The second week of the Cold Weather Shelter was hosted by Waynesboro Mennonite Church on Monroe Street in Waynesboro. The dining tables were set with white tablecloths and delicious food cooked from scratch was served each night.
WARM Staff works hard to foster a sense of community & family for our guests, as this is something very new to many of them. Many times, building relationships with our guests allows us to work more efficiently to help them receive desperately needed services & support. The Cold Weather Shelter has a schedule of daily activities to help foster a sense of normality and continuity. Monday nights are “family meeting” nights, where Pastor Lee Reid leads a prayer/praise/discussion time. He goes over how things went the week before and discusses items that need the group’s attention. Tuesdays are movie nights, where a variety of movies & snacks are enjoyed by the group. Wednesdays are the church’s choice of activities. Thursday nights are for special presentations, such as employment services, vocational rehab, Valley Community Services Board, etc. Friday nights are BINGO nights, with small gift card prizes to local food establishments & stores. Saturday activities vary widely according to need & availabilities. One thing scheduled twice in December is a Clothing Ministry visit, to ensure our guests are dressed as warmly as possible. One more important activity scheduled once per month, is a visit from Augusta Health’s Homeless Healthcare Initiative.
Each guest (or couple) receives a private intake meeting, where questions regarding transportation, employment, medical issues and/or medications we need to be aware of, income, insurance, allergies, disabilities, veteran status, and more. All answers are voluntary, and the answers are utilized to assist our guests in obtaining appropriate services. If they choose, guests names are also added to the By-Name-List that The Valley Homeless Connection uses to house the homeless as quickly and efficiently as possible, with all area organizations working together.
At each intake appointment, guests are given a packet that explains how our program works, along with a few basic rules, and a weekly schedule. All of this is to help guests feel as comfortable with our program as quickly as possible.
See the Week 2 video on Facebook.