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The following are guidelines or suggestions created by the St. Clare Recovery Core Committee to help you have a safe and meaningful experience working with the people of Waveland and Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi.
Please prayerfully consider these guidelines as you plan your trip.
God Bless!!!
v CONDUCT: As our guest at the St. Clare Volunteer Center, please follow these simple rules:
o Alcohol Free Area,
o Dress modestly,
o No smoking in the building,
o No cooking except in the Kitchenette,
o Respect property and follow guidlines of sleeping quarters
o Observe quiet hours from 10 pm to 6 am.
o AGE AND SKILL LIMITS: Recommended age limit is 18 years or older. Youth ages 16-17 must be accompanied by their parents or youth group chaperones. Suggested ratio of skilled vounteers to unskilled volunteers is 1:2, with each group including as many skilled laborers as possible.
This guideline is intended to ensure that proper adult\skilled persons are available to oversee the work being done. Everyone should be mindful that we are helping the residents rebuild their homes. Therefore, we should make every attempt to do a quality job and this begins with proper supervision of unskilled volunteers.
o VIRTUS TRAINING: Every group with youth ages 16-17 must complete a Waiver for the Bishop of Biloxi certifying that all chaperones are VIRTUS trained and background checked. Also, each youth sleeping space must have at least two VIRTUS trained adult chaperones of the same sex. VIRTUS is a safe environment training program available through the Catholic Church and now required by the Bishop of Biloxi. Please contact your parish office for training information. Chaperones of non-Catholic youth groups must have a background check at minimum, and are encouraged to complete a safe training program through their own congregation if it is available. If you have any questions, please contact us.
o REGISTRATION: All groups should register at least 10 days in advance through the website and the Group Leader should be in contact with our Volunteer Trip Coordinator either by phone or by e-mail. They should also complete paperwork for the entire group before leaving. Guests who have not provided a 10-day advance notice will be accommodated only as long as space is available. Paper registration, waiver forms, and housing payment for walk-ins are made through the On-site Coordinator. Work coordination services may not be available for walk-ins due to time constraints.
The purpose of this guideline is to provide the coordinators in Waveland adequate time to plan your trip. Unplanned arrival of workers may result in lack of appropriate housing or work availability, so please plan ahead!
o LIABILITY WAIVER: MUST be completed by all volunteers before work begins.This document is required by us as well as your home parish or organization. Please download it from the website under "Printable Forms" and return it to St. Clare Recovery P.O. Box 500 Waveland, MS 39576 or bring it with you. It must be on file BEFORE you begin work.
o WORK TIME: Trips will run preferably from Sunday-Saturday, with work time Monday-Friday. Sunday is a day of rest at St. Clare.
This guideline is somewhat flexible and can be adjusted to meet individual group needs. However, experience tells us that working during the week and traveling over the week-end will help ensure that materials and supplies can be acquired more easily, making your trip more productive and meaningful.
o ARRIVAL: Groups are encouraged to arrive on Saturday or in time for Sunday Church Services at St. Clare (Masses are: 4:00 PM Saturday, 8:30 & 11:00 AM Sunday) and have the afternoon to get oriented. Please call Jane Crady at 317-642-7322, one hour in advance of your arrival so that arrangements can be made for someone to meet you at the Volunteer Center and get you settled in.
This guideline is intended to give the volunteer a good opportunity to meet the Waveland community residents in a welcoming and positive way. All volunteers are encouraged to attend these Church Services regardless of personal religious affiliations. The work being done in Waveland is truly nondenominational and has no religious boundaries, and this begins with worship services.
o HOUSING: The St. Clare Volunteer Center provides short term housing to relief volunteers willing to work under the supervision of the On-site Coordinator. Advance 10-day registration through the website is recommended.
All rooms are air conditioned and include twin beds. Hot showers and washers and dryers are also available. Computers with DSL Internet access are available in the St. Clare Recovery Office at the Volunteer Center It is not recommended to bring personal laptops unless required for business use.
o FEES: A fee of $10.00 per person per night covers costs to maintain the St. Clare Volunteer Center (utilities, air conditioning, paper products, internet access, etc.).
