In the event that a volunteer is unable to be at the shelter at the assigned shift, there are other shelter volunteers present to help with cleanup and other tasks, who can also help with service. It s a good idea to touch base with the other volunteer in your assigned slot to coordinate arrival time. Food Set Up Suggestions Warm food (such as pancakes, sausages, bacon, eggs, scramblers, oatmeal, hash browns, etc) can be served into individual plates or bowls directly from the warming trays as the guests come through the serving line. Fruit can be set up in large serving bowls for self-service or it can be handed out. Many volunteers put the granola bars before the warming trays in the serving line. Granola bars can be put on a large platter for self-service or they can be handed out. Many volunteers put the granola bars before the warming trays in the serving line. Cereal can be put in a large serving bowl with a scoop. Volunteers may serve, or it can be self-serve. Many volunteers put the cereal at the end of the serving line, near the dishwasher and the door to the sleeping area, and also near the milk. Beverages can be poured (either in cups the guests have grabbed on the way into the kitchen or disposable cups) as the guests come through the line. Many volunteers put the beverages (including milk for cereal) at the end of the serving line, near the dishwasher and the door to the eating/sleeping area. Serving Food Food is served by the volunteers to each individual as they come through the line. Specific quantities are determined by the volunteers (for example, 2 pancakes, 2 sausages, 1 banana, 1 glass of juice, etc). Extra non-perishable food (and some perishable food) is saved at the Porchlight shelter. In the event that there is a higher than expected number of guests and volunteers are short on food to serve, this saved food can be used. The Porchlight shift manager is a good resource for what to do in this situation. What do the guests do? The guests line up in the eating/sleeping space, which is separate from the kitchen. The Porchlight Shelter shift manager signals the guests when it is time to start dinner service (8:00pm). The guests come into the kitchen in groups of 5 at one time. They continue as small groups of 5 or have one-in one-out movement through the kitchen.
The guests sanitize hands, grab a tray, cup and utensils. Then they come through the serving line. The guests eat in the eating/sleeping space separate from the kitchen. The Porchlight shift manager determines whether seconds are available and lets the guests know. Those interested come through the kitchen and serving line. When the guests are finished eating, they bring trays, cups and utensils back to kitchen to the counter next to the dishwasher, right inside the door to the eating/sleeping space. What do we do before we leave? Servers stay at the shelter until all guests present have eaten. Meal service takes 30-60 minutes, depending on how many guests are present for the meal. Package any leftover food and place in the refrigerator. Make sure all serving trays and remaining dishes are clean (usually the Porchlight Shelter shift manager or another shelter helper will assist with packaging of food and cleanup of dishes). If any equipment from Midvale church was used, be sure it has been washed and take it with you when you leave. Return any equipment to Midvale church as soon as possible and convenient. Sign the volunteer log before leaving. Porchlight uses the hours you volunteer to match federal grants and state funding requirements. Many times, Porchlight is required to provide a 50% match for grant funds and they use the hours volunteered at the shelter. What are the guests like? The guests of the shelter are all men. They are a variety of ages, races and demeanors. Many are thankful and appreciative of the servers and food. Can I get reimbursed for grocery expenses? The Social Ministry Committee has budgeted funds to reimburse for grocery expenses. If you would like to be reimbursed for the purchased food, please email the volunteer coordinator and include a copy (photo) of your receipt and your address. The volunteer coordinator will collect all receipts for the weekend and submit the form with receipts to the Midvale church office. Reimbursement checks are typically mailed directly to you within 2 weeks. Grocery expenses can be claimed as a charitable donation on personal taxes if not submitted for reimbursement. Who can sign up to volunteer for Porchlight? Anyone! You do not need to be a member of Midvale Church to sign up for a volunteer slot. Typically, there are 2 volunteers for each shift (2 for Saturday Cooking, 2 for Saturday Serving, and 2 for Sunday Cooking/Serving). Some volunteers prefer to have 3 people on a shift, and it is ok to bring along a friend or family member not signed up in a slot.
Individuals and families can sign up to volunteer. As an individual you will be paired with someone else for any of the volunteer positions. New volunteers are typically paired with "veteran" volunteers or may initially be added as a third volunteer to a shift. Some volunteers sign up for one Saturday shift or for both the Saturday cooking and serving shifts. Children may sign up with their families. The suggested age is around 10 years old, but younger children may attend at their parents discretion. How do I sign up for a volunteer shift? Sign up for any volunteer position by contacting Christina Kruse at ckmadison222@gmail.com. We truly value and appreciate all of our volunteers! Thanks for your interest in Porchlight!