Volunteer Handbook - House of Charity



Volunteer HandbookNicole Laumer Community Engagement Coordinator8/16/2017Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u About Our History PAGEREF _Toc491932676 \h 2Our Mission PAGEREF _Toc491932677 \h 2Our Vision PAGEREF _Toc491932678 \h 2Our Values PAGEREF _Toc491932679 \h 2Our Volunteer Vision PAGEREF _Toc491932680 \h 3Expectations PAGEREF _Toc491932681 \h 3Policies and Procedures PAGEREF _Toc491932682 \h 3Ethics PAGEREF _Toc491932683 \h 3Interventions PAGEREF _Toc491932684 \h 4Groups PAGEREF _Toc491932685 \h 4Age PAGEREF _Toc491932686 \h 5Dress Code PAGEREF _Toc491932687 \h 5Anti-Discrimination PAGEREF _Toc491932688 \h 5Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) an the ADA amendments Act (ADAAA) PAGEREF _Toc491932689 \h 6Clients as Volunteers PAGEREF _Toc491932690 \h 6Grievance PAGEREF _Toc491932691 \h 6Mandated Reporting PAGEREF _Toc491932692 \h 6Emergency Procedures PAGEREF _Toc491932693 \h 6Handling of media PAGEREF _Toc491932694 \h 7About Our HistoryRight from the start, in the early 1950s, House of Charity has been about transforming lives…one person at a time. Our founder, Brother de Paul, responded to the need he saw around him by providing food and shelter to the poor in Minneapolis. Since its beginnings on Nicollet Island, House of Charity has been located at several sites in downtown Minneapolis, and moved to its current location at 510 South 8th Street in 1976. Once a hotel, the building now houses 116 men and women who have experienced homelessness.The Food Centre, at 714 Park Avenue, feeds more than 350 people each day. After 60 years, the work begun by Brother De Paul continues. Because of his legacy, the hungry are fed and the homeless find shelter.One of our primary goals is to help struggling individuals meet their basic human needs of food and shelter while reducing barriers to their long-term self-sufficiency.We do this by providing:Daily Free Public Meals at our Food CentreTransitional HousingPermanent Supportive HousingChemical and Mental Health TreatmentPublic ShowersOur MissionFeed those in need, house those experiencing homelessness, and empower individuals to achieve independenceOur VisionTransforming lives…one person at a time.Our ValuesTeamworkWe strive to build strong and effective relationships.RespectWe value the rights and views of others.IntegrityWe hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism, trust, and accountability.ExcellenceWe aspire to deliver services of exceptional quality.Our Volunteer VisionWe strive for House of Charity volunteers to: Feel authentically invited to the experienceBe part of the possibility of change and understand the vision of House of CharityHave ownership over their volunteering project and the organization’s successFeel their voice is heard and valuedHave their unique gifts and contributions recognizedFeel empowered to engage beyond volunteerismExpectationsAs a House of Charity volunteer you can expect to receive the following from our staff:Regular communication from our Community Engagement Coordinator in planning, preparing and executing your volunteer shiftDirections upon where to park and enter. (We do not provide parking reimbursement)An opportunity for an off-site orientation/information session about House of CharityAn on-site orientation the day-of volunteering opportunity A secure place to put valuables during your volunteer shiftAn opportunity to provide feedback about your experience to House of CharityAccess to House of Charity Social Media and NewslettersPolicies and ProceduresTo provide the best volunteer experience possible, and to fulfill our volunteer vision statement, House of Charity implemented several policies and procedures to keep volunteers safe, engaged and prepared for the work they will be performing for House of Charity. All volunteers will have access to these policies at any time. Questions should be directed to Nicole Laumer, Community Engagement Coordinator at n.laumer@ or 612-436-2050. EthicsVolunteers are a direct representation of House of Charity to the public. We therefore expect all volunteers know, understand and follow the values of House of Charity including teamwork, respect, integrity and excellence. The following are examples. TeamworkVolunteers will often be asked to volunteer alongside others they may have just met. Working together will require mutual respect for the value of everyone’s work. RespectVolunteers may be exposed to different points of view as some positions require contact with the public. Being polite and respectful is necessary even if disagreements arise. IntegrityVolunteers will be asked to provide a needed service to the public in a professional manner where their actions will matter to the over-all operations of House of Charity. ExcellenceVolunteers will be asked to deliver services of exceptional quality. Therefore volunteers will be asked to wear appropriate clothing to increase safety and effectiveness. Headphones are not allowed while serving. A violation of one or more of these ethical principles can be cause for the interventions to be taken by House of Charity Staff. InterventionsWhile House of Charity is proud to have needed no interventions, this policy is in place to make sure House of Charity remains aligned with their mission, vision and values. If an ethical principle is violated the following steps will be taken by House of Charity Staff. Step 1: DiscussionHouse of Charity