Board members, volunteers and staff introduce customers to PACEM while bagging groceries.
Thank you Charlottesville, for filling your grocery carts at Whole Foods on September 16th. Community Day at Whole Foods generated over $4,400 for PACEM’s homeless shelters, helping us provide “A Pillow for Every Head“.
We are grateful to Whole Foods Market for this opportunity.
Volunteers from Grace Covenant Church accompanied by Adriana Nicholson, Director of Community and Volunteer Relations (far right).
Volunteers bring the warmth of human companionship to our homeless guests. And, when the office work load is particularly heavy, volunteers assist PACEM’s small staff.
Our thanks to Grace Covenant Church, for assembling manuals for our volunteer orientation and for making t-shirts were used at Whole Foods 5% Day.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of PACEM’s community shelter system!
Channel 29 news ran a great story this evening about the wonderful students of Tandem Friends School, who are volunteering over their holiday break to host our PACEM men’s shelter this week. Click here to see the story:
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=9572579 (click on camera logo to see the video)
Tandem is the only “non-congregational” host that we have for our shelter program this winter, and the students there really go all-out (with generous support from their parents and teachers, led by the dynamic David Slezak). Thank you to all our friends at Tandem Friends!
Each host congregation is asked to consider providing two weeks of service to the homeless each winter.
During those weeks the congregation will be asked for the following:
1. A location where the beds can be set up all week long.
2. Congregation volunteers for those two weeks to:
a. Cook and serve meals at night or provide for this service through other means.
b. Prepare morning breakfast.
c. Provide two (2) persons to sleep in the shelter overnight with the professionally trained paid person(s)
d. Provide volunteers to talk with the folks in the evening, play cards, pray, watch TV with and befriend those participating in the shelter.
e. Pack lunches for those that sign up/request a bagged lunch. (This is to help those homeless who are employed and need to carry a lunch to work.)
3. Make a financial contribution for start-up money to purchase cots and sheets and to hire the professional night staff.
4. If your congregation’s facility is not available, consider renting a facility. (Private school, community center, etc.)
Contact Adriana Nicholson, our Guest Advocate/Volunteer Coordinator, at (434) 465-5093 or pacemga@aol.com if your congregation is interested in becoming a host organization.