525 Hummel Avenue
Lemoyne, PA 17043
(717) 737-1100
www.familypromisehcr.org
A community response for homeless families.
Family Promise of Harrisburg Capital Region
Hospitality skills & job descriptions
I. Assistant Volunteer Leader – job includes coordinating with Volunteer Leader to coordinate a certain aspect of your congregation’s host week. Example of assistant leader’s tasks: van driving, activities, meals, overnights, volunteers, supplies, etc. Time required for these jobs depend on which role is chosen and how often the congregation hosts (typically 4 weeks/year).
II. Breakfast & lunch provider – job includes purchasing breakfast and/or lunch items the families can take with them during the hosting week. No meal preparation required – simply purchasing items such as bagels, cereal, fruit, lunch meat, granola bars, juice, milk, etc.
III. Day Center volunteer – job includes welcoming families, talking with them, and providing a friendly and welcoming environment. Play with the children if you enjoy that, or allow the guests to have personal family time. Assist guests with getting supplies out of the closet (i.e. toilet paper and soap). Answer phone calls, answer questions, and take messages from callers. Unlock the door at the beginning of shift and lock up if serving on the last shift. Ensure lights are turned off, air conditioner/heaters are turned off, and all computers are shut down. Other tasks may be completed while volunteering at the Day Center that greatly help the organization, such as database work, thank you letters, calling donors, assisting with mailings, and other administrative tasks. For more specific information, please see the “Administrative tasks” document. Volunteers can sign up for shifts on a regular basis or whenever they are free. Shifts are typically 2-3 hour blocks.
IV. Evening host – job includes greeting guests warmly, creating a welcoming and home-like environment, enjoying a meal with the families, working alongside the families to clean up, and then spending time together. This could be watching a movie, playing games, baking cookies, playing outside, or just talking. Families are free to spend time as they desire. Some families may want some privacy, so volunteers should be prepared to “just be there” if needed. The evening hosting shift is typically from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
V. Laundry – job includes laundering (at his/her own facility) blankets, comforters, sheets, and other linens guests used during the host week.
VI. Overnight host – job includes spending time with families in the evening (see “Evening host”) and then enforcing lights out if necessary. Volunteers sleep on air mattresses in their own space at the congregation, provide a wake-up call if necessary, set out breakfast, and help to ensure families leave on time in the morning. Overnight hosts should provide a friendly, comfortable environment. Overnight shift is typically from 8:30pm-7:00am.
VII. Set up/tear down – job includes helping with set up and/or tear-down of guest rooms at the beginning and/or end of hosting week. Time to set-up or tear-down typically takes 30 minutes-1 hour.
VIII. Van driving - job includes transporting guests to and from the Day Center and the congregation on Family Promise’s 15-passenger van. This is typically set up through the congregation’s leader. Driving typically takes 1 hour/run depending on how far the driver lives from the congregation and how far the congregation is from the Day Center.
IX. Volunteer Leader –job includes filling volunteer slots for host weeks, answering questions from volunteers, greeting guests each night, working with the Director to find out information about the families, reporting positives and negatives of the week, attending bi-monthly meetings with all Volunteer Leaders to go over policy changes and best practices, and writing thank you letters to volunteers after hosting week. Volunteer Leaders should have at least one co-leader and multiple Assistant leaders if possible. This will reduce burn-out and help leaders complete tasks more efficiently. This position’s hours depend heavily on the week. Volunteer Leaders serve many hours before, during, and after hosting week.
If you are interested in any of the positions above, please contact Lissette Gonzalez at 737-1100 or . Thank you!