staff will intervene to discuss with the volunteer which ethical principle was violated and how to correct the behavior. Step 2: Re-locationIf the behavior continues, House of Charity staff will re-locate the volunteer to a position that does not involve direct contact with the public.Step 3: DismissalIf re-location does not change the behavior, House of Charity staff will ask the volunteer to leave the premises for the remainder of their shift. If the volunteer is under 18, their parent or guardian will be notified and asked to escort them off the premises. GroupsHouse of Charity values groups who volunteer with us. The best volunteering opportunities by size of group are listed below:5-7 people: Serve food at our Food Centre7-unlimited people: Sponsor a mealHost a drive/fundraiser for our programsTowelsBoard GamesBooks for the libraryCreate Hygiene Kits for our clientsToothpasteToothbrushNon-alcohol based mouthwashSoapWashclothDeodorantShampooConditionerDisposable razorsShaving cream/gelComb or brushSmall Bottle of waterBath towelsLotionChap-stick Create menstrual hygiene kitsTamponsPads Panti-linersCreate and donate coping skills toolboxesStress ballsScented lotionsCrayonsMarkersBubblesAgeVolunteer positions are open to kids 9 years or older with a chaperone. Our policy is 1 chaperone per 5 kids: 10 years old through middle school and 1 chaperone per 8-10 high school age kids. 18 and older do not require a chaperone. Dress CodeWe ask that you wear clothing suitable to the position. Modesty is the norm. Please refrain from wearing clothing that reveals offensive language or displays advertising of alcohol or tobacco. (See position description or contact the Community Engagement Coordinator with questions- Nicole Laumer. n.laumer@ or 612-436-2050.) Anti-DiscriminationHouse of Charity is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will provide equal opportunities for volunteers without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty or status as covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. House of Charity expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability or veteran status. If a volunteer experiences any such harassment from a staff person, fellow volunteer or client they have the right to report it immediately to the Community Engagement Coordinator for immediate action. Nicole Laumer. n.laumer@ or 612-436-2050.Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) an the ADA amendments Act (ADAAA)House of Charity will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as required by federal law. Any volunteer who feels that they need a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of their volunteer role should request such an accommodation in a timely fashion with House of Charitie’s Community Engagement Coordinator, Nicole Laumer. n.laumer@ or 612-436-2050.Clients as VolunteersHouse of Charity does not allow clients to volunteer. For more information contact Nicole Laumer. n.laumer@ or 612-436-2050.GrievanceIf a volunteer would like to report a grievance about any experience they can contact House of Charitie’s Community Engagement Coordinator, Nicole Laumer. n.laumer@ or 612-436-2050.Mandated ReportingAs a House of Charity volunteer you are NOT a mandated reporter. This means if you see or suspect abuse, neglect or harassment you are not required to report it to anyone. However, as House of Charity strives to create a welcoming, warm and harassment-free space for the public, we ask volunteers to tell a staff person in these instances. Emergency ProceduresUpon arrival all volunteers will receive a short orientation regarding actions to be taken during specific emergencies. These include: Tornado/Severe Weather, Fire, Active Shooter and Conflict amongst the public. The Food CentreTornado/Severe Weather: The Centre is a safe tornado building. Therefore volunteers will stay in the Centre and move away from the doors. Fire: The Centre has multiple lit exits for volunteers to leave the building safely. Upon orientation they will be shown to volunteers. Upon exiting the building, in case of fire, all volunteers will gather in the south east corner of the parking lot. Active Shooter: Volunteers will immediately move to the nearest door that can be locked. For example, volunteers already inside the kitchen will move away from the serving window, the door will be shut and locked by staff and volunteers will move to the wall farthest from the door. Volunteers serving the in the main area will exit through the back room doors and either shut and lock them, or exist out the building through the back and make their way to the 510 building. Conflict amongst the public: If a conflict amongst the public becomes uncomfortable volunteers will report it to their volunteer supervisor on site. If it escalates, the volunteers will exit through the back room while House of Charity Staff works with the public to resolve the issue.Handling of mediaHouse of Charity Encourages volunteers to take pictures, Tweet, Facebook and Instagram about their volunteering experience with a few exceptions listed below. All volunteers will have the opportunity to sign a photo release form which will allow House of Charity to use their photo for appreciations, recruitment initiatives and social media initiatives. However, Volunteers cannot post or take pictures of the public or clients using House of Charity Services. ................
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