Blanket Blessings/ Homeless outreach

Hey guys, here's an update from Deborah Barnes.  We're looking to recruit some volunteers, please read the following post prayerfully and help out if you feel led.  You can contact Deborah or me.  Love you guys!

Jason

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED  (lots of info tonight)

There have been so many blessings since Thanksgiving it is amazing! I will have a donation update report coming out the first week of January and a new website for Blanket Blessing and Laundry Love is being designed. God has truly blessed our endeavors to help our destitute and homeless friends. I have been sending out periodical cameos or vignettes of situations along the way to keep you informed about the Divine Appointments that happen. I appreciate all your prayers too. I am very grateful for those who have come alongside in these efforts that God has shown us.

Here are the needs for this week: 28 Dec to 3 January

If you can assist in any way, please email me with Blanket Blessing Volunteer in the subject line

A) BLANKET BLESSING blankets arrive Monday 28 Dec 09

1)     Help is needed Monday(tomorrow) at 12 noon to get ready to receive the blankets within the hours of 12-2pm. This would be at my townhouse on Pedregosa and we would need to move some items around in the garage, stack and clothing donations for Wed, cut blankets off the pallets and stack in the area designated, count them in and number them. Est time 2 to 2.5 hours.

2)     Cut donated large blue tarps in ½. This can be done in your home, in groups, etc and are going to be needed soon. Group or individual task. Scissors will be needed. Tarps can be picked up from Pedregosa St. Estimated Time: As you desire

B) Cook for Wed 30^th Dec Pershing Park Feed

This Wednesday is the 5^th Wed of the month. Jeff has set up volunteers for once a month cooking for each month but there are usually 4 weeks, not five. So we have a holiday schedule(regular vols are out of town) and an extra week that needs covering….here is what is needed:

a)     Cook a main dish or a side dish in an aluminum disposable pan (Smart & Final) so no dishes or pots and pans need be returned this way.

b)     Bring it to Pershing Park (corner of Castillo and Cabrillo across from public pools) at 5:15pm at Band Shell.

c)      Stay and serve or just drop it by.

d)     Servers are needed to help too 5:15pm for 1-1.5 hours

e)     Can be cooked or delivered to Westside Community Center on Wed afternoon for others to take to the park if you cannot join us

(I will have many more details on Monday when Jeff returns)

C)    Distribution of Blankets and Tarps & donated Clothing to those needing items. Set up will be 5:15pm, pls bring flash lights and dress warmly. Pershing Park   Est Time: 2 hours

D)    PRAYER Ministery to the street friends & others who come  (pray over illness, safety, peace and for those serving as well as for those in need and as you feel lead)  we seek people to get to know these friends by name, what their needs are, see if they are ill, need prayer or sometimes just listen. They need to be heard.We have met some amazing people on the streets

E)    NEW NEED!  Warming Shelters (WS) Vols- these shelters are put together by Dr J and her outreach for the homeless. WS’s are for the street friends when the temperature drops below 35 degrees and is either windy or raining. This is to prevent more deaths like those we have seen (22 in Ventura and 28 in SB) These locations are voluntary churches or other buildings needed to open for emergency purposes and only need a room to allow them to sleep and a toilet. Dr J or other officials stay and they are asking for others to come alongside.

           Shifts are at check-in from 8pm to 10pm, 10pm to 12am, and overnight-12am to 7 or 8am (or you can stay from the first shift through the night) allowing 6 to 7 hours of sleep. The 2 we have run this winter have been amazingly peaceful. The guests immediately sleep at 8pm and are most grateful and are gone between 7 or 8am. We make sure all items are taken with them. That is it! Very simple. Volunteers are needed on short notice in bad weather only and available by phone. Those who have been visiting the 2 Warming Shelters we have had are amazed and want to come back. So we need rotation volunteers. People would sign up for a certain week in the month through winter. We are quite blessed that our winters are short and these WS’s are only needed for a few months at most.

G) TRAINING SESSION   In early January I will be holding a training session for interested people to learn more about serving the homeless, to over-come fears, and to gain awareness from the officials and those who have served a long time. My guest trainers will be Dr J, Jeff Shafer, and perhaps Ken Williams.

I am currently searching for a place to hold the training session (just like home group). If you are willing to host it in your home, kindly contact me soon so we can set the date soon.

This is an exciting week! Much growth and many blessings to bestow. Please contact me by email with Blanket Blessing Vol and let me know of the area in which you can come alongside us. (FYI the usual amount of time is 2 to 2.5 hours for Wed in the parks, but any portion is welcome)

Thank you & bless you