Glen Eira Winter Shelter.
PAUSED FOR 2023.
Need a safe place to sleep? Contact Stableone.org
Need a safe place to stay?
If you are in need of a safe place to stay over winter, delicious meals and great company, please reach out to us so we may assist you. Please call or text 0493460579 (calls to mobiles are free on public telephones) or 9557 4974 during the day (9am - 5pm). Winter Shelter is run entirely by volunteers and we cannot admit new guests to the Shelter after 5pm. Alternatively, you can email us at wintershelter@compasscare.org.au and one of our volunteers will be in touch as soon as possible.
Meeting practical needs.
The Glen Eira Winter Shelter, co-ordinated by Compass Community Care in affiliation with Stable One, brings together 7 local churches and over 150 volunteers in serving our guests for the second time in 2022. We will be operating for 13 weeks, from Wednesday 1st June through to Wednesday the 31st of August, 2022.
Glen Eira Winter Shelter aims to:
provide overnight shelter for people experiencing homelessness and in need of crisis accomodation.
Offer a place of welcome, care, refreshment and rest.
Build relationships with guests, developing community and journeying with those who want support and encouragement towards a more stable living situation.
Learn more about Stable One and the history of Winter Shelter here.
Be a part of Winter Shelter.
If you are interested in getting involved with Glen Eira Winter Shelter, there are a few things you may wish to know.
All guests will be accommodated in church buildings across the Glen Eira local area. The following churches are offering their buildings to accommodate our guests:
St Clements Anglican Church
There are three shifts each day of the week:
Evening Shift (6.00pm - 9.45pm)
Nightshift (9.30pm - 7am)
Morning Shift (7am - 9am)
When we can, we also run a Day Centre out of Compass Community Care between the hours of 9am - 5pm.
If you have experience in social work and are interested in using your skills in the Day Centre to help support our guests, please indicate your interest on the Volunteer Registration Form or contact our office directly.
Across each shift we have a range of volunteer roles including:
Venue Co-ordinator
Shift Leader
Shift Worker/Evening Host
Kitchen Helpers
Overnight Shift Worker
Driver
Laundry Helper
Day Centre Assistant
Each role is equally important to ensure a safe and happy environment for our volunteers and guests. Lets take a more in depth look at what each role entails:
Venue Co-ordinator
Oversee the activities of the Glen Eira Winter Shelter at their designated venue.
Ensure there are enough volunteers for each shift and the volunteers are aware of the layout of the venue (or delegate to Shift Leader).
Identify shift leaders from the church volunteers.
Prepare the venue.
Ensure provisions are available and sufficient to prepare meals and clean venue before use (advise Project Co-ordinator of any shortfall).
Lead and brief the team, allocating jobs and giving vision to Shift Leader.
Receive the guest list and book guests into the venue.
Maintain and ensure the log book is passed on to the next venue.
Action any incident reports as required, monitor and report information to the Project Co-ordinator.
Remain contactable throughout the time that the venue is being used.
Shift Leader
Allocate jobs to volunteers and ensure the volunteers are aware of the venue layout.
Making key decisions when other volunteers are unsure of the best course of action.
Supporting volunteers where necessary in responding to guests.
Arrange handover between shift leaders.
Liaise with the Venue Co-ordinator and Project Co-ordinator if necessary.
Be vigilant about maintaining the Log Book. All volunteers must be signed in, and any incidents must be recorded.
Conduct handover to next Shift leader.
Shift Worker/Evening Host (6.00pm – 9.45pm)
Assist in unpacking the trailer and setting up the venue.
Assist in cleaning the venue.
Assist in the preparation of meal and drinks.
Engage with, support and help guests feel welcome.
Familiarise new guests with venue facilities.
Play board or card games and converse with guests.
Assist in conflict resolution if necessary.
Follow the instructions of the Shift Leader.
Kitchen Helpers (6.00pm – 9.45pm)
Meals will either be cooked on site during the shift or pre-made at another kitchen and heated at the venue. Exact meal numbers required will be provided each day.
Prepare meals or heat pre-made meals for up to 16 guests.
Serve dinner around 6.30pm.
Clean kitchen and meals area.
Once dinner is finished and kitchen clean, cooks may leave or stay and engage with guests till 10pm.
Overnight Shift Worker (9.45pm - 7am)
To provide a safe space for all, we need to have three Overnight Shift Workers to stay with the guests overnight. We need both males and females to undertake these shifts, so please consider doing at least one. It may be great to do as a family or with friends!
Lock doors at 10pm and lights out.
Encourage guests in healthy sleeping habits.
Two Overnight Shift Workers to stay awake at all times taking shifts to sleep.
Be prepared for those late night deep and meaningful conversations if required!
Driver
Drivers are needed:
To pick up guests in the minibus from Compass Community Care and take them to the host venue each night.
To return to guests to Compass Community Care each morning.
To move the trailer from one venue to another during the daytime (after 9am and before 5pm).
Drivers moving the trailer will need to have a tow bar and be willing to use their own vehicle. The Winter Shelter is at least 1.5 tonne.
Laundry Person
Each venue requires a Laundry Person:
To wash doona covers and other bed linen, towels etc. if a guest has stayed at the venue and is not staying the next evening or has used the linen for 7 days.
Clean laundry returned to host church to go back on trailer the following week.
Day Centre at Compass Community Care (9am – 5pm)
Oversee the use of showers.
Engage with guests.
Supervise guests.
Assist guests with use of phones and laptops to access services they may need.
Volunteers will be rostered according to their availability and could work at whichever venue is hosting the Glen Eira Winter Shelter that night. We will provide training and the opportunity to help be part of the solution to Melbourne’s homeless crisis. You bring a positive attitude, a sense of fun, and lots of grace.
Training for Volunteers
To make sure we are well prepared for our guests and are able to provide a safe environment for all, we will be providing training for all volunteers. Training is a requirement for our volunteers and we encourage all to attend so that we can impart important information but also develop a sense of community amongst our volunteers. If you attended training in 2021 and/or have volunteered previously at Winter Shelter there is no need to attend training again.
The training session scheduled for Saturday 28th May and 29th May has been postponed. We will send digital training material to all volunteers in the meantime. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to volunteers by cancelling this weekend’s training session. Please call Kym on 0411644099 or email wintershelter@compasscare.org.au if you have any concerns. Thank-you!
Volunteer Agreement
We ask that all volunteers with Glen Eira Winter Shelter complete a Volunteer Agreement. Please click on the green button to download the Volunteer Agreement and bring it with you to your nominated Volunteer Training Session. If you are not attending Volunteer Training Session in person, please email us your completed Volunteer Agreement at wintershelter@compasscare.org.au.
Support Winter Shelter
We understand that not everyone has the capacity to take on shifts, but many still want to contribute in some way. If you would like to contribute financially to the running of Glen Eira Winter Shelter, you can do so here. All contributions over $2.00 are tax deductible. We thank you for your important contribution.