Volunteer Procedures
(Central Pres)

 

Bashor Homeless Men’s Night Shelter

At Central Presbyterian Church

 

Volunteer Procedures

 

Overnight Volunteers

Wear comfortable clothes, bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and any toiletries you might need. Before you arrive at the Bashor Homeless Men’s Night Shelter, ask Sue Briss (text at 678-570-3262) or Kathy Masters (text at 470-270-9231) for the code for the alley and sidewalk gates. The street crew person should open the sidewalk gate and close it by 7:15 pm after all guests are in. The driveway gate will automatically close at 7:15 pm.

If anyone needs to leave out of the alley when the gate is shut, simply drive up to the STOP HERE line and the gate should automatically open.

                       

6:00 pm Arrive at Bashor Homeless Men’s Night Shelter. Ring the outside doorbell and the Street Crew person or Trainer will let you in. If you park in the Central Presbyterian alleyway, you must not block access to the dumpster.

  • NO SMOKING is allowed in the shelter by anyone at any time. And no food is to be given out ever to people coming to the door.

  • NO WEAPONS are allowed by anyone.

  • The Street Crew person will let in the Clean-Up Crew to lay out mats. Other duties of the Clean-Up Crew:

o   The Clean-Up Crew will make the coffee in the large pot. Use a large packet of coffee (or 2/3 of a 39 oz. can). Fill the water to 80 cups. Plug in and turn on.

o   The Clean-Up Crew will replenish the sugar and creamer jars and salt and pepper shakers.

o   The Clean-Up Crew will set up the tables and chairs for dinner. Volunteers are welcome to help them.

o   Replenish the bathrooms and showers: toilet paper, soap, shampoo, razors, shaving cream, deodorant.

o   On Tuesdays bring the blue recycling container downstairs.

The Clean-Up Crew will wash all of the towels, including the kitchen towels. 

·                 

  • The Trainer will make you aware of the location of the fire extinguisher and emergency exits and will explain the job of Overnight volunteer to you.

    • Familiarize yourself with the Volunteer Register for the evening. Fill in the names of the overnight volunteers, as well as the group who brings the food.

    • When it is time to check in the guests, the Street Crew may ask for the assistance of a volunteer.

    • Set the door alarms at the 3 o’clock position

    • Elect or appoint a Captain of the overnight volunteers. Decide on stay-awake shifts for the night.

 

7:00 pm The Street Crew person will admit the guests. Station a volunteer at the door to welcome the guests and to help him/her with any problems.

  • Note the Clean-Up Crew members (maximum of 4). Note any special wake-up times and where that guest will be sleeping.

  • Do not admit any guest before his name is recorded.

 

7:15 pm The Street Crew person will close the shelter for the night. No guest is to be admitted after 7:15 pm for any reason. Do not answer the outside bell which rings in the kitchen, until you know that volunteers are arriving late or that sandwiches are being delivered on the first Monday of the month.

  • All guests are to eat at the tables. No one is allowed to eat on their mat unless the Street Crew person has given them permission.

  • Ask the Guests for a volunteer to ask the blessing. Be sure and eat a dinner yourselves.

After Dinner, leave extra food on the pass-through. The Clean-Up Crew will put away the food.

·        Be sure all ovens are OFF!

·        After the last of the Food Volunteers leave, lock the elevator so no one can leave from the fourth floor except by the stairs. Guests should not leave the shelter after dinner. Please record their names if they do.

 

Showers: Each guest may take a shower.  One of the Clean-Up Crew usually monitors the showers. They also wash the towels following the showers. NOTE: Much as we’d like, we cannot wash the guests’ clothes.

 

8:30 pm Lights out, except the TV viewing area near the elevator.

  • If not prepared already, prepare bagged lunches using sandwiches from the freezers upstairs and items we keep to add in. Please make an extra bag for each member of the Clean-up Crew.

 

11:00 pm Turn off the TV. If there is a game on, wait until it is over. The overnight volunteers may want to leave the TV on all night with the sound turned off. 

 

______am Volunteer Shift Change

______am Volunteer Shift Change

 

______am Special wake-up time for a Guest who needs to leave early

 

______am Special wake-up time for a Guest who needs to leave early

 

5:00 am Lights on

  • Unlock the 4th floor elevator and station a volunteer or two on the first floor in the lobby. As each Guest exits the elevator on the first floor, hand him a breakfast/lunch bag. Once a Guest exits the elevator, do not allow him to go back upstairs. No personal items of the Guests may be left at the shelter during the day.

  • A shower is available in the volunteer suite, if you need to shower before work

 

6:00 am All Guests, except the Clean-up Crew, should be gone.

  • Supervise Clean-Up Crew: Maximum of 4 inside. Mats put away, floor mopped, bathrooms and showers cleaned, dining area cleaned and tables and chairs put away, trash taken out. Once outside, cigarette butts picked up around the church. Give lunch to Clean-up Crew as they leave.

  • Volunteers must leave the kitchen and volunteer suite upstairs clean.

