VOLUNTEER MAP AND ACTIVITIES, FEB. 2001
General questions about volunteering?
Contact Erin King, Volunteer Coordinator at EMK26@cornell.edu

The Cornell Coalition for the Homeless was founded in the Spring of 1996 in an attempt to form a student organization focused on addressing the issue of homelessness. Today the Coalition is a network of student and community activists. In September 1998 the Coalition became an affiliated project with the Center for Religion, Ethics, and Social Policy (CRESP). The Coalition works in several areas, including (1) direct service, (2) education and awareness, (3) fundraising, and (4) social reform.
Co-Chairs: Julia Harris (JDH44@cornell.edu), Lisa Krauthamer (LTK3@cornell.edu; 256-9399)
Treasurer/Communications Officer: Keith Hermanstyne (KAH44@cornell.edu; 256-2806)

Unity House of Cayuga County, Inc., Ithaca Office
Officer of the Coalition to contact if you want to volunteer here: Christine McMillan (CMM34)

Address of Unity House: 408 East State Street
Telephone Numbers
(607) 272-1741 Program office and admission
(607) 277-6156 Admin. office
(607) 274-6296 Fax #

Operating Agency: Unity House of Cayuga County, Ithaca Office
Person in charge: Joyce Williams Executive Director; and Chris Crosby
Hours of operation: Office: Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; programs: 24 hrs daily

About the program:
Unity House (based in Auburn) took over the Residential Services and Special Needs Housing programs which were formerly part of HOMES, INC. in October, 1997. The community residences and apartments provide structured, supervised programs which prepare adults with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities for fuller integration into the community. Instruction in living skills (nutrition, money management, health care, time management, coping skills, community utilization, etc.) are provided as well as supportive counseling for adults. Long term and transitional programs are available. Case management and housing-related services are also available in the individual's own (unlicensed) home. Volunteers are welcome to provide company for guests by interacting with them, playing cards, etc..  In the process, volunteers learn about issues of poverty/homelessness by interacting with real people.

Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen
Officer of the Coalition to contact if you want to volunteer at Loaves: Lauren Feighan. Her number is 256-2806 and her e-mail is LLF6@cornell.edu.

Parish Hall of St. John's Episcopal Church
210 N. Cayuga St.
Ithaca, NY 14850

Telephone Number:
(607) 272-5457
Email: loaves@clarityconnect.com
Website: www.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/loaves OR JUST www.loaves.org

Person in charge: Chris Pothier Director; Claire Grady, one of two Kitchen Coordinators
Hours of operation: Mon, Wed, Fri, 9:00AM to 2:00PM; Tues, Thur, 3:00 to 8:00PM
Fees: none; donations are welcome
Intake procedure: none
Eligibility equirements: none ñ no questions asked; all are welcome to have a meal

About the program:
Loaves and Fishes is a ministry of hospitality providing free hot meals on site and practical assistance and referrals for people in need, especially those caught in situations of poverty, need or loneliness. A mid-day meal is served at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. An evening meal is provided at 6:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are opportunities for volunteers such as actually helping prepare the food, serve the food, clean up afterwards, etc. But the most important volunteer opportunity is just to sit and talk with guests ñ food for the soul.

If you are interested in volunteering at Loaves, one way to investigate what itís like is to just go down and have a meal there, talk with the guests and volunteers, and get a sense of the wonderful community environment which exists there.  If you would like a free ride, we send a carload of people down every Thursday ñ just meet in front of Anabel Taylor Hall (near the bus stop) at 5:15. Otherwise, you can also take the bus (75 cents) which leaves from that same bus stop every fifteen to twenty minutes. We are currently volunteering at Loaves & Fishes every Thursday from 5:30 ñ 8:30 pm.  Loaves only has room in its schedule of volunteers for three to four people every week from the Coalition. Are allotment is currently full, but if you would like to be part of our weekly rotation, or to set up a separate time to volunteer yourself, please contact our Officer, Lauren Feighan (contact info listed above).
 

***LOAVES & FISHES ADVOCACY TRAINING PROGRAM:***
Starts February 15th! If you are interested, call the coordinator, Sandy Ferreira, at home at 277-8624, as soon as possible.
What it involves:
Four training sessions. Starting on Thursday Feb. 15 and for three consecutive Thursdays after that, you will be trained from 6:30 pm ñ 9:30 pm at Loaves & Fishes.  Please come beforehand, at 6:00, to have dinner, sit with guests, and get actual experience at Loaves & Fishes.  The ìtrainingî is informal; it consists of having various local human service professionals informing you about their services and answering potential questions which others might ask of you later.
After the training, you are asked to visit Loaves & Fishes at least twice a month, and generally just mingle with the guests, be a resource, a counselor, and/or an advocate for them, to whatever degree of involvement you choose. You may even just be a listener. Empowered with the right knowledge, all you need to do is impart your genuine, caring spirit and your job as advocate will be an immensely fulfilling success!

