Faith Family Hospitality Volunteer Guidelines
SET UP CREW Sept 2019
Arrive on Sunday at 1 PM. Set up should take approximately an hour.
Prepare guest rooms: fold up tables, stack chairs & move extra furniture to edge of each room.
Make the beds with plastic mattress covers, cloth mattress pads, sheets, pillows & blankets. Place stack of towels on table. Set out hangers on the clothes racks.
Make the room as comfortable as possible. Each room will have the following items: cot, towels and baggie with toothbrush and toothpaste for each guest, lamp, alarm clock, hangers, disinfectant wipes and Kleenex box.
Host Rooms (nursery and Goodness) are for use of Overnight Host volunteers. Set up SOJ’s own cots (in boxes marked SOJ) along with table lamps. Hosts bring their own bedding.
Place inserts into door windows in guest rooms and Overnight Host rooms for privacy. Use tape to secure the inserts.
Make sure bathrooms are clean and set out toiletry baskets: Baskets with soap, razors, deodorant, etc in Women’s and Men’s bathrooms, basket with soap, bath gel, shampoo, conditioner and shower items in the Family bathroom. Place plastic bath mats in front of shower in Family bathroom.
Foyer: To be enjoyed by all members of the families before and after dinner.
Set up 5 tables, chairs and highchairs as needed.Set out age appropriate toys and books in the Joy Classroom.
Record your volunteer hours in Volunteers Notebook. Thank You
DINNER PREPARERS Sept 2019
Responsible for providing the evening meal for our guests. You will receive a list of guests and ages prior to the week of hosting. The list will include any allergies, likes and dislikes. When planning meals, please remember to include the evening hosts (2) and yourself. If you have questions, contact the Dinner Coordinators, Mark and Marjorie Kramer (970) 690-9168 or Sally Schroder (970) 226-1865.
Plan to serve dinner at 6:30 PM. Make the guest meal at your home and bring prepared or cook at the church - the church will be open at 5 PM.
Make and wear a name tag, available in the Volunteers Notebook in the kitchen. Review guest names and schedule posted in the kitchen. Set aside dinners as requested for those who will be late.
Call everyone to dinner at 6:30 PM.
Wearing gloves, individually plate food per each guest’s wishes. You may enlist adult guests to help in plating dinner (wearing gloves). These FFH guidelines are to reduce the spread of infections.
Eat dinner with our guests and enjoy some fellowship time.
Together with our adult guests, thoroughly rinse, load and run the dishwasher or sanitizer, empty, dry the dishes and clean up the kitchen.
We have a sanitizer and dishwasher. The sanitizer is fast and instructions are posted on backsplash above the unit. Run one initial cycle to bring it up to temperature (~140). Rinse food from dishes then load and run. The soap is built-in (no need to add). It takes less than 5 minutes to run, but does not scrub or dry. Remove dishes (they'll be hot) and they can air dry on counter on the cloth pad.
Please take leftovers home. Feel free to leave after cleaning up and logging your hours and any concerns in the Volunteers Notebook in the kitchen. Thank You!
Notes and Information:
Please use the milk (chocolate & 2%) and juice provided in the refrigerator for dinner.
Everyone should wear gloves (provided) while preparing or serving food in the kitchen.
For safety reasons, children are not allowed in the kitchen.
Guest drug prescriptions may be placed in the upper locked corner cabinet to the left of the sink for the safety of the children and other guests. The key to this locked cabinet is in the Volunteers Notebook.
Cleaning supplies for spills are in the Janitor's closet near the office door. Use church key to open the door.
Guidelines for dinner:
Make certain all items are thoroughly cooked (e.g. chicken)
Simple meals are great, keep in mind that many of our guests are children.
Aim for nutritious meals including all the food groups. Vegetarian meals are fine.
Dessert is not always necessary. Many guests choose not to eat dessert so don’t expend extra time making homemade desserts. Spend your efforts on healthy parts of the meal.
Some suggested menus:
Chicken legs with rice-a-roni, celery & carrot sticks with ranch dip, fruit salad
Mac & cheese
Spaghetti pie
Pasta Bake
Spaghetti and meatballs
Potato bar, salad and dessert
Pizza (always popular!)
