HOSPITALITY WEEK DONATION & VOLUNTEER SIGN-UPS
Sunday, February 9 to Sunday, March 1
Sign up to volunteer during Connections Time in Fellowship Hall or
click on one of the Online Sign-Up links on our HOME PAGE

Once a year, our congregation hosts the Interfaith Rotating Shelter run by Cass Community Social Services, what we call Hospitality Week.  We open our doors to 50+ homeless individuals and provide beds, food, clothing, showers, toiletries, Bible Study, worship, counseling, haircuts, resumes, recreation, and fellowship. This is a great opportunity to serve God by helping those in need. Some ideas of how you can participate: prepare breakfast, make lunches, set up for dinner, wash dishes, be a night monitor. Please save your extra clothes for our clothes closet.  We are going to need new underwear and socks. Maybe your family could join the guests for dinner!

WHAT IS HOSPITALITY WEEK? HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Inter-Faith Rotating Shelter, run by Cass Community Social Services (CCSS), was started in 1988 because of a need for additional food and shelter for homeless persons during the winter months. From October to May, churches of all sizes and denominations throughout the Detroit metropolitan area select a week to host this shelter. Our church has been a faithful participant since 1991. The program accepts up to 40 women and 15 men each day, which is the maximum capacity of the CCSS bus that brings our guests to Northville. All the guests are screened by CCSS and must abide by the program rules.

WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR CHURCH DURING HOSPITALITY WEEK?
Sunday School rooms are transformed into bedrooms for our guests. A CCSS crew arrives Saturday morning with mattresses and bedding, as well as the belongings of all the guests that have been brought from the previous host church. The Choir Room is transformed into a “Clothes Closet.”  Fellowship Hall is set up with tables for meals and activities in one half and the other half is used for recreation and evening programs.

6:00 pm Guests arrive
6:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Lunches are packed every night in the Parlor
7:30 pm Evening activities begin
8:00 pm Evening snacks are served
11:00 pm Guests go to bed

Night Monitors are on duty from 11:00 pm – 2:00 am, and 2:00 – 5:30 am.

6:15 am Breakfast is served
6:45 am Guests leave on the bus with a packed lunch.

DINNER PARTNERS
We are thankful that our local faith community supports Hospitality Week. This year the following groups will provide dinner:

March   7   First Presbyterian, Northville               March  8    Northville Civic Concern             March 9 Novi United Methodist Church
March 10   Northville Rotary                                   March 12   Our Lady of Victory

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? Volunteer to Work, or Donate, or Both! 
Below is a sample of what we need to make our church a warm and welcoming refuge from the harsh realities of being without a home.

Volunteer:

Set up and Serve Breakfast
Wash Dishes at Breakfast
Set up and Serve Dinner
Wash Dishes at Dinner
Pack Sack Lunches
Serve Evening Snacks
Work in the Clothes Closet
Join in Evening Activities
Be a Night Monitor
Be in the Talent Show
Welcome Guests Daily

CLOTHES CLOSET
Donations will be accepted from February 9-March 4, 2020. Please help us stock our Clothes Closet! Our guests are invited to “shop” for clean and gently worn winter clothing. Suggested items for 40 Women and 15 Men:

• Coats, jackets, gloves, hats, scarves, boots
• Sweaters, sweatshirts, and sweatpants
• Blouses, tops, dress shirts, casual shirts, bras, pajamas
• Casual slacks, jeans, belts, purses
• Pajamas, basketball shorts, t-shirts
• Tennis shoes, casual shoes, slippers, boots
• Sheets and blankets (size twin or full)

Please size clothes with masking tape and put as much as possible on hangers on racks at the end of the hallway beside Fellowship Hall. Or, fold neatly in bags or boxes and place in the walk-in showers in the men’s and women’s restrooms near Fellowship Hall. Donation receipts will be attached to the shower doors.  From February 9-March 4, we will be collecting new Women’s pajamas sizes S-3X and new Men’s pajamas size M-2X. Please attach gift receipts. All clothing remaining at the end of the week is donated to a non-profit clothes closet.

NIGHT MONITORS NEEDED
We need two-night monitors from our congregation to be on hand during the over-night hours. The first shift runs from 11:00 pm – 2:00 am. The second shift runs from 2:00 -5:30 am. Our night monitors sit in comfortable easy chairs in the upstairs hallway. Monitors check the hallways occasionally, make sure all guests are inside and the doors are locked at 11:00 pm, and then generally read, pray, study, work on computers, or visit with each other. There is also coffee and great desserts in the kitchen for a midnight snack! A security person from the rotating shelter is present at all times. If you even think that this is a possibility for you, please sign up! We cannot run Hospitality Week without night monitors. We need both men and women for this job. Please contact Brooks Kelley at 248-504-8607 or bwkelley@att.net.

HOSPITALITY WEEK CONTACTS:  Carol Peterson: carolncliff@yahoo.com or Chuck Woolley: cbwoolley@gmail.com