American Red Cross of T.C., Food Pantry Program
Coalition Officer to Contact: David Baharvar at DB75@cornell.edu or 253-0687
Telephone Numbers of the Red Cross:
(607) 273-9177 Homeless Hotline
(607) 273-1900 To make food donations or for other info about the program & volunteering

Operating Agency: American Red Cross, Tompkins County Chapter
Person in charge: Diane Hardy Dir. Homeless Services
Hours of operation: Daily, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Intake procedure: A brief, one-page document has to be filled out by every new pantry recipient, in which they give basic information about themselves and why they are coming to the pantry.
Eligibility requirements: Anyone can do it, so long as they have first gone through a one-hour training in which they are told how to talk with guests, taught the paperwork and procedures, and also sign a brief form regarding liability issues.

About the program:
Food baskets are available for emergencies or as supplements for households, often families or single women with children, who are either working poor or homeless, and find that, after paying all the bills, not enough is left for sufficient food.  Food baskets (plastic bags with various foods) are up to five days worth of food (three meals a day), for as many people as are in a particular household of guests.

The best time to help them run the pantry, which is located at the Shelter, is from 5:00 ñ 7:00, any day. Contact David Baharvar (DB75@CORNELL.EDU, 253-0687; Co-Chair of the Coalition for the Homeless) to find out when we volunteer regularly.

The pantry also could use a lot of help on most Mondays, when their food truck delivery must be unloaded, usually between the hours of 11:00 ñ 1:00. This particular volunteer task is ìmore muscle than brains,î but is a huge help. If you are interested in helping to unload, you should contact David Baharvar (DB75) or directly contact Diane Hardy, Director of Homeless Services at the Red Cross, by 2:00 on the Tuesday BEFORE the Monday that you intend to volunteer.

THE RED CROSS FRIENDSHIP CENTER, located separately from the Shelter, is a drop-in place open during the daytime where people can simply congregate, talk with each other, talk to someone who might help them with their problems, etc. It hosts lunches, food giveaways, outreach services, assistance with application to obtain social benefits, homeless shelter intakes, prevention (housing solutions, landlord/tenant mediation, etc.) and more. While they are open to volunteers most anytime, they especially could use extra hands every second and fourth Friday of the month, when they have their ìFood Giveaway,î between the hours of 11:00 and 2:00, at which clients have the rare choice of what they want to eat.  Helping out at this program would involve volunteers helping to transport food from Tops and from the Red Cross Shelter to the Friendship Center, doing paperwork, stuffing and distributing foodstuffs, etc. Contact David at DB75 if youíre interested.

American Red Cross of T.C., Homeless Services Program
201 West Clinton Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Telephone Numbers
(607) 273-1900
(607) 273-9177 Homeless hotline
(607) 273-7146 Fax #

Operating Agency: American Red Cross, Tompkins County Chapter
Person in charge: Diane Hardy Dir. Homeless Services
Hours of operation: 24 hours - 7 days a week
Intake procedure:
Eligibility requirements: must not have alternative shelter, be disruptive, be abusive, be impaired by substances or be actively suicidal.

About the program:
The Homeless Services Program provides 13 or more emergency shelter beds for homeless families with children, single men and women and youth (16 and older). Services include outreach, a 24-hour hotline, shelter, food, case management, referrals and follow-up. Participants must be willing to work toward long term housing, manage their own personal care including self-medication, agree to house rules and provide identification. Requests for shelter are handled by the Director of Homeless Services, Monday through Friday, and by the Shelter Hotline Worker at night and on weekends by calling the hotline number, 273-9177.

On-Site Volunteer Services
Coalition Officer to contact if you are interested: Jesse Boring (JLB76@cornell.edu)

Contact info for On-Site Volunteer Services:
telephone:
(607) 256-0071
fax:
(607) 256-3608
office location and mailing address:
On Site Volunteer Services, Inc.
301 S. Geneva St. 107
Ithaca, NY 14850
For additional info see the On-Site Volunteer Services web site www.osvs.org

About the program:
On Site Volunteer Services was established in 1995 as a way to provide college students with the opportunity to manage a private not-for-profit community service agency. The basic purpose of this team of young leaders is to engage their peers and residents of the greater-Ithaca community in volunteer service. In turn, the time and talents of volunteers are aimed at leveraging the programs and services of local community organizations.
Sites differ from week to week. The Coalition volunteers most every Saturday for about 4 hours, utilizing about 4-5 people.  We generally meet at around 11:15 a.m. and try to have a brunch together beforehand, then work together and work hard, finally returning to campus by around 4:15 p.m.