Overnight hosts are the Warming Center's biggest need. Hosts will work in teams of 4 (2 males and 2 females), to oversee flow of check-in and check-out, as well as ensure the safety and comfort of our guests while they are in our facility. Overnight Hosts are in charge after all other volunteers have left the building.
New for 2021, the Warming Center will look very different due to COVID-19. We will be following CDC and Health Department guidelines for the safety of both guests and volunteers, including wearing PPE, separating guest sleeping areas, and limiting the capacity of guests and volunteers. Guests will be receving COVID tests weekly at the Welcome Inn, and volunteers are strongly encouraged to get a COVID test prior to their volunteer shift. See the information attached for free drive-through testing offered by Oakland County. (You do need to call ahead to make an appointment.)
In addition, COVID testing for volunteers is also available at 11:30am on Thursday Jan. 21 and Thursday Feb. 4 at the Welcome Inn in Royal Oak. Email your name, age, gender, birthday, and race/ethnicity to [email protected] by 7pm on Wednesday Jan. 20 or Feb. 3 to sign up for a Thursday test. Enter through red door from back parking lot closest to Crooks: 1717 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, MI.
You must be over 18 and no longer in high school to serve as an Overnight Host. Volunteers are required to wear a mask at all times, a temperature check will be taken at the start of your shift, and screening questions will be asked as well. Volunteers and guests will also be asked to follow social distancing guidelines.
If you have been exposed to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days (within 6ft for 10 minutes or more without a face mask), or you are not feeling well (have a fever over 100 degrees, flu-like symptoms, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell), please contact us as soon as possible to schedule another volunteer and do not come to the Warming Center.
Additional changes and more details will be shared at the mandatory training.
FIRST SHIFT - 6:30pm-2:00am
SECOND SHIFT - 1:45am-7:15am
PLEASE NOTE: The second shift (1:45am-7:15am) is technically early morning the following day. For example, the 1:45am-7:15am shift on January 24 is actually early morning on January 25. So you would go to bed on January 24 and wake up very early on January 25 in order to arrive at Genesis by 1:45am that morning. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you are unsure when to show up for your 2nd Shift.
The mandatory Warming Center Training will be held on Zoom only, Sunday, January 17th, 12:30-2:00pm.
For questions. please contact your Overnight Host Volunteer Coordinator:
Kensington and Cana Church - Claire South: [email protected]
Genesis the Church - Geri Gaskell: [email protected]