Slow-cooker BBQ chicken on buns
Baked ziti, salad and garlic bread
Pork chop casserole and salad
Lasagna, salad
Stuffed shells
Chicken casserole
Chili and cornbread
Ham and Cheese casserole
Tater Tot casserole
Pizza (always a favorite!)
EVENING HOST Sept 2019
Your main purpose is to open the church by 4:45PM and assist in making our guests feel welcome and at home at Spirit of Joy.
If you do not have a church key, please contact one of the SOJ Coordinators for the code to the lockbox outside Pastor’s door which contains a church key or to make other arrangements to get into the church. Please return the church key to the lockbox after opening the church. There is a church key in the Volunteers Notebook in the kitchen for your use during the evening.
Arrive at 4:45 pm and unlock the front doors (use key to lock bar in recessed/unlocked position).
Unlock the nursery and Goodness for the Overnight Hosts.
Wear a name tag, available in the Volunteers Notebook. Review guest names and the guests’ schedule posted in the kitchen.
Greet guests and unlock their rooms as they arrive between 5 – 6 PM.
Eat dinner with our guests and enjoy some fellowship time.
After dinner, either assist with clean up or (with parental permission) interact with the kids in Foyer while parents take part in the clean up.
When the overnight hosts arrive (8pm), introduce them to guests who are still in the common area. After that, you may leave.
Record your hours and any feedback in the Volunteers Notebook. Confirm that the church key is in the Volunteers Notebook. Thank You!
Notes & Information
Emergency numbers are posted in the kitchen by the phone, in the Volunteers Notebook in the kitchen and in each of the Overnight Hosts rooms (nursery and Goodness). Call the SOJ Coordinator (FFH tracphone 970-231-9037) with any problems or in an emergency call 911 first.
Guest drug prescriptions may be placed in the upper locked corner cabinet to the left of the sink for the safety of the children and other guests. The key to this locked cabinet is in the Volunteers Notebook.
For safety reasons, children are not allowed in the kitchen.
Adult guests and hosts should wear gloves when handling any food in the kitchen.
Always ask parents’ permission before offering food, activities or other things to their children.
DO NOT intercede with parents disciplining of children, unless it is life threatening. If you notice any behavior that you think is inappropriate, make a note of it in the Volunteers Notebook and the SOJ Coordinator will notify the FFH Program Director.
Your main responsibility is to show hospitality and interact with our guests as appropriate. Volunteers are not babysitters; parents are required to keep their children within ‘line of sight’ at all times.
Guests may use the ashtray on the patio out the locked south door across from the women’s bathroom, propped open with a stone, to smoke at night.
Fire extinguishers are in the Foyer to the right of the sanctuary doors, outside the Peace classroom and in the office. Each room has smoke detectors; CO detectors are in the hall.
OVERNIGHT HOSTS Sept 2019
Your primary responsibility is to assist the guests in turning in for the night and to be available in case of any night-time emergency. You may use the nursery or Goodness to sleep in. Please bring your own twin size sheets, pillow, comforter or sleeping bag, and alarm clock; cots are supplied.
Arrive at the church by 8:00 PM and let the Evening Hosts know you have arrived.
Wear a name tag, available in the Volunteers Notebook in the kitchen. Sign in and review guest names and schedule and check for any notes about late guests listed in the notebook.
Introduce yourself to any guests who are still up and enjoy spending time with them. If guests have gone to their rooms, do not disturb them; their rooms are their private spaces.
Quiet time begins at 10 PM. Turn off lights, lock all doors (verify that back doors are locked) and check that guests are settled in their rooms.
Your alarm should be set so you can have coffee made and breakfast/lunch items set out for guests by 6:00 AM. Remember food items that may be in the refrigerator.
Guests set their own alarms but if needed, knock on each door (no earlier than 6:30 AM) and make sure folks are awake and getting started.
Families are to leave SOJ by 7 AM all mornings except Saturday when they may leave at 9 AM
Check that the kitchen, bathrooms and foyer are clean; (guests should pick-up after themselves). Empty the coffee pot. Return breakfast & lunch items to the back kitchen counter.
Rinse breakfast dishes, load and run the sanitizer or dish washer. If you use the fast sanitizer, dry and stow the dishes. Clean up the kitchen as needed.
On Sunday morning, remind guests to strip and pile their bedding by their door.
Log hours in the Volunteers Notebook. Note any problems or concerns in the notebook.
