Volunteer Opportunities

Individual Volunteers

Before we begin morning hospitality at Manna House at 8:00a.m., we gather for a brief prayer. To prepare for the day, including making job assignments, and to make time for prayer we ask volunteers to arrive at 7:45a.m. During the morning we also make time to talk with each other about our practice of hospitality. We encourage each other to share our experiences of offering hospitality, to examine how we may improve in our practice of hospitality, and to bring all that we have done to God in prayer.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

Mother Theresa

Ways to contribute

Morning hospitality at Manna House revolves around two main areas: the clothing room and the front porch/living room/dining room/backyard. A long-term volunteer guides the hospitality in each of the two areas. Other volunteers should rely upon the long-term volunteer for direction, and to answer any questions or to respond to problems that may arise. It is important for volunteers to work as a team that offers hospitality in ways consistent with the vision and practices of Manna House.

Opening Responsibilities

Please do not arrive at Manna House or seek to enter the house until 7:45am. Prior to that time those who have arrived early to begin the coffee and engage in other work seek time for reflection and prayer. When you arrive at 7:45am please seek out the person in charge for that day for work assignments. Also, please be ready to immediately join in some tasks necessary for opening. These typically include filling the sugar containers, setting out items necessary for serving coffee, preparing items in the clothing room, wiping off picnic tables in the backyard or setting up chairs in the front yard.

All volunteers gather for a short prayer at about 7:55am.

Socks and Hygiene

Persons offering socks and hygiene hospitality share the hygiene and clothing items (socks and shirts) with guests who are signed up to receive these items. Guests sign up for “Socks and Hygiene” with the person “working the list” who is also signing up and calling people for showers. For the sake of good order necessary for hospitality, no guest should be served who has not signed up and had their name called by the person working the list. Sometimes different hygiene items or other goods are shared on either Monday or Thursday. Additionally, shoes are given only to those on the shower list. Coats are given out in the winter once a week on Thursdays. Please respect these limitations. Although it is difficult to say “no” it is only in saying “no” to some needs that we are consistently able to say “yes” in meeting other needs. For the sake of the order needed to practice hospitality these limits are necessary.

Showers

On Mondays and Thursdays showers are offered for men and women. Guests sign-up for showers on the morning they will shower. Once a guest’s name has been called for the shower and he/she has been brought to the clothing room, other volunteers will assist the guest, giving him or her, a towel, wash cloth/face towel, razor, toothbrush, and assisting the guest in choosing clothes. Soap and shampoo are already in the showers. After guests shower and put on clean clothes, guests give us their dirty clothes. We launder these clothes and they are returned to the shelves of the clothing room to be used again.

The Sorting Room

There is also important work to be done in the “sorting room” which is at the back of the house. In this room donations are sorted and organized to be shared in the clothing room. Guests are not allowed in the sorting room. Shoes and coats are always stored in the clothing room.

CoffeE and Water Hospitality

Persons offering hospitality in the backyard area are responsible for serving coffee or other drinks. We strive to keep a steady supply of hot coffee ready for our guests, along with any other drinks we are serving (usually water). Persons working in this area of hospitality also need to attend to the sugar, creamer, and number of coffee cups to make sure there is a steady supply. We typically do not prepare or serve any food as this is not a type of hospitality we are equipped to provide during this time. We do, however, serve a meal on Mondays beginning at 5pm.

In addition to preparing the coffee and maintaining the needed sugar, creamer and coffee cups, volunteers should attend to keeping these areas clean by picking up cups, cleaning the table, mopping up any spills, and emptying trash cans when full. It is also important to supervise the bathroom located off of the dining room, making sure it remains clean, and that guests who use the bathroom are using it for legitimate purposes.

Most importantly, volunteers working in these areas should engage in conversation with guests, getting to know them as persons. Please do not congregate in the kitchen, but enter into the living room/dining room/front porch/backyard areas to interact with our guests.

Closing Down and Cleaning-up

At 10:15a.m., we begin to let our guests know that we will be closing soon by announcing “last call” for coffee. We ask our guests to begin leaving at 10:25a.m. so that we can close down and have time to reflect and pray before cleaning-up. By 10:30a.m. we seek to have all guests out of the house and/or the backyard. It is very important that all volunteers help to direct guests to prepare for closing, so ending conversations, games, haircuts, etc. should begin at 10:15am.

After we close, we turn to clean-up tasks: sweeping and mopping the living room and dining room, taking out trash, cleaning coffee pots, etc. We also clean the two bathrooms and the showers and sinks. Both bathrooms should also be mopped. Before leaving we need to make sure all windows are closed and locked, and all doors are locked.

Do's & Dont's

Do welcome each guest with dignity and grace.
Do engage in conversation with guests.
Do learn names and stories.
Do keep a sense of humor and a sense of compassion.
Do follow the leadership and direction of those experienced long-term volunteers running each area of hospitality.
Do ask questions.
Do be patient with yourself, with other volunteers and with guests.
Don’t give money if asked by a guest.
Don’t give rides to guests.
Don’t give out personal information such as phone number, address, etc. to guests.
Don’t lend your cell phone to guests.
Don’t use your cell phone unless absolutely necessary. Sitting playing games, searching the web, doing Facebook, etc. distract one from the practice of hospitality. If you must make a call or respond to a call do this in a room not frequented by guests.