Volunteer Duties
Dinner Cooks
A list of families will be sent to the coordinator a week before move-in. This will list any food allergies or preferences. Meals should arrive to the church by 5:30. Label all returnable dishes with name and please pick up during the next week or by the next Sunday. Check with coordinator during the week about the food in the kitchen. Often there is an abundance of desserts, salad, dressings, and fruit.
6:00-8:00 PM Dinner Hosts
Receive food for evening meal and prepare dining room for dinner. Paper plates or real plates may be used. Some hosts prefer real plates and glasses to help guests feel more like they’re eating at home. Welcome guests to the church. If a new family is arriving, help show them to their room and get them acclimated to the space. Serve/Self-serve dinner to guests, buffet or family style. Please sit down with the guests and share the meal together. Clean up kitchen and dining area. Guests are encouraged to help with this. Refrigerate any leftovers or throw away food that is old or won’t be used. Put meals away for guests arriving late.
8:00 PM-6:30 AM Overnight Hosts
Bedtime/Curfew (10:00 PM)
Make sure that all guests are in the building unless guest has made pre-authorized arrangements with the director or case manager. These will be listed on profiles or communicated directly to the coordinator/Overnight Hosts. Offer assistance/back-up to parents as needed, for example: reading stories, helping kids settle down. This is especially helpful for single parents. Remind families of lunch supplies in the kitchen if they need to prepare lunches for the next day. Lights out at 11:00 PM. Make sure ALL outside doors are locked. Double check the fellowship hall outside doors—the lock bar may appear locked from the inside, but you may still be able to depress the handle outside. Make sure coffeepots and all other kitchen and electrical appliances have been turned off. If you have coffee drinkers, set up the coffee pot for the morning.
Morning Routine
It is the responsibility of the guests to set their alarm clocks and get themselves up in the morning. If you don’t hear/see anything from a guest room by about 6:40, gently knock to see if they are up. Often the van driver will do this. Make coffee. Set out breakfast foods. Family Promise van arrives a little before 7:00 AM during the week and at varied times on the weekends. Some guests may have to leave earlier or meet the school bus earlier. These times should be posted on the board in the kitchen. Turn off the coffee pot and other appliances before leaving. Return any keys to the drawer next to the stove. Close and lock the Family Promise entrance door.
Emergencies
Hosts should not drive guests to the hospital. If a guest has an emergency, he/she should call 911. There will also be a staff person from Family Promise on call each night. The emergency number should be posted on the board in the kitchen.