MEAL SERVICE & MEAL FRIEND

Number of People: 1-3 per meal          

Time Commitment: 1.5 hours

Frequency Needed:  Lunch & Dinner, 7 days a week.  You may choose to do a single meal or join us weekly or monthly.

Time of Day: Lunch 11:15-12:30 PM, Dinner 4:15-5:30 PM

What you will be doing:  Our staff can cook and serve every meal.  We are looking for people that love to serve people and connect with them. Our clients just need authentic friends.  When serving a meal, you may:

·        Arrive 15 minutes before the stated mealtime.

·        Help with last minute meal prep and room set up.

·        Wear appropriate health gear (gloves and hair nets and closed toed shoes)

·        Politely interact with guests as they come through the food line and fill their plates with food.

·        As the line dies down, you are encouraged to join our clients at the meal table and interact with them.

·        Help with minimum clean up, as necessary.

Meal Friend’s simply come in and eat a meal with us and interact with clients.  No agenda other than to use the meal as an excuse to interact and love on people.

ADOPT A MEAL

Number of People: 1 – 20  (Typically small groups combine talents and resources to cook a meal for approximately 100 people.)

Time Commitment: 1 hour in serving the meal, 2 plus hours (depending on your choice of menu) to prepare the meal.

Frequency Needed: Friday, Saturday and Sunday are our greatest needs, but we serve meals 3 times a day, 7 days a week and we want to connect with your availability. 

            You can commit to a one-time opportunity or ideally you would commit to one meal each month.   (Example…the 1st Saturday evening meal of every month.)  Serving the meal can be optional.  You are welcome to stay and serve our clients, but feel free simply to drop off your meals as well.

Time of Day: Meals happen daily:  Breakfast 7-8, Lunch 11:30-12:30, Dinner 4:30 – 5:30.

What you will be doing:

·        Plan your menu – You do not need approval from us.  You will be preparing food for 100 people.  While you may bring whatever you want, do not feel obligated to overcook.  Our daily menu consists of one main dish, one side dish and dessert.  You may bring more.  We encourage a healthy diet for our clients.

·        Buy food and prepare the meal – You may cook offsite and bring the meal fully prepared OR you may bring your food here and use our facilities.

·        Arrive early with plenty of time to cook and serve each meal.  We try to serve our clients in a timely manner.

·        Serve the meal. (Optional) Our staff will be here to give guidance and serve alongside you. 

·        As you are comfortable, we encourage you to eat with and engage the clients in authentic conversation. 

·        Help with clean up as available.

HOLIDAY & SPECIAL OCCASION COOKING

Number of People: 1 – 20  (Typically small groups combine talents and resources to cook a meal for 75 people.)

Time Commitment: 1 hour in serving the meal, 2 plus hours (depending on your choice of menu) to prepare the meal.

Frequency Needed: Easter Breakfast, Christmas Breakfast, Christmas Dinner, Thanksgiving Christmas Eve Breakfast, New Year’s Eve…. other special occasions. 

Time of Day: Meals happen daily:  Breakfast 7-8, Lunch 11:30-12:30, Dinner 4:30 – 5:30

What you will be doing:

·        Plan your menu – You do not need approval from us.  You will be preparing food for 100 people.  While you may bring whatever you want, do not feel obligated to overcook.  Our daily menu consists of one main dish, one side dish and dessert.  You may bring more or less.  We encourage a healthy diet for our clients.

·        Buy food and prepare the meal – You may cook offsite and bring the meal fully prepared OR you may bring your food here and use our facilities.

·        Arrive early with plenty of time to cook and serve each meal.  We try to serve our clients in a timely manner.

·        Serve the meal.  Our staff will be here to give guidance and serve alongside you

• Fill to go boxes at the end of the meal to hand out to the community.

·        As you are comfortable, we encourage you to eat with and engage our clients in authentic conversation. 

·        Help with clean up as you are available.

CHILD CARE

Number of People: 1 – 3

Time Commitment: 2 hours

Frequency Needed: We will offer childcare any time you have available. Please check in advance to see if we currently have children to serve.

Time of Day:  We currently offer morning, afternoon and evening time slots for childcare. This enables our clients to job hunt, search for housing, take a nap and simply get a break.

What will I do: 

·        Hang out with kids – We typically have a variety of ages living with us.

·        We have an outdoor playground available when weather permits.

·        We have a children’s playroom available.

·        You may bring games, crafts, books (all of which are available here as well.)

·        May include changing diapers and caring for babies.

PARTY EVENING

Number of People: 2-20             

Time Commitment: 1-2 hours   

Frequency Needed: One time only, weekly, or monthly

Time of Day:  Evenings

What will I do:  Help our clients get a break from their routine.  Provide and evening of fun, food, and fellowship with no agenda other than having fun.  Through this you will have opportunity to build relationships and invest in people.  This can include, but is not limited to:

• Bingo Night

• Movie Night

• Bunko

• Board Games

• Karaoke

• Arts and Crafts

• Snacks of your choice (not necessary but can enhance the party.)  We will provide paperware/cups. 

• Prizes – Use discretion

CHRISTMAS CLIENT ADOPTION

Name:  Christmas Client Adoption

Number of People: 75 people adopting 1 client each (or any combination)

Time Commitment:  One day shopping and delivering presents

Frequency Needed: Once yearly at Christmas

Time of Day: Gifts to be dropped off by Dec. 22 at the latest

What you will be doing:

• Once you fill out the form (by clicking the button below), we will put you on our list of adopters.

• Choose the number of clients you would like to “adopt.” We suggest a $50-$75 range in gift spending per person. We suggest 3 presents total as our clients have limited space while living here.

