WHAT IS THE INN?
The Inn is a temporary shelter for homeless women and their families.
  • One of only three emergency shelter providers in St. Louis County
The Inn serves about 200 families each year by providing:
  • Safe, clean housing for families and their possessions
  • Clothing and personal items if needed
  • Case management
  • Physical and mental health screenings
  • Life skills classes
  • Housing replacement assistance
  • A caring environment in which to regroup and begin again
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
The Inn is a ministry of Sisters of Divine Providence, a 501(c)(3) agency incorporated in Missouri
  • The “day site” for The Inn is located in Bridgeton
The Inn’s model is to partner with local congregations (“night sites”) to provide lodging, as well as evening and morning meals
  • There are about 60 night site partners
Most of these congregations participate one night each month
  • This allows many congregations to interact with homeless families and learn their stories
  • Some congregations take two nights per month
WHAT IS WCAG'S ROLE?
WCAG is a night site on the second Tuesday of each month
We host up to 10 people and provide:
  • Transportation from the The Inn site in Bridgeton to WCAG
  • Dinner that evening
  • Hospitality and fellowship during the evening
  • Warm and safe place to sleep for the night
  • Breakfast the next morning
  • Transportation from WCAG back to the day site in Bridgeton
WHAT COSTS ARE THERE?
On-going costs include food, transportation and laundering expenses
  • Volunteers provide the food and laundering expenses as their own personal ministry
    • WCAG church resources will be used for transportation
WHO IS SERVED BY THE INN?
All guests are homeless
  • About one half children
  • About one quarter single mothers of these children
  • About one quarter other single women
  • Very occasionally, other homeless persons
    • Married couples with or without children
    • Single men with children
  • Single homeless men do not participate, but are referred to other service agencies for men
All are very poor
  • Most have no job, no car, no health insurance, no family that can or will help them
Because The Inn is emergency/transitional only, guests usually stay with the program for around  45 to 60 days
MORE ABOUT THE CLIENTS
The maximum number of guests that WCAG will have at one time is ten
  • The Inn serves a maximum of twenty persons each night – split between two night sites
When will we know how many guests we will have?
  • The Inn will communicate to us by 3:00 p.m. how many we will have and their ages
  • This information will be forwarded to volunteers
Where will they eat and sleep?
  • Meals will be in CLC Dining Room
  • Lodging will be in the lower level Sunday School rooms, below the gym
WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE DAY
Adults work with social workers at the day site
  • Case management services
    • To help identify and correct the causes of their homelessness
  • Physical and mental health evaluations
  • Domestic abuse counseling
  • Debt management services
  • Telephone, computer, and Internet access
  • Transportation to/from appropriate agencies/services
  • Housing placement assistance
  • Shower, laundry, and kitchen facilities
School-age children are transported from the day site to school
Lunch is provided at the day site for adults and preschool children
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL STAY LOOK LIKE
5:00 p.m. Drivers pick up guests at day site in Bridgeton
6:00 p.m.  Arrival at WCAG
6:15 p.m.  Dinner
7:00 p.m.  Fellowship and activities
9:00 p.m.  Children in bed and quiet
10:00 p.m.  Adults in bed and lights out
5:20 a.m.  Lights on
5:45 a.m.  Breakfast
6:15 a.m.  Departure from WCAG
7:00 a.m.  Drivers drop off guests at day site
HOW CAN I SERVE?
Evening & Morning driver
Set-up beds and facility
Greeter / Host
Cook Dinner
Serve Dinner and Fellowship with guests
Innkeeper (stay overnight with families)
Provide Breakfast
Launder Linens
Clean-up
Donate Needed Items
DRIVERS
  • Drivers must be 21 years of age, have a current driver’s license.  There will be a short training session on how to operate the church shuttle and drivers must be pre-approved and authorized by WCAG.
  • Drivers must pick up guests at the Bridgeton Room at the Inn facility by 5:00pm (depart WCAG by 4:15)
  • Drivers will pick up a large plastic tote which contains a Med Pack and Information Binder.
  • Car seats will be provided for each parent with children under 8 years old, 80 lbs or less.  Parents are responsible for putting the child in the car seat.
  • Drivers are responsible for returning families to the Room at the Inn facility in Bridgeton by 7:00am the next morning (depart WCAG by 6:15 a.m.)
  • We would like to have one driver and possibly one other adult volunteer rider for each trip.
SET-UP
  • Tuesday morning/afternoon, before 5:00 p.m.
  • Remove resources from storage.
  • Move Back tables/stack chairs in sleeping rooms if needed
  • Set up mattresses
  • Make beds and lay out towels/toiletries
  • Check bath room facilities
  • Welcome guests as they arrive at WCAG
  • Show guests where they will play, sleep, bathe, restroom & eat
  • Explain evacuation plan in case of emergency
  • Escort guests to dinner
    • You may stay and eat with the guests if you choose
DINNER COOKS
  • Prepare dinner for up to 16-18 guests and volunteers
    • Cooking may be done at your home and brought to church by 5:45 p.m.
