Getting Involved in PACEM
How you can get involved with PACEM:
PACEM is a community-based program primarily supported through volunteer labor, donated space and donated funds. How you can support PACEM:
- As a Host Congregation (read below)
- As a Partner Congregation, Individual Volunteer or Group of Community Volunteers (read below)
- Through a tax-deductible Financial Contribution (Donate online or send contribution to PACEM, PO Box 14, Charlottesville, VA 22902)
If you would like to volunteer with PACEM, please contact: Adriana Nicholson, Director of Community and Volunteer Resources 434-465-5093, pacemga@aol.com
As a Host Congregation:
Each host congregation is asked to consider providing two(2) weeks of service to the homeless next winter. During those weeks the congregation will be asked for the following:
- A location where the beds can be set up all week long.
- Congregation volunteers for those two weeks to:
- Cook and serve meals at night or provide for this service through other means.
- Prepare morning breakfast.
- Provide one (1) or two (2) persons to sleep in the shelter overnight with the professionally trained paid person. These volunteers can sleep during the night.
- Provide volunteers to talk with the folks in the evening, play cards, pray, watch TV with and befriend those participating in the shelter.
- Pack lunches for those that request a bagged lunch. (This is to help those homeless who are employed and need to carry a lunch to work.)
3. To make a financial contribution to support the ongoing ministry of PACEM
If your congregation’s facility is not available, consider renting a facility. (Private school, community center, etc.)
As a Participating Congregation or Person:
If your congregation is unable to serve as a host site, consider volunteering to partner with another participating congregation to provide jointly the services listed above for two weeks per winter.
Make a financial contribution to support the ongoing ministry of PACEM.
*Donations to PACEM are tax deductible.*
Other ways people and congregations can get involved:
- Provide transportation for supplies
- Volunteer to staff the intake center
- Be a sponsor of guest setups: cot, pillow, and blanket
- Provide food for meals to host churches
- Provide general office assistance
- Be a prayer partner
- Provide meal prep team or team members
- Provide over night volunteer staff persons
Hours of operation:
5:00 PM – Central Location Intake Center opens
5:45 PM – 6:30 AM – Guests sheltered at Host Site:
- 11:00 PM – lights out
- 5:30 AM – wake up
- 6:30 AM – Guests leave Host Site for the day
WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE:
Every person who wishes to be a guest in the shelter reports to the central intake location to be screened for admission to the shelter that night. All persons who would be accepted by the Salvation Army will be referred to the Salvation Army. It is not the intent of the PACEM shelter to take participants who should be sheltered elsewhere. The professional staff will be working with the Salvation Army, the Mohr Center, and with other shelters.
The intake location is Holy Comforter Church (Oct 31 – Dec. 4, 2009). Intake will then move to the Haven at First and Market. Both sites are in close proximity to downtown Charlottesville. Intake begins at 5:00 PM.
Guests are transported to the Host site beginning at 5:30 PM.
At the congregation serving as the host for the week, the first thing offered to those who have been admitted for the night is dinner, prepared by volunteers.
Activities in the evening, involves volunteers until 9:00 at night. These activities could include playing cards, playing games, watching TV, prayer group, singing simple songs, spiritual activities or other positive experiences at the direction of the host congregation. ** Participation in activities by our guests is not mandated.
Lights are turned out at 11:00. The trained paid staff and the congregation volunteers help and remain for the night.
Morning wake-up is between 5:00 and 6:00 A.M. Overnight volunteers serve hot and/or cold breakfast. Other volunteers have bagged lunches for guests as they depart at 6:30 A.M. Lunch items are supplied through a partnership with the Emergency Food Bank.
The cots remain in the host congregation’s facility during the week. Turnover day is usually Saturday. On Saturday morning, volunteers take up the cots and then deliver them to the next host congregation by Saturday afternoon. Laundry services (blankets, sheets and pillow cases) are provided weekly through a partnership with the Albemarle Charlottesville Nelson Regional Jail.
For further information or to volunteer please contact: Adriana Nicholson, Director of Community and Volunteer Resources 434-465-5093, pacemga@aol.com