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Emergency Family Shelter

February 1 - 8, 2020

  • Click here to volunteer for shifts at the shelter. (The Sign-up Genius page also has contact info for more information.)
  • Anyone under 18 can also volunteer, but must have a responsible adult with them at all times.
  • A member of the Religious Coalition staff will also always be on site.
  • We are partnering with Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ (15 W. Church St.) and Congregation Kol Ami of Frederick to help staff the shelter when it is hosted at ERUCC. The actual shelter site is at Trinity Chapel, immediately across the street from ERUCC's main sanctuary/steps.
  • If you sign-up to help with a meals, they will be served at Trinity Chapel in an adult classroom. And, all there is for warming/cooling is one very small refrigerator. So think simple. Think dorm living--crock pot and dorm refrigerator.
Save the Date for the following upcoming shelter host weeks:
  • June 27 - July 4, 2020
  • August 15 - 29, 2020 (2 weeks)
  • January 2 - 9, 2021

For First-Time Shelter Volunteers

  • Please complete the Volunteer Application before your first visit. Prior to your volunteer date, please return your completed application to Shelter Manager, Vanessa Timmons (). If needed, we can help with printing, scanning, emailing your application in the UUCF Office.
  • Also prior to your first visit, please complete one training session as an orientation, which they promise to keep "short and sweet." For details in the next training, contact Site Coordinator Rebecca Shillingburg , 240-578-1091)--or if the next ERUCC Training won't work for your schedule, contact Shelter Manager, Vanessa Timmons () to inquire about other options.

Overview

  • Frederick's Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Services (RCEFS) has identified one of the highest needs in our community as a Family Emergency Shelter (FES) for families in need of temporary housing.
  • Local congregations provide emergency overnight shelter for 7 total nights (Sunday evening to Saturday evening) for 5-8 homeless families, not to exceed 20 individuals.
  • Families are screened by the Religious Coalition and are able to stay for a maximum of 90 total days in the program.
  • The sheltering responsibility for all host sites is one week per quarter for a total of 4 weeks per year.
  • Congregations serving as host sites include Calvary UMC, Centennial UMC, Evangelical Reformed UCC, Christ Reformed UCC, Frederick Presbyterian, Grace UCC, Faith UCC, Asbury UMC, Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. John's Catholic Church, and Peace in Christ Lutheran Church. Congregations considering serving as potential sites include Friends Meeting House, All Saints Episcopal Church, Trinity UMC, Beth Sholom, and Brook Hill UMC.

The Religious Coalition will:

  • Conduct volunteer trainings both prior to the first day of responsibility and as requested/needed. You do not need to be re-trained if you have volunteered previously about the shelter. [Note: Training dates and the demographics of the families will be shared as soon as the Religious Coalition provides us with this information.]
  • Move-in and transfer all overnight equipment, storage, bedding, and sleeping mats the morning of the first overnight and will remove all equipment the morning after the last overnight.
  • Screen, register, and monitor overnight residents admitted to the shelter program. Screening will include verification of each guest's criminal background. A criminal background check will also occur for every volunteer and staff member to ensure that no one has been convicted for any sex offense or violent crime.
  • Provide sleeping mats and cots for all overnight guests
  • Provide a paid staff member to the evening and overnight shifts.
  • Provide resident transportation to and from all shelter sites (Day and Evening) as needed.
  • Provide property/casualty insurance coverage to additionally cover each evening site.

For more information

(The short link to this page is frederickuu.org/FES.)