The Venice Interfaith Community Outreach Organizing Program (COOP) has partnered with the Red Cross and The Center of Hope to have a cold weather emergency shelter here in Venice. It is ready to go whenever we have a freeze warning again, but we are also working out more details and organizational issues.
The Red Cross is working with emergency management in Sarasota County to come up with a county wide definition of what constitutes freezing weather so we are all following the same guidelines. The acting police chief in Venice has met with us and we have also been in contact with the mayor and the city council. The police will continue to provide their assistance and support as a community resource.
Two Red Cross Volunteers will be in charge of the shelter at The Center of Hope each time it is open. They will provide cots and are asking COOP to provide snacks and food for dinner and The Center of Hope to provide a continental breakfast. The plan is to have something in the freezer at The Center of Hope that can be thawed and used if the shelter is opened at short notice. Chili, crackers, and cheese are currently on hand.
We will try to freeze leftovers from the community dinners when available so we are following health regulations by having the food prepared under the supervision of Food Service Managers. However, we are looking for volunteers to donate other food items to keep on hand. Please contact Maria Reba at
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if you would like to be a food donation volunteer. Food donation volunteers should call The Center of Hope at 412-9044 prior to purchasing or delivering specific food items in order to determine what is needed if you have not received a specific request.
FOOD ITEMS: Coffee, hot chocolate mix, peanut butter, jam, crackers, granola bars, paper goods (bowls, plates, utensils, napkins, cold and hot drink cups).
We are also looking for donations of DVD movies, board games, magazines, and books. Volunteers will be needed to serve food, socialize with the shelter guests, and spend the night. There will be 3 shifts for volunteers: 1) 4-7:30 p.m., 2) 7:30-11 p.m., and 3) 11p.m.-7 a.m. Since "trust" is an issue with individuals who are homeless, we feel it would be helpful to have community dinner volunteers who they already know volunteer for the 11-7 shift. Our intent is to eventually open the emergency shelter on nights that we feel are too cold to sleep outside but don't meet the county guidelines for the Red Cross which is what Englewood has done. We will develop our own guidelines that will be printed in a handout and available so people know when the shelter will be open. Rules will also be developed for appropriate behavior, access to the shelter, etc. and anyone not following these rules will be asked to leave.
We feel it is necessary to require all shelter volunteers to become Red Cross Volunteers. Inaki Rezola from the Southwest Chapter of the Red Cross is willing to come and do a training with us on a Friday night and Sat. probably sometime in April. This would include two levels of training with some people being trained in CPR. Red Cross applications will be available for those who are interested. Food donation volunteers do not need to become a Red Cross Volunteer. You do need to know that once you become a Red Cross Volunteer you will be offered other opportunities to volunteer, but you are not required to participate. Please respond by March 14th if you want to be a cold shelter volunteer and please specify whether you are signing up for food donation, or a Red Cross Volunteer working the 4-7:30, 7:30-11, or 11-7 shift. Once we know how many volunteers we have, we will decide how we are going to assign and rotate volunteers, send you an application form, and give you more specific information regarding the training. Questions can be directed to Maria Reba (contact information above).