Lock all guest rooms, host rooms and all outside doors using the church key found in the Volunteers Notebook. Verify that the church and prescription cabinet (see below) keys are placed back in the Volunteers Notebook.
Notes & Information
Emergency numbers are posted in the kitchen by the phone, in the Volunteers Notebook and in each of the Overnight Hosts rooms (nursery and Goodness). Call the SOJ Coordinators (tracphone 970-231-9037) with any problems or in an emergency call 911 first.
Guest drug prescriptions may be placed in the upper locked corner cabinet to the left of the sink for the safety of the children and other guests. The key to this locked cabinet is in the Volunteers Notebook.
For safety reasons, children are not allowed in the kitchen.
Adult guests and hosts should wear gloves when handling any food in the kitchen.
Always ask parents’ permission before offering food, activities or other things to their children.
DO NOT intercede with parents disciplining of children, unless it is life threatening. If you notice any behavior that you think is inappropriate, make a note of it in the Volunteers Notebook and the SOJ Coordinator will notify the FFH Program Director.
Your main responsibility is to show hospitality and interact with our guests as appropriate. Volunteers are not babysitters; parents are required to keep their children within ‘line of sight’ at all times.
Guests may use the ashtray on the patio out the locked south door across from the women’s bathroom, propped open with a stone, to smoke at night.
Fire extinguishers are in the Foyer to the right of the sanctuary doors, outside the Peace classroom and in the office. Each room has smoke detectors; CO detectors are in the hall.
TEAR DOWN CREW Sept 2019
Arrive at 7 AM on Sunday and finish by 8:00 AM.
Tear down the cots and wipe the vinyl mattresses, pack-n-play/cribs and cots with disinfectant wipes.
Load the cots into the FFH trailer along with any of the guests’ belongings that they would like moved to the next church in the trailer. Load all the cots and pads first. The trailer will be completely full.
Place SOJ’s Overnight Hosts cots in their storage boxes and return to first room of modular along with table lamps.
Gather the laundry. This includes all sheets, plastic mattress covers, mattress pads, pillow cases, pillow covers, towels, blankets, plastic bath mats, kitchen towels and washcloths. If possible, keep the sheet sets together. Place in the plastic bags labeled with the Laundry volunteers’ names. Put laundry bags in the office for pickup.
Place stripped pillows in large cloth bags. Place lamps, alarm clocks, hangers, disinfectant wipes, Kleenex boxes and inserts from door windows (6) in storage bins.
Put baskets with toiletries and hand soap dispensers (twist close the dispensers) from the bathrooms into storage bin along with the three hall night lights.
Put toys in storage bins.
Vacuum rooms. Move all furniture to its original position.
Clean bathrooms, kitchen and Foyer. Use the two blue buckets in the modular storage room with FFH cleaning supplies and gloves.
Store all FFH non-perishable foods and kitchen items in the cupboard labeled ‘FFH’ (bottom cabinet to the right of the coffee maker).
Gather perishable food items in box (Food Coordinators will handle disposal) and dispose of unusable food items such as open milk, etc. Clean counters.
Confirm that the kitchen, bathrooms and guest rooms are clean and tidy. Remove all FFH signage.
Store all supplies in first room of the modular.
Sign your name and log your time in the Volunteers Notebook. Note any problems or concerns in the notebook. Thank You!
LAUNDRY VOLUNTEERS Sept 2019
Please pickup dirty laundry bags labeled with your name in the church office.
Wash, dry and fold. Use hot or sanitize settings on your washer and dryer.
Return laundered items to the church office within a week. Thank You!
PRIMARY COORDINATOR Sept 2019
Put hosting dates on church calendar-check for conflicts during hosting weeks
Remain on call during host week to solve problems and make decisions
Act as liaison to FFH Steering Committee
Train volunteers
Create and maintain Volunteer Guidelines
Enlist and work with assistant coordinators
Six weeks to one month before hosting
Work with Publicity/Signage Coordinator to submit announcements about host week for newsletter, service bulletins and Foyer video display
Work with Web Page Coordinator on SignUp Genius volunteer recruitment. Assist with volunteer recruitment, scheduling and support.
