Volunteers: What to Expect

HOPE Missions provides a safe place for people to come and enjoy breakfast, coffee, juice, and fellowship Monday through Saturday (except the last Saturday of the month) from 7:15-10:00 am. We call this ministry “Honey’s Place” in honor of Honey Denison for her faithfulness in serving the least of these in our community. Our mission is to share the love of Jesus Christ by building relationships with people who are dealing with deep poverty, homelessness, addiction, loneliness, and worse. 

Volunteers have quite a bit of flexibility when serving at Honey’s Place. Some can only be here an hour before they go to work. Others can come early and stay late. The best way to learn is to simply show up and serve somewhere. 

One thing we ask is you come with an earnest desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus. As we think about the idea of practicing hospitality, we know we won’t always get it right, but that should not prevent us from trying something new while looking for ways to improve each time. 

The simple idea here is to share with those in need. I would add, share with intentionality, not accidentally. Pray that God has prepared your heart to be a servant of Christ.

Serving Positions

1. Kitchen. Two or three people are needed to prepare food. For those who love to be behind the scenes, preparing food for our friends, this is your place!
   • Cooking, cleaning, preparation.
   • You’ll need to come early to prepare the meal or bring something ready to serve (e.g., Bojangles’ biscuits, breakfast burritos, etc.)
2. Food distribution. One or two people are required to manage passing out food. The food is set up adjacent to the check-in station and has one or two people with serving gloves to help distribute the meal, drinks, snacks, and especially coffee and condiments. This is a great place for those who like to share a smile and a pleasant good morning.
3. Check-In Station. One person is needed to manage the process.
   • Using a chrome book, each person checks in when they enter. We always ask if it’s their first time. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (as long as Clean Start is operating), we ask if they are here to take a shower and have laundry.
   • If they’re new (many come only once), we add them to the system by asking for their name, age, where they’re staying, and if they’re a veteran. No identification is required.
   • Once signed in, the check-in person sends people to the showers as requested using the current shower list and walkie-talkies provided.
4. Hygiene Items. One person is needed to distribute items as requested and keep the bins stocked. The Check-In Station has hygiene items and underwear, socks, etc., that are stored in bins below the counter.
5. Showers at Clean Start. One or two people are needed. Ron calls this the bullpen. From the beginning, we’ve partnered with Clean Start to help manage the flow of people in and out of their Shower and Laundry facility. Clean Start has been around for 15+ years, so we lean on their ministry to give folks a great start to the day. Our duties involve:
   • Manage the flow of people. Using walkie-talkies and in coordination with Clean Start, make sure we have someone “on deck” and ready to take a shower when a spot is available. You’ll be communicating to see who’s next while letting them know who’s done.
   • Interact with folks as they wait for their shower. This is a great opportunity to get to know people. Just remember, many of these guys have just spent the night on the street or in a place that has no shower facility. Be patient and kind, and remember we are often less than enthusiastic before we’ve had a shower in our own homes!
6. Mingle and General Support. Two to Four people are needed. While the priority is focused on breakfast and showers, we have several opportunities to mingle with our friends as we share coffee, breakfast, play guitar, or corn hole in the parking lot, to name a few.
7. Clothing Monday. Two to four people are needed to manage clothing. On Mondays, we provide clothing. During check-in, those who want clothing complete a clothing request form and give it to a clothing runner. The runner provides the slip to those in the back that are filling the requests. When completed, the runner provides the clothing to the person that requested clothes.
8. Cleanup. Two people (typically someone that’s already on-site). At about 9:30, we need a few people to pick up trash, recycle, vacuum, and tidy up the place. As we get close to 10 am, we need folks to retrieve the outside seating, cornhole games, etc., and bring everything inside. We need the toilets cleaned and the bathrooms sanitized.
9. Serving Team. We would love to have a team that can provide all of the above for a given Monday through Saturday! If you’re interested in providing a team of 6 to 8 people to handle the entire operations, please contact us to pick a day to come and serve alongside us and learn the process. It’s not that difficult, but personal experience is far better than trying to type every detail here.

Summary of Serving Positions We hope that your church or organization will consider partnering with us to take a day and serve with us. We hope you can see that anywhere from 1 to 10 people can make a significant impact in a variety of ways in just a few hours.

Position	# of people
1. Kitchen	2 or 3
2. Food distribution	1 or 2
3. Check-in station	1
4. Hygiene Items	1
5. Showers at Clean Start	1 or 2
6. Mingle and General Support	2 to 4
7. Clothing Monday	2 to 4
8. Cleanup	2
9. Serving Team	6 to 8