Current Volunteers

Overnight Volunteers: Guest Registers

In a column on the guest register, guests now check either yes or no to let you know if they will or will not be eating breakfast. This will help you know how much to prepare and will also prevent the waste of food. Should guests forget to sign up and appear at the breakfast table with stomachs growling the Hallelujah Chorus (okay, you'd have to use your imagination), please remind them that they need to sign up for breakfast the night before, then provide them with leftovers, if any remain, or cereal, if not.

Volunteers: The Volunteer Door

Please remember always to lock the door to the volunteer office when it is unoccupied. While we've not had anything stolen from the office, we don't want to have a "first time" either. We don't want anyone to lost anything. Also, please remember to write in the logbook at the end of your shift. This helps both the staff and the volunteers who follow you know of special needs, situations, or problems.

Dinner Providers: Missing Pans

At home you might have noticed a pot or pan or even a casserole dish missing from your kitchen cabinet. Don't fret. If you check at Loaves and Fishes, you might find them there. So if you are missing kitchen items, please be sure to stop by or call Anita at 482-2099. Thank you for the wonderful dinners you prepare, and blessing to you for all that you do.

Volunteers: Logbook

Please help us serve our guests better by recording important information in the logbook. Often we find out through the guest grapevine that on a certain night a couple of the other guests weren’t getting along, or another came in seemingly under the influence, or yet another accused someone else of stealing their clothes.

Such problems, of course, seldom occur, and maybe that’s part of the problem—because our guests are usually so well behaved that when there is a problem, it may seem unimportant. But each problem is important, and we can’t help if don’t know what’s wrong.

So, please keep us informed—and the logbook is an easy way to do that.

Questions Frequently Asked by Guests (and their answers)
BED SWITCH– “Bill and I want to switch beds. Is that okay?”

“No. You need to get staff permission for that. Ask a staff member tomorrow morning.”

BELONGINGS (1)—(A current guest comes to you and says:) “I’m moving out tonight—can I leave my things here until tomorrow?”

“Yes. But you need to empty your locker and put all of your belongings in this plastic bag. The staff will keep it for you for 10 days only. Please call tomorrow and let a staff member know when you’ll be returning to pick up your belongings” (You can find large plastic bags in the bottom drawer of the silverware cabinet in the Gathering Space kitchen. Please attach a Belongings Label to the bag with the guest’s name and date and leave in the volunteer office.)

BELONGINGS (2)—(A former guest comes to the door and says:) “I stayed her last week, and I’ve come to pick up my belongings. Can you get them for me?”

“Sorry, I can’t do that for you. You need to come back between 10 AM and 5 PM during the day when the staff is here.”

BLANKETS—“I get cold at night. May I have another blanket?”

“Yes. (You can find extra blankets in the narrow storage closet next to the door to the volunteer office.)

CRIB—“I need a crib for my baby. Do you have one?”

“We don’t have a crib, but we have a padded play pen that should work.” (The play pen will be either in the small supply closet in the volunteer office or in the blanket closet immediately to the right as you exit the volunteer office. You may have to dig around to find it.)

FOOD (1) —“I’d like to bring my own food in. Is that okay.”

“No. To help keep the house clean, we ask you not to bring in any food. Besides, we’ll provide you with plenty of good food.”

FOOD (2) —“But I have allergies, so I need special foods—can’t I bring them in?”

“You’ll need to ask a staff person about that in the morning.”

GUEST PHONE NUMBER—“What number should my family call me here at the shelter?”

“The number of the guest phone is 482-6737.”

IRONING—“I need to iron a shirt. Do you have an iron and ironing board?”

“Yes. We do. (The iron is just inside the door to the volunteer office. The ironing board hangs from the back of the door that faces Sycamore St.)

KEYS—“Help. I lost the key to my locker.”

“Don’t worry. We have extras.” (The key rack with duplicate locker keys is in the small supply closet in the volunteer office. Please check the guest register to make sure you aren’t giving the guest the key to someone else’s locker.)

MAIL (1) —(A current guest asks: “Did I get any mail or phone calls today?”

“Check the bulletin board next to the guest phone. If you did, you will have a message pinned there.” (If a guest brings you a message saying he or she has mail or a phone message, it will be in the black box to the right of the volunteer desk.)

MAIL (2)—(A former guest comes to the door and says:) “I stayed here a couple of weeks ago. Do I have any mail?

“I don’t know. The staff keeps the mail locked up. You’ll need to call tomorrow and ask a staff member.”

MEDICINE (1) —“I have prescription medicines with me. Will you keep them for me?”

“No, I’m sorry but guests are responsible for their own medications. If you keep them in your locker, they will be safe.”

MEDICINE (2)—“My allergies [etc.] are bothering me. Do you have anything that might help?”

“Let me look. We may have something.” (You may dispense any of the over-the-counter meds that you find on the shelves in the small supply closet in the volunteer office.”

OPEN BED—“When I signed the guest register, I noticed that one of the beds is open, so can my friend come here?”

“I’m sorry but only a staff member is allowed to admit a new guest, so you need to ask the guest advocate tomorrow morning.”

POWER OUTAGE—“All the lights are out upstairs. Do you have any flashlights?”

“We have lanterns for each of you.” (Look on the top shelf in the small supply closet in the volunteer office.)

SICKNESS—“I’m sick and need to go to the hospital. Can you call a cab for me?

“What are your symptoms? (If the symptoms are potentially serious, such as chest pains or asthma attack, call 911 for an ambulance, then call the on-call staff person to let her know—the numbers are pinned to the cork board just above the desk in the volunteer office. If the symptoms aren’t obviously serious, leg cramps, for example, call the on-call staff person for advice. If the staff person okays the cab, call Capital Transport at 485-4400. We have an account with them. Our address is 831 N. Sycamore, the northwest corner of Oakland and N. Sycamore.)

STAFF PHONE NUMBERS – “I really need to talk to a staff member now. Will you give me a phone number to call?”

“No. Sorry. I can’t give those out.”

TAXI –“I just learned my mother was rushed to Sparrow. Can you call a cab for me?”

“Let me check with a staff person.” (Phone the on-call staff person for advice. If the staff person okays the cab, call Capital Transport at 485-4400. We have an account with them. Our address is 831 N. Sycamore, the northwest corner of Oakland and N. Sycamore.)

TEMPERATURE—“It’s way too hot (cold) in here? Can you adjust the temperature?”

“I can, but I’ll need to get the key to thermostat lock box.” (Key should be pinned to the cork board at the back of the volunteer desk.)

TOKENS (1)—“Can you give me some bus tokens?”

“No, a staff member gives them out in the morning.”

TOKENS (2) —“But I leave early for work. Can’t you give me two now?”

“I'm sorry, but the tokens are locked in the advocate's office. You will have to ask a staff person for them in the morning”

SNORING—“The guy in the bed above me snores like a buzz-saw. Can you do anything about that?”

“I can give you some ear plugs to use while you’re staying here.” (You will find earplugs in the shelves where the medicines are kept in the small closet in the volunteer office.)