St. Cat's Volunteer

St. Catherine’s Shelter for Women is an overnight program shelter for homeless women. These clients stay at the shelter for 3 to 6 months, working through a case plan to reach their goals, gain permanent supportive housing, and ultimately achieve self-sufficiency. This 9-bed shelter provides private living quarters in the basement of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, in which clients can sleep nightly, are provided a small room, have access to a shared living room, laundry, bathrooms, and kitchen, and may leave personal items during the day. This Shelter serves women who are established in one of the following programs: CHATT Foundation’s 90-day job training program, VIP addiction recovery with Homeless Healthcare, and CHATT Foundation’s Permanent Supportive Housing.

Overall Goal: To assist with the shelter's overall functions, ensure a safe environment for all residents, staff, and volunteers, uphold trauma-informed practices, and supervise the residents overnight. 

Ideal Volunteers: Female volunteer(s) who are willing to stay overnight in the shelter and are interested in supporting homeless women. Volunteer

Nightly Tasks, Operations, and Schedule:

• Arrive at the shelter no later than 6 pm.
• Assisting staff with client intakes and orientations.
• Assisting residents by providing basic items, information, and attention.
• Perform headcounts, room checks, and open/close procedures.
• Ensure all residents are out of the shelter by 6:30 am.

Volunteer(s) are provided a private room with a private half bath. This room comes equipped with a twin bed, bed linens, pillows, and Wi-Fi access. Volunteers may also use the shared living room TV, and the shared kitchen’s fridge, microwave, dishwasher, and coffee maker.

Volunteers are also encouraged to interact with shelter residents. Using the shared living spaces, volunteers can connect with the residents and participate in activities like card games, dinners, movie nights, etc.