What does a shelter night look like?

Each shelter night begins at 4:30PM with intake at The Help Center on Court St. During intake, a law enforcement officer will run a warrant/background check on each guest to be sure they have no active warrants and no history of violent or sexual offenses. The officer will also search bags and clothing for anything that could be considered dangerous for other guests and volunteers. At 5:30PM, guests will load up and be transported to that night’s host congregation. Once they arrive, they will be given a moment to settle in, find a cot, and arrange their things before dinner begins at 6:00PM. During and after dinner, guests and volunteers will have the opportunity to fellowship and enjoy time with each other. Games, books, and other activities will be available for use during this time as well. Guests are free to smoke in designated areas, shower if there are facilities available, and spend time in solitude if they would prefer. At 10:00PM, lights will be turned off and the doors will be locked until 5:45AM. Overnight Hospitality Coordinators will be available throughout the night to meet any needs that may arise, but guests use this time to rest and allow their fellow guests do the same, so guests are expected to stay quiet and on their cots. At 5:45AM, lights will be turned on and the smoking areas will become available again. Breakfast will be served and guests are asked to help us clean up before transportation arrives to take guests back downtown.

What is required of host congregations?

All we need from our host congregations is access to a space. For real! Shoals Shelter is able to provide food from other congregations, we have cots and bedding that we can bring to your building, and we can provide volunteers for the night as well. All you have to do is let us into the building, show us where everything in the designated space is, and give us any expectations you may have for us as your guests.

My church doesn’t have showers - can we still host?

Absolutely! Showers are amazing for our guests, but they would rather stay somewhere without a shower than they would stay outside - so please don’t let the fact your facility doesn’t have showers keep you from sheltering our guests.

Is there a health rating requirement?

Nope! We don’t require congregations to have a Serv-Safe certification or anything similar. If it is a space you allow your parishioners to be in, then we deem it safe and secure for our guests as well.

Do you carry insurance?

Yes! We carry general liability insurance that covers our organization - please reach out for more specific information regarding our policies.

You’re hosting at a church building - are guests required to participate in worship services or Bible studies?

Not at all! While Shoals Shelter and the congregations we work with have deep beliefs that God has called each of us for something greater than ourselves and that He wants what is best for us, we also fully respect that not everyone shares those beliefs. We do not wish or allow any of our host congregations to force or require sheltered guests to participate in anything they are uncomfortable with. While many congregations will have a separate space for guests to come if they would like to study, pray, ask questions, or simply talk with someone, it is not something all guests must participate in and will be done separately from the main sheltering space. Congregations and volunteers will pray before meals, but that will be the only religious or spiritual practice that takes place where everyone is present. We are here to serve our guests, and part of service is respecting their individual needs.

Do you take donations?

We do! We take donations of gently used clothing and shoes, unopened toiletries, ponchos, tents and other camping gear, new bedding, and more. The Dream Center on Cloverdale Road provides Shoals Shelter with storage space, as well as providing our guests with these items, so we ask that donations be taken to The Dream Center and that you tell the volunteer you are dropping off donations for Shoals Shelter so they can get it to the proper place. If you have questions about donations, please reach out on our contact page!

What is required of volunteers?

To have a willing and serving heart! We welcome anyone who would like to serve with us, regardless of your religious beliefs. We ask that you look over our volunteer training materials that go into detail about what happens on each volunteer shift and what challenges to expect. We also have a trauma-informed care approach to create a healthy environment for our guests and ask that guests familiarize themselves with that material as well. If you want to serve, we believe that you know each guest we serve is a person - a person who deserves dignity and respect, who deserves to be known and called by name. If you have the heart for service, please reach out and serve with us.

What is required of guests?

When we do our intake check, the on-scene officer or deputy will check for any active warrants as well as any history of violent or sexual offenses. Guests with active warrants or violent or sexual offenses are given supplies such as camping gear when it is available, but, due to our commitment to the safety of all guests and volunteers, these guests will not be permitted to shelter with us. We also do a bag and clothing check to ensure there are no weapons or drug paraphernalia on each guest - anything that can be used as a weapon is taken and stored in a lockbox, while any drug paraphernalia is disposed of safely. Guests are required to be sober-minded when at intake and sheltering with us, and any suspicious behavior can result in a guest being asked to leave the property for the safety of all those staying with us. Guests are not required to provide any identification documents as we know not all guests have those available. We ask guests to fill out an intake form, listing any health or medical concerns as well as signing that they agree to follow all expectations of Shoals Shelter and the host congregation.

Are there other resources available in the Shoals that help with housing or shelter?

There are many! One of our committee members has made a comprehensive list of local resources on his foundation’s website that we invite you to check out. Click here to be routed to the list!