One week before
Send the contact info for the next church in the rotation to the Tear Down Coordinator for delivery of the FFH trailer
Send to-do list to Nancy:
Divide Joy/Faithfulness room, adjust thermostat for foyer, nursery/office, south classrooms, Joy for Sunday.
Notify the custodian that we are hosting FFH during the week and that the guests will be in the building until 9 AM on Saturday morning (until 7 AM all other morning). Please have the bathrooms checked/cleaned each day.
Confirm that there is a sufficient supply of caffeinated coffee in kitchen.
Thursday before or As Soon As Available/Possible
Arrange for guest numbers and ages (kids & adults) to be sent to all coordinators and volunteers thru SignUpGenius including food preferences/allergies and any other pertinent guest information. Especially notify Set Up Coordinator so bedding can be organized.
Email the prior church’s coordinator to:
o Arrange delivery time of FFH trailer. Be at SOJ at the arranged time to receive the trailer.
o Get info on bed setup preferences-who wants cots, who wants mats on the floor, etc. Give this info to Set Up Coordinator.
o Info on number of guests eating breakfast, making lunches or food preferences.
Email the Breakfast-Lunch Coordinator(s) the guest number and ages (kids & adults) and any info from the previous church you get.
Set Up Sunday
Do a brief orientation with guests after dinner, going over SOJ’s FFH Guest Orientation Guidelines (posted in guest rooms), noting the SOJ FFH coordinator’s name(s) and contact number.
The FFH staff should have provided a spreadsheet of the guests’ schedule to post in the kitchen. Confirm with the families that it is correct. Coordinate with Dinner Coordinators (Mark and Marjorie Kramer, Sally Schroder) to notify dinner preparers the number of guests at dinner each night and when a family will be absent.
During the week
Check Volunteers Notebook daily for notes that need action.
Check if toiletries baskets in the bathrooms need to be restocked.
Check that the current daily volunteers are posted outside kitchen.
o You could get an additional family during the week but will always be given at least 24 hours notice.
o Major Issues with guests - contact Program Director, Jessica Kern 970-484-3342 or Executive Director, Annette Zacharias, 970-988-7799. Be sure to use the FFH Trac Phone, or they will not answer.
After the week
During Sunday service, have the FFH volunteers stand to be recognized.
Log your hours, including coordination time, in Volunteers Notebook in kitchen.
Complete and submit Host Site Report form.
BREAKFAST/LUNCH COORDINATOR Sept 2019
Prior to each rotation, purchase perishables for breakfast and lunches-to-go, such as the following. Also see note ‘Breakfast-Lunch Foods Purchased Oct 2018’
Milk (2% and chocolate)
Juice
Cereal
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Bread/Bagels/etc
Butter/margarine
Fresh Fruit – for example bananas, grapes, apples or oranges
Juice boxes
Milk boxes
Raisin boxes
Breakfast/granola bars
Chip bags
Before each rotation, you will be advised of the number of guests and ages of children to help you determine the quantities needed.
Deliver perishables to church kitchen by Sunday.
Post list of lunch food items available.
The Primary Coordinator will contact you once or twice during the week if the food supplies need to be replenished.
Turn receipts into the SOJ office for reimbursement.
Keep track of all your time – travel, shopping, etc – and record it in the Volunteers Notebook in the kitchen.
SET UP COORDINATOR Sept 2019
Organize bedding in modular storage room by family into bins and cloth bags before Setup Crew arrives. Stock toiletry baskets for bathrooms.
Arrange to get signage from whoever is printing it up.
Bring tape (or get from office) to post signage and to secure the six door inserts.
Before Set Up Crew arrives, put sign on guest doors with bed set up, for example: ‘2 cots, 2 mats on floor and 1 pack-n-play’.
Make sure trailer is available and unlocked.
Tape a ‘Welcome to SOJ’ sign next to each guest door, listing the name of the family and family members at that room.
Put Overnight Hosts signs next to nursery and Goodness doors.
Lock the cabinets in the guest rooms (keys in volunteer notebook).
Post a copy of ‘SOJ FFH Guest Orientation’ guidelines inside each guest room next to the light switch.
Post list of Guests’ names and ages and Guests’ schedule in kitchen. Post lists of daily volunteers outside kitchen on open kitchen door.
Post the ‘FFH Emergency Procedures’ in the kitchen by the phone and place a copy in each Overnight Host room.
