Become a coordinator for your congregation: This job requires an organized person and can be shared with a small committee. You will be fully trained and supported by the NPIHN staff. The task: Encourage and sign up volunteers from your congregation. Most of the work is done two weeks prior to hosting. You will also need to coordinate preparations to receive and orient the families to your congregation. You will serve as the key contact with our staff for the hosting period. Please remember that this work is “episodic, ” generally two to three times a year and based around your schedule.

Cook a dinner at your home and bring it to the hosting congregation. You will be told the number of people to cook for by the coordinator. Please keep it simple- We are cooking for children and non –adventurous eaters. Drop off time: 5:30-6:00 PM (no later than 6:00 PM).If someone else is serving the dinner, please leave heating/serving instructions. Beverages and condiments are already at the congregation.

Host a Meal and Provide Companionship after Dinner

• Arrive by 6:00 PM. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your children.
• Prepare (heat up) dinner. Guests can also prepare food, set table, and serve dinner.
• Give 10-minute call to guests. Remind children to wash their hands.
• Eat dinner from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.
• Sit down and eat with the guests.
• Parents serve their children. Hosts help parents keep children at the table.
• Set aside portions for latecomers.
• Supervise dishwashing and kitchen cleanup, which is done by the guests.

After-Dinner -Enjoy time with our guests! Feel free to bring an after dinner activity for the children. Things should start getting quiet around 8:30, and children should be in bed by 9 PM. Please do not leave until the overnight host has arrived (around 8:30 PM). Call your congregational coordinator or the NPIHN on-call staff (listed on the fridge) if nobody arrives by 8:45 PM.

Sleep over as an Overnight Host…this is the easiest job Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

• Bring sheets, blanket, pillow & alarm clock!
• Arrive before 8:30 PM . Children should be in bed by 9 PM. All common areas should be completely quiet by 11 PM.
• Depart 7:00 AM weekdays or by 9 to 10 AM weekends the last guest has left the congregation. Call your congregational coordinator or the NPIHN on-call staff (listed on the fridge) if you need to leave before the last guest has left the congregation.

Volunteer to Food Shop– Shop before the hosting to stock the kitchen with breakfast, lunch and snack foods, and check in with the families mid-week and make sure that there are enough staples (bread, milk, lunch meats etc.) The guests will have a shopping list for you. The congregation usually covers the cost of this food. NPIHN can help out if necessary.

Drive Families to the Laundry- Ask the coordinator to arrange the best time.

Become a Mentor– If you like connecting with our families and have some extra time, please consider joining our growing number of family mentors. Your time commitment– at least one phone call each week and one in-person contact each month over something social. Mentors often make the difference in our families being successful maintaining their housing and moving forward with their goals. Ellen Latimore, our Mentoring Director will serve as your guide and support. Cathy Smith, our Social Worker, will provide any back up social services/systems help necessary, as long as you bring it to our attention.

Other Opportunities Abound! Tutor a family for the GED, help a child with homework, arrange a family play date, visit weekly with the children, help someone with job search and placement, help pick up donated items, and more … Your involvement can make a big difference! Thanks!

Special Volunteer Honor Role:

• Carol Aronoff - our personal organizer!
• Sean Brickley - for filling in many sleep over hosting gaps and for mentoring an NPIHN teen.
• Leslie Carson - mentor
• Denise Jenkins - mentor
• Melita Johnson - mentor
• Ed and Dena Lake - mentors
• Joe Kripke - for help with this Web-Site
• Charmaine Milligan - mentor
• Maureen Pearson - mentor
• Penn Charter Students and
• Jim Ballengee - their community service director – for help moving families from one congregation to the next
• Ellen Reese - for tutoring an NPIHN graduate to read
• Bob Rossman - countless hours of furniture pick up, delivery and set-up
• Gary Stein - computer and technical support
• Marc Simon - many overnights
• Les Nyiri - counseling and staff support
• Jacob and Daniel Spivak - Bar Mitzvah childcare volunteers
• Arcadia Students - fabulous and fun childcare
• Marcy Garb - GED tutor
• Eylem Ozkaramanli - Daily Office Volunteer- We all love her!!!!
• Rockway Connection - a fabulous group of volunteers from NJ who spent a weekend organizing our furniture warehouse. Thanks!