Winter shelters for homeless need more volunteers


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YAKIMA -- More volunteers are needed to staff winter homeless shelters or they won't open on time next week, organizers said Friday.

Extreme Winter Weather Shelter project director Dave Hanson says he will postpone the opening date for the shelters unless enough volunteers sign up and attend training before the planned opening Nov. 15.

Hanson said the turnout for training to date has not been sufficient. He said 250 volunteers are needed to operate the full program and at least 30 overnight volunteers to open one of the four shelters.

Shelter volunteers set their own schedules.

"We value the time our volunteers give and work to accommodate their individual schedules," Hanson said.

Each volunteer attends a 90-minute training on the basics of shelter operation. The next sessions are today at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Both sessions will be held at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Yakima, 221 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

A continental breakfast will be served at the morning session and the evening session will include dessert. Advance registration is not required.

Hanson can be reached at 509-901-9402.



Commentsicon2
Posted by Nick at 11/08/09 05:53AM        Post ID#: #17402

All we are doing with these people is enabling and encouraging their continued dependency on others to make their way through life. Most are druggies, past and present, who live their lives making perpetually bad choices.

I would be happy to help, (and have) responsible-minded single moms who have had a spate of bad luck, mostly for the benefit of their kids, and as long as they are clean and sober. However, the rest are an example of the birdfeeder syndrome. Keep the birdfeeder full, and it will attract thousands. Let it go empty, and they will all disappear.

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