Warm Hands, Friendly Faces

Flyer for Volunteers - Contains dates for informational and training sessions!

Every winter, Catholic Charities is called upon to provide extra shelter for the most vulnerable during times of extreme cold. This provides a unique opportunity to reach out and connect with some of our neighbors who have been out in the cold, and provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

This is where we need volunteers like you: to be goodwill ambassadors that can be available to help staff, chat with our residents and be a light to all who come through our doors. We are truly grateful to all who wish to join us in our work and have created this page to give you a better idea of what it means to volunteer at a hypothermia shelter, as well as what kind of help we need from you!

At this time, 30 volunteer slots are available. Other volunteer opportunities are available. To learn more, contact the Parish Partners Program coordinater closest to you. Of course, donations are always needed to help fund our work.

What is an Emergency Shelter?

Just as the name implies, an emergency shelter exists as a place of warmth and safety for anyone who has nowhere else to go at night. Our emergency shelters are low-barrier, which means we welcome all people as they are who need our help. Typically, shelters are open for 12 hours during the night.

During the coldest time of the year, known as hypothermia season, the District of Columbia has a legal mandate to ensure there are extra beds on the nights when the temperature drops below freezing. These extra beds, called hypothermia beds, are available at extra shelter locations open only when the hypothermia alert is on or at year-round emergency shelters who set up extra beds to accomendate the increased number of people.

How can I help through Warm Hands, Friendly Faces?

Warm Hands, Friendly Faces is a new volunteer initiative to help provide a loving and warm shelter atmosphere for our most vulnerable neighbors at a very challenging time in their lives. We need volunteerss who can spend a few hours helping with odds and ends at a hypothermia shelter, doing cleaning and most importantly, being a friendly face for our clients as they come in from the cold.

We will provide the training and Catholic Charities staff will always be on-hand to assist with any challenging situations. This is not easy work -- some of the folks we serve have been neglected and living on the streets for most of their lives. But you can be the first friendly face they see and be a light to them.

Click here for a more detailed volunteer job description.

What kind of time commitment does this require?

We will work with your schedule. If you have a call to serve, we have the opportunity. What we are looking for is a roster of volunteers who can spend some time with our residents, assist our staff with various tasks and bring their own ideas and talents to our work.

Who typically stays in a hypothermia shelter?

Homelessness can and does happen to people from all walks of life. Some of the people we serve in shelters have recently fallen on hard times and just need a few days to get back on their feet. Others have been homeless for many years, decades even. Some have mental health illness or substance abuse challenges. Each are at all stages of their journey through life, just like us. More than 1,300 beds are provided each night through a Catholic Charities program throughout the Archdiocese of Washington.

Questions? Ready to Volunteer?

Please email us at Hypothermia.volunteer@catholiccharitiesdc.org with a name and the best phone number to contact you (as well as the best time too!). A staff member will return your request within 48 hours. If you would like to apply, you will need the job description available here.