Fees should be paid in advance. Please make checks payable to St. Clare Recovery and mail to: St. Clare Recovery P.O. Box 500 Waveland, MS 39576. If for some reason you are not able to pay in advance, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator so that your payment can be made upon your arrival at St Clare.
o FOOD PREPARATION: No meals are provided at this time. It is recommended that you bring breakfast and lunch foods or purchase them in Waveland (we now have a full WalMart with groceries), and perhaps enjoy some of the many fine restaurants for supper or prepare it in our kitchen.
A grill and a kitchen with microwaves, coffee pots and two stoves are on site for volunteers to prepare food. There are two refrigerators for you to store your food. Please clean your un-used food from the refrigerators and the area before you leave.
o OTHER EXPENSES: Volunteers should be prepared to pay for their own meals and travel arrangements.
Cost of building materials may be financed in part through donors or homeowners, but should be discussed with the On-site Coordinator before the trip.
o TOOLS & EQUIPMENT: We do have a full line of tools and these should be signed in and out on the Tools Usage Sheet. If you have a "favorite" tool or a specialized trade and have your own tools, or if you have tools that you are willing to leave with St. Clare Recovery, please bring them.
If you have tools to donate, please tell Tony or Brent before you leave so they can have the items inventoried. You may want to check our Tools Needs List on this website.
o WORK ASSIGNMENTS & MATERIALS: Jane and Tony Dixon, our On-site Coordinator, will help coordinate your daily work schedule.
Jane and Tony need to know your skills and abilities in order to best match you to a job. They also need at least 10 days prior to your arrival to coordinate with a home-owner to get approvals and secure financing for materials. Since many homeowners are not able to haul materials to their home, one of your tasks may be to pick up materials and take them to the home. You may also need to take the homeowner with you to the lumber store to have them pay for the materials.
o ST CLARE VEHICLE USE: All volunteers who wish to use one of the trucks must be over 21 years, have a valid drivers license and proof of insurance, sign a waiver in the St Clare Recovery Office, and return keys to office at the end of each day.
The pickup trucks are the property of St Clare parish, and we request your respect and cooperation if you drive them.
o PRAYER SUPPORT: Registered volunteers are "assigned" to others who pray for their safety, for the specific homeowners they are assisting, and for the success of their trip with St. Clare Recovery.
This is one way for us to remember that the spiritual rebuilding is as important to our mission as the physical repair.
o SAFETY:
There are many hazards in this area such as black mold, asbestoses, broken glass, sharp jagged metal, etc. The beaches should also be considered hazardous as debris is still washing back onto the beach every day. While the beach is beautiful and a very nice place to sit and watch the sunset, everyone should use extreme caution when entering the water or not enter at all.
o CLEAN UP OF THE VOLUNTEER CENTER: The St. Clare Volunteer Center sleeping quarters and restrooms need to be cleaned by the Volunteers. Please set aside time each day, and before you leave, to help clean the center.
The St. Clare Volunteer Center is a self-maintained, shared space. We appreciate your help in creating a clean and restful environment for all of our Volunteers. Let the motto be "Leave it in better shape than you found it."
o LOG OF VOLUNTEER HOURS: Please be sure to fill out the Volunteer Hours Worked Form before leaving St Clare and be sure to leave it at the center.
These logs are very important for the proper tracking of work being done for the homeowner.
o DEPARTURE: Normal departures will take place on Friday evening or Saturday mornings. Guests are asked to complete the following prior to departure:
a. Housing payment-checks payable to St. Clare Recovery
b. Log of volunteer hours turned in to On-site Coordinator
c. Clean up of Volunteer Center
d. Be sure to Sign Out on the Housing Registery form before leaving
o OTHER:
There will be specific posted times for minors to use the showers - please respect those times by scheduling your showers for times other than when the minors will be using them.
When minors and youth groups are on the property, housing may be limited due to Diocesan Rules concerning minors. Please let us know if you have been background checked or if you have had VIRTUS training.
Please be sure to check in and check out at the St Clare Recovery office! It will make your visit a more productive and enjoyable experience.
Thank you for reading the Volunteer Guidelines. Please click "Back" to continue with your
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Rev 1/23/07
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