Winter Relief Shelter

St Bernadette's Winter Relief Shelter begins the week of Monday, November 18, and runs through Monday morning, November 25th. Our week of hosting individuals experiencing homelessness provides a tangible way of living our faith through numerous volunteer opportunities. There are many ways to be part of this week of service!

Signing up for Front Desk Staff, On-Call Drivers, and Shower Night Volunteers is taking place after each mass in the Gallery.

Preparing for our shelter week and hosting our guests would not be possible if not for the generosity and support of our parishioners. Contact Mike DaPonte at 410-703-4969 or mike.daponte@yahoo.com if you have any questions or want to be part of the planning team.

Front Desk Volunteers

Front Desk Volunteers ensure the safety, security, and comfort of our guests. Duties include assisting the site coordinator in carrying out the plan of the evening, dispensing prescription and over-the-counter medication, making sure a variety of snacks and beverages are available throughout the evening, and maintaining order in the hall. Evening shifts (4:30 to 11:30 pm) provide opportunities to interact with our guests before they turn in. (Saturday’s evening shift begins at 3:30 pm). Late shifts (11:30 pm to 7:00 am) are typically quiet and are ideal for volunteers who can telework (wifi available) or like to catch up on reading. Volunteers are needed all morning and afternoon Sunday. Volunteers must be 18 or older. Three per shift is ideal. To sign up to be a Front Desk Volunteer, click: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094da4a92ba3f94-front1

On Call Drivers

We need volunteers throughout the week of Nov 18-25 to serve as on-call drivers. Some of our guests have jobs, medical appointments, or other commitments in the Glen Burnie area and need a ride to their appointment or back to the parish hall. Generally, the need for a ride will occur between 5 and 11 pm, or 5 to 7 am Monday through Saturday. The need to provide transportation may occur anytime on Sunday (as our guests spend the entire day with us on Sunday). A primary and back up driver is needed each day. While this volunteer position is "as needed", its importance cannot be understated as front desk volunteers and shelter leaders have their hands full with managing other needs. Having a team of parishioners available who can help get a guest where they need to be is vital. To sign up to be an On Call Driver, click: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094da4a92ba3f94-oncall1

Shower Night

Showers are available for our guests Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to about 8:30 pm. Two drivers using their own vehicles are needed to shuttle guests (2-3 at a time) to the rear entrance to Spalding High School every 15 minutes. At least one male and one female volunteer chaperone is needed to keep things moving in the Spalding locker rooms. One additional volunteer is needed to escort guests between the parking lot and locker rooms. To sign up to help with Tuesday or Thursday shower night, click: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094da4a92ba3f94-shower1.

Preparing and Serving Meals

If you are interested in volunteering to prepare or serve meals, contact our meal coordinators: Lisa Bell (ruthierupe@yahoo.com) or Vicki DaPonte (vhoman@aol.com).

Donations

The Shelter Planning Team will solicit for donations beginning late October. As we did last year, we’ll ask for local grocery store gift cards so we can purchase food and supplies as needed throughout the week. We will use a donation board to solicit specific items toward the end of October. We’ll also ask solicit $5-$10 gift cards for Subway, McDonalds, Burger King, and other fast food restaurants for game and door prizes our guests.