Post “FFH Breakfast Sandwiches in freezer” on refrigerator.
Add more names tags to Volunteer Notebook if needed from desk in foyer.
Set out Volunteers Notebook in kitchen to log volunteer time, incidents and guest information.
Keep track of all your time, including organizing supplies, prepping set up bins, etc and record it in the Volunteers Notebook in the kitchen.
After the hosting week
Organize bedding and supplies after cleaned laundry has been delivered back to the church.
Submit article for bulletin/newsletter asking for donations if more toiletries or bedding supplies are needed.
Purchase or solicit donation of supplies such as Kleenex, cleaning supplies, etc.
TEAR DOWN COORDINATOR Sept 2019
Prior to Tear Down, coordinate with contact from next church on rotation for delivery of trailer. Arrange for vehicle with hitch to move trailer.
The Laundry Coordinator will have large plastic bags labeled with the Laundry volunteers’ names in the kitchen prior to Tear Down.
Assist guests with move-out Sunday morning by 7:00 AM
Designate someone to supervise packing the trailer.
Get buckets with FFH cleaning supplies out of first room of the modular.
Supervise Sunday cleaning of bathrooms, kitchen, foyer, classrooms and nursery by 8:00 AM.
Unlock the cabinets in the guest rooms (keys in Volunteers Notebook).
Supervise packing and return of supplies to first room of the modular. Lock storage room and modular.
Give the FFH cell phone, charger and a written description of the guests’ room setup preferences to the person delivering the trailer to hand items off to the next church’s contact.
Log your hours, including coordination time, in Volunteers Notebook in kitchen.
LAUNDRY COORDINATOR Sept 2019
Have large plastic bags labeled with the Laundry Volunteers’ names available in the kitchen for Tear Down on Sunday morning.
Move clean bagged laundry into the modular storage room as it is returned to the church office by the Laundry Volunteers.
WEBPAGE COORDINATOR Sept 2019
Six weeks before hosting, update Signup Genius website for next rotation.
Send Signup Genius link to Nancy to place on SOJ website home page.
One month before, send email blast through Signup Genius to volunteer list for the next rotation signup.
Send additional SUG email blasts requesting volunteers as needed.
Assist with volunteer recruitment, scheduling and support.
Report your volunteer hours to the Primary Coordinator to include in the Host Site report.
PUBLICITY COORDINATOR Sept 2019
Two months to six weeks before
Submit FFH newsletter article for publication the month before hosting. Deadline for the newsletter is the 20th of the prior month.
One month before
Submit weekly bulletin announcements to the office calling for volunteers. Announcements can be sent to Nancy/Lisa all at one time, noting which announcements to run on which dates. They have a Wednesday noon deadline for the following Sunday’s bulletin.
Ask Nancy to include a request for volunteers in her Weekend Update email as needed.
Report your volunteer hours to the Primary Coordinator to include in the Host Site report.
SIGNAGE COORDINATOR Sept 2019
One week before or as soon as guest families’ names are known
Update SOJ FFH coordinator(s) contact info on FFH Emergency Procedures as needed for current rotation.
Print 5 copies of FFH Emergency Procedures: one for Volunteer Notebook, one for Coordinator’s Notebook, one to post in kitchen by phone, two for Overnight Host rooms (Nursery and Goodness)
Update the FFH Guest Orientation sheet if needed
Print 6 copies of the FFH Guest Orientation sheet: four to post in each guest room by light switch, one for Volunteer Notebook and one for Coordinator’s Notebook.
Complete new Family Fact Sheet with guest names & ages and print copies for Volunteers Notebook and Coordinator’s Notebook
Print two copies of guest families’ profiles-one for Volunteer Notebook and one for Coordinator’s Notebook.
Print Welcome to SOJ signs for outside of guests rooms with guests’ names.
Print two Overnight Hosts signs for outside the Overnight Hosts rooms
Print daily volunteers signs for outside kitchen. Get this info from SignUp Genius page.
Print sign with guest’s names & ages for inside south kitchen door.
Print spreadsheet from FFH staff of guests’ schedules .
Print cover page for Volunteers Notebook.
Arrange to get signage to Set Up Coordinator prior to Setup to be posted during Set Up.
Check that enough name tags are in the Volunteers Notebook.
Report your volunteer hours to the Primary Coordinator to include in the Host Site report.