• In December we will provide pertinent information about the person you are adopting. (We wait until December because of the transient nature of our clients and we don’t know who will be here over Christmas.) Try to make your gifts relatively generic so that in case of changes in clientele we can assign you to a different person with similar age and gender.

• Shop for, purchase and wrap present for your adoptee/s. Keep the size of your gift in mind, each client has limited space while staying with us. We’ll suggest one article of clothing/outerwear, one personal care item, and something fun (toys, books, earphones, cards, games, etc.)

• Drop those presents off at the shelter by December 22nd with names on gifts for your adoptee/s.

PAINT CLASS

Number of People: 2-20

Time Commitment: up to 3 hours

Frequency Needed: Depends on your schedule

Time of Day: Usually evenings or weekends

What you will be doing:

• Host an art class for our residents!

• The age group could range from children to adults

• We are open to many different types of art classes, this is not limited to painting!

• For whatever type of art class you host, you will need to provide all the art materials. This could include things like paint, brushes, clay, etc.

FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST

(Not for people seeking required service hours)

Number of People: 1 for each shift

Time Commitment:  3 hour shift - (Must email atalie@interfaithshelter.com to apply)

Frequency Needed: weekly, biweekly or monthly (but must be an ongoing commitment).

Time of Day: 9 am - 12 pm. 1pm - 4 pm. 6 pm - 9 pm (We can also accommodate your schedule.)

What you will be doing:  We would love to have your smiling face at our front door greeting people and answering phones so that our attendants may serve our clients better.  Your job will look different each day but may include:

-         Answer the front door as doorbell rings, discern who may enter

-         Station yourself at the front desk, gain knowledge of JIS workings

-         Greet people with warmth, caring and a smile

-         Answer phones and direct to the appropriate staff

-         Help Clients make and receive phone calls

-         Receive donations (being aware of needs and non-needs)

-         Write receipts for cash/check donations

-         Organize and deliver JIS mail to appropriate offices

-         Greet and give direction to volunteer groups

-         Respond to calls about potential clients with proper information about who we do and do not accept.

- We realize you are volunteers, and are happy to work with your schedule if the designated time slots do not work for you.

PANTRY & STORAGE ROOM ORGANIZER

Number of People: Minimum 1, Maximum 3

Time Commitment:  2 hours      

Frequency Needed: Once monthly (though you need not commit to more than one at a time).

Time of Day: Optional as fits your schedule (but not during mealtimes).

What you will be doing:

·        Checking expiration dates on food, rotating older food to front of shelves

·        Food inventory – check amounts of food and help us track what we have

·        Organize walk in freezer – Look for older, systematically store food and inventory

·        Check dates on bread and dessert pantry and inventory

·        Fold and organize clothing pantry

DINNER CHURCH

Number of People: 10-15 (from a church)

Time Commitment:  2 hours      

Frequency Needed:  Every Other Month

Time of Day:  4:15 - 6:30 pm

* This opportunity is for partner churches. (Individuals - see dinner church mentor above.)

The Vision:  The Jackson Interfaith Shelter seeks to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our clients with excellence and dignity.  Spiritual needs are met most effectively in the context of relationships.  We envision a small ministry team of 10-15 people coming from partner churches on Wednesday nights to do life with our clients for a couple hours every other month.  You will serve the evening meal as well as sit and eat with our clients for the first hour and then invite them to the resource room with you for church to follow.  2-3 of your lay ministry team can take our children to the kids’ room for childcare or kid’s church.  Your team will plan and implement a church service that will center on the grace, love and work of Jesus the Christ.  The service is the excuse for relationships to develop.  The dream is that through supernatural appointments provided by the Holy Spirit, you would connect with our clients in a way that leads to deeper interpersonal relationships that last beyond your initial encounter. 

·       Dinner church will be from 4:30 – 6:30 every Wednesday night. 

·       From 4:30 – 5:30 churches are encouraged to serve the evening meal and interact/eat with our clients over dinner.

·       We will start worship in music and preaching at 5:30 and go until (no later than) 6:30.

·       Church services must be Christian in orientation and practice and may include worship in music, personal testimony, communion, prayer, Bible based teaching/preaching, video clips, etc.  You will create your order of service with the elements that you choose.  (Should you choose to do communion, you will need to bring that with you.)

LEND A HAND

Number of People: 1-10

Time Commitment: Project based.  Start and finish your chosen project in a timely manner.

Frequency Needed:  As projects are identified.

Time of Day:  As fits your schedule.

What you will be doing:  The sky is the limit for these projects.  You tell us what you’re good at and we will match you up with current needs.  Bringing supplies with you to do the job is a bonus, but some projects we may be able to supply the materials. This can include but is not limited to:

• Adopt a room – We dream of every living space being uniquely decorated to provide a warm and comfortable atmosphere for our clients.  You would come and visit the space, develop a plan alongside our facilities supervisor, raise funds and purchase the needed materials and finally, transform the space with your gifts. 

• Painting – There are ongoing painting needs, both interior and exterior.  Our facilities supervisor can provide the paint and you provide the labor. 

  • You may also choose to stretch your blessing by purchasing the materials for your project.

• Plumbing, Electrician, Carpentry – Should you have these skills we will connect with your facilities supervisor to coordinate work as needs arise.

• Plants, Flowers, and Landscaping – Work with our facilities supervisor to keep our grounds looking fresh and inviting.  We would invite your donations of time and materials to makeover our facility.

  • Spring Planting

  • Fall Leaf Cleanup

  • Adding plants to our interior space