    • You may also use the church kitchen to prepare the meal
    • Dinners should include salad, protein dish, vegetable, and dessert
    • If you use the church kitchen, you are also responsible to clean up the kitchen when you are finished
    • Cooks can stay to help as a server if they choose
      • It is OK for cooks to simply drop off the meal they have prepared
BREAKFAST PROVIDERS
  • Provide breakfast for up to 12 guests and 2 volunteers
    • Breakfast can be fruit, juices, cereal, bagels, pastries, milk, which can be stored in kitchen refrigerator the night before
    • A hot breakfast is NOT required nor suggested – most guests eat a very light breakfast
    • Breakfast needs to be ready by 5:45 a.m.
    • You can bring breakfast on Wednesday morning, or drop it off on Tuesday night
SERVERS
  • Arrive around 5:00 p.m.
  • Set tables for dinner
  • Set out buffet line
  • Greet guests as they Arrive
  • Help serve and carry food for families with very small children
  • Wait tables and provide drinks, etc.
  • Sitting down to eat dinner with the guests is encouraged!
  • Clear tables, wash any dishes used, return food to storage containers
  • Set up tables for next morning’s breakfast
GREETER / HOST
  • Arrive at 5:30 to meet and have dinner with guests
  • Give tour of facility and show guests where they will be sleeping
  • Dine and Fellowship with the guests!
    • Games, playground, gym, conversation
      • Board games provided – or bring your own!
    • Children can utilize the gym & playground
    • Some adults have had a long difficult day, and prefer to simply read or have quiet time
    • Guest parents are responsible for care of their own children at all times
    • Showers are available if guests want them (there are also facilities at the day site)
    • Be aware that guests may want to retire early as they have to awake at 5:30am the next morning
  • Children are welcome to serve with parents as hosts!
    • Guest children often enjoy playing with host children
INNKEEPERS
  • Arrive by 7:30 p.m. (earlier if you like to fellowship with the guests)
  • Spend the night with the guests
  • Review the binder in the The InnI tote brought by the driver.  This will contain guest information and any important medical needs of the guests.
  • At 8:45 announce that children need to be in bed in 15 minutes and the last smoke break for the evening. 
  • At 9:45 announce lights out in 15 minutes  (lights out policy for adults is 10:00pm)
  • Set alarm for 5:15am
  • You do not need to sleep in the same room aS the guests, but they need to know where to find you in case of emergency.  You need a cell phone which is turned on during the night.
  • When the alarm goes off, turn on lights in the sleeping rooms and let the guests know what time it is.
  • Direct guests to remove all linens and place in a laundry bag
  • Unlock front doors for any volunteers who are arriving to serve breakfast
    • If breakfast was dropped off the night before, set it out
  • There is a Room at the Inn Night Site Coordinator available 24 hours a day.  The phone number will be provided.  If any kind of issue arises and you are unsure how to handle it, call Gina at any time.
LAUNDERERS
  • Pick up bed linens Wednesday, prefer in the morning.  May need to make arrangements as to the time.
  • Towels and linens should have been removed and gathered by guests
  • Launder all sheets, pillowcases, blankets,  towels and washcloths
  • Towels, linens, and blankets must be laundered after each use.
  • Return items to storage at WCAG within one week
CLEAN UP
  • Arrive Wednesday morning (may need to make time arrangements)
  • Clean up the dining area after breakfast
  • Return mattresses to storage
  • Return any games/toys to storage
  • Set up tables/chairs in Sunday School Rooms
  • Set up CLC Dining room for next class
  • Generally ensure facility is back in order once guests have left the building
  • Cleanup should only take 1 hour or so
MORE VOLUNTEER INFO
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How do I sign up? How will I know if I am needed?
  • Lynne Aldridge will maintain a serving schedule, and distribute it to volunteers.  You will also be emailed a reminder the week before you are scheduled to serve
If I sign up, do I have to serve every month?
  • No, How frequently you are called on to serve will depend on many volunteers sign up to participate.
  • You can volunteer as often or as little as you like
Will I ever be asked to serve at another night site?
  • No – each night site arranges its own volunteers
Can I invite non-WCAG people to participate?
  • Yes! However, recognize there will be a background check prior to their service
West County Assembly of God will process a background check on all adults working with the guests. 
IMPORTANT – ALL adult volunteers must sign a Room at the Inn Confidentiality Statement
SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY?
All guests are referrals from the Housing Resource Center, which screens for eligibility
Persons with severe untreated mental health, drug, and/or alcohol problems are not admitted
Guests sign a drug/alcohol-free statement at time of admission
Fighting, verbal aggression, possession of illegal drugs, alcohol, firearms or weapons, and continued argumentation are all ground for immediate dismissal from the program
Church doors remain locked overnight
If a guest’s behavior is not in line with expectations, the Night Site Coordinator should be called immediately