Costello House
Costello House for Code Purple nights
We are so blessed to have Costello House (CstH), a place for homeless men to have shelter and stay warm when temperatures drop to 32° and below. In January, there were 29 out of 31 nights below freezing! On a couple of days, there were enough volunteers to be open 24/7; and another couple of days, they could be open till noon.
In January, there was a total of 1076 stays, an average of 37 stays per night. By February 13th, there were already 10 Code Purple nights, 343 stays; averaging 34 stays per night.
These men are so grateful! Numbers are continuing to grow but volunteers are needed, especially on the weekends.
We hope to be open every evening and most days through March. If you have not yet emailed caleb.bradshaw@abccm.org, please sign up for an evening, or show up at 5pm and then get signed up for other nights. While ABCCM has limited staff to help, we truly cannot do this without volunteers. We have day shifts from 7-noon, noon to 5 where you will work with Reverend Howard Foster.
In January - 40 volunteers from Christ School did a cleaning project. On February 21st another 25-30 volunteers coming again. They have been such a great help!
There are a variety of needs at CstH. Volunteer opportunities include checking men in for the evening, listening to the men, prepare meals, wipe down surfaces, prepare and reset the house for the next group; lead Bible studies and life-skill classes, help with laundry for the house and residents. Several residents have asked for Bible study.
There are physical needs as well. Food to make bag lunches (lunch meat, slices of cheese packets, bread, piece of fruit, bag of chips, etc.) for the guys when they leave in the morning; toiletry items (small bottles of shampoo, soap, razor, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.); clothing (including new underwear, socks, warm clothes, etc.); laundry detergent (pods seem to be working well and are easier to handle - multiple loads are run on the equipment daily).
If you or your church would be interested in helping, you can schedule a tour and orientation of Costello House with caleb.bradshaw@abccm.org
A Winter Shelter to Keep the Homeless Safe and Warm
With the dangerous cold continuing for several weeks, we have heard from several churches that there needs to be a 24/7 shelter all winter, at least through March, where the homeless men and women can be stable and safe without having to leave every morning and come back each evening. ABCCM has been committed to this idea. We are challenging the city and county to raise $60,000 each and those funds be matched by the churches and donors with $60,000.
Our BIG HOPE was for a winter shelter! God blessed us with changing the purpose of Steadfast House and the Recovery Living Center to an emergency shelter for men called Costello House. We are planning on being open every evening the rest of January due to Code Purple temps. We hope to be able to also be open during the day if we get enough volunteers. Email caleb.bradshaw@abccm.org to sign up for an evening, or show up tonight and then get signed up for other nights. While ABCCM has staff to help, we cannot do this without volunteers. Your volunteer time is essential as ABCCM seeks to keep people safe and warm, but also to build healthy relationships with our special guests. With recent snow and more predicted, the clearing of homeless camps, and some of the coldest temps this season, we already have a robust turn out.
To make the winter shelter hours possible, we need at least 6 volunteers for three 5 hour shifts, with the understanding that we do this safely with CDC procedures. There is a FDA approved ionizer in the building that kills all viruses.
Morning shift: 7am to 12 noon: three on a cook team to prepare and serve;
one receptionist; two activity volunteers
Afternoon shift: 12 noon to 5pm: three on a cook team to prepare and serve;
one receptionist; 2-activity volunteers
Evening shift: 5pm to 10pm: three on a cook team to prepare and serve;
one receptionist; 2-activity volunteers
Cook teams can call ahead to see about expected numbers and types of meals recently served
Cook teams can prepare and bring the meal, but need to coordinate so at least two are there to serve and help clean up.
Receptionist helps greet folks, buzz folks in/out the front door, and help with signing in guests.
Activity/Support volunteers help with general activities such as games (card or board games). or sharing times of listening to stories. or sharing information and resources around the community utilizing the homeless services resource guide.
Information and Referral Volunteers: individuals will be trained on a variety of community resources to assist guests in stabilizing or reaching goals. They will also be trained to work with the Intake Coordinator to gather basic information to support guests in their stable housing goals.
Peer support volunteers: volunteers trained in substance use and recovery to help guests in their addictions journey.
Bible study or Spiritual Formation Volunteers: share a Bible study or encouraging Scriptures to nourish one’s soul, meaning and direction in the journey of our guests.
Church/Community Volunteer Leader: This person takes responsibility for putting a team of volunteers together who can fill all three shifts for a day or for a week at a time. They work closely with the Volunteer Coordinator.