 

6:30 am Close all windows, Turn off all lights. Lock all doors except kitchen and main door (see next item)

  • Here’s the trick to getting out of the locked building! Leave the 4th floor elevator door in the “on” position (the lock outside the elevator), but lock the 1st floor elevator door (turn the lock outside the elevator to the “down” position) with the door open. Get on the elevator and go back to the 4th floor. Then put the Shelter keys on the key holders in the kitchen, lock the kitchen and main doors behind you as you leave, get on the elevator, and exit the building. (If you forget to leave the keys, bring them back TODAY!). 

  • Sometime later in the day, please call shelter director Cathal Doyle to report any problems. Or GREAT things that have happened! See phone numbers below.

 

IMPORTANT ITEMS

  • Excused absences: any guest requesting an excused absence needs to tell the Street Crew person so it gets into the computer system. Overnight volunteers can no longer write notes–e.g. “M. Brown will be out tomorrow and back the next night.” The Street Crew and Trainers will be sure the Guests know this.

  • Late arrivals: Unless it is documented and the Street Crew or Trainer tells you, NO ONE MAY COME IN LATE!

  • Keys: PLEASE be sure the keys are placed back on the board!

 

PHONE NUMBERS

  • Emergency: 911 Your location is Central Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington St., corner of Washington St. and MLK, 4th floor.

  • Shelter Directors

    • Cathal Doyle (678) 330-4589

    • Jessie Bashor (404) 291-3865

  • Overnight Volunteer Coordinator

    • Sue Briss (678) 570-3262

  • Food Coordinator

    • Kathy Masters (470) 270-9231

    • Molly Roberts (404) 580-7044

  • Trainer Coordinator

    • Colleen O’Rourke (404) 606-2086

  • Services for Homeless Friends

    • Gateway Center (404) 215-6600

    • Central Outreach and Advocacy Center (404) 659-7119

 

DIRECTIONS

Central Presbyterian Church

201 Washington Ave. 

Atlanta, GA 30303

 

Follow the general directions to Central Presbyterian Church at this link. Instead of turning/staying on Washington Ave., turn left onto/stay on MLK, Jr. Dr. Immediately be in the far left lane and drive VERY SLOWLY to the alley between Central Presbyterian and the Catholic Shrine. 

Gate Across the Alley and Sidewalk. If the gates are closed, and you have not been given the code, please call or text Sue Briss (678) 570-3262 or Kathy Masters (470) 270-9231 for the code. NOTE: NEVER block the dumpster! And please do not park on the yellow portion of the alley, or the gate will not close. 

Food Volunteers: You are welcome to park in the alley as you are dropping off food. 

Overnight Volunteers: There is very limited parking in the alley, and you must NOT block access to the dumpster. If the parking is unavailable, please park in the Underground Parking Lot on the corner of MLK and Central Ave. We apologize, but there is a parking fee of approximately $20 per night. We do not recommend parking on the street.

The Shrine parking lot is also an option, but be sure you have the contact information for an overnight volunteer there, so that you can retrieve your car in the morning before they lock the gates upon leaving.

 

SHELTER ENTRANCE

Located at the back of Central Presbyterian Church. Go up to the steps from the alley to the glass doors. If no one is there to let you in, ring the doorbell to the left of the doors. Once inside, turn left to the elevator and take it to the 4th floor. 

 

 

Directions

Central Presbyterian Church
201 Washington Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30303 

Follow the general directions to Central Presbyterian Church at the following link. https://plus.google.com/102764791917985902539/about?showBlocked=true 

GATE ACROSS THE ALLEY AND SIDEWALK

There is a gate that spans the alley and sidewalk on the Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. side of Central Presbyterian Church. If it is closed when you arrive, use the code to open either gate. If you do not know the code, please call or text one of the coordinators listed below. NOTE: Do not park on the yellow portion of the alley; the gate will not close.

 

FOOD VOLUNTEER PARKING

Anyone bringing food items to the Central location should enter the alley behind the church, off of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. You may remain parked in the alley while you are at the shelter. Be sure to NEVER BLOCK THE DUMPSTERS. Two car lengths of clearance is needed for the dumpsters to be emptied, which can occur at any time of day or night.

 

OVERNIGHT VOLUNTEER PARKING

There is very limited parking in the alley accessed from Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Please park on the street if you don't find a space in the alleyway when you first arrive. You can then move the car to the alleyway once all the food volunteers leave. You can always park at Underground Parking, but the fee is $20 a night. Be sure to NEVER BLOCK THE DUMPSTERS. Two car lengths of clearance is needed for the dumpsters to be emptied, which can occur at any time of day or night.

The Shrine parking lot is also an option, if space is available. If you park at the Shrine, be sure the overnight volunteers staffing the Shrine know your car is there, and that they wait for you to retrieve your car in the morning before they lock the gate to the street.

 

SHELTER ENTRANCE

Located at the back of Central Presbyterian Church. Go up the steps from the alley to the glass doors. If no one is there to let you in, ring the doorbell to the left of the doors. Once inside, turn left to the elevator and take it to the 4th floor.

 

COORDINATORS

  • Cathal Doyle (Street Crew): Cell: 678-330-4589

  • Jessie Bashor (Shelter Director): 404 291-3865

  • Sue Briss (Overnight Coordinator): 678-570-3262

  • Kathyrn Masters (Food Coordinator): 470-270-9231