Volunteer Guidelines
- Your role as a volunteer is a critical part of our operations at St. Paul's. The more you commit to volunteering, the more we depend on you. Please notify staff on shift as soon as possible if you cannot make your scheduled shift.
- Anyone under the age of 18 must be directly supervised by an adult volunteer, and any children who accompany adult volunteers should be at least 12 years old.
- Please arrive for your scheduled shift on time and stay for the period of time for which you have committed.
- Please sign in at the front desk and wear your nametag or a volunteer button provided.
- Please uphold St. Paul's confidentiality policy (see section below).
- St. Paul's Community Center is dedicated to its core values: please treat all residents with respect and dignity and expect the same in return. If a client chooses to treat you or your work with disrespect, please do not respond in kind. Please do not raise your voice, posture or engage in any physical contact (except what is needed to get out of harms way), use inappropriate language or engage in conversation that is likely to escalate the problem.
- Please defer to staff authority in all matters. Inform staff members of any rule violations or inappropriate situations that you may witness, but do not try to enforce rules with residents yourself – the work of holding residents accountable for their behavior should be handled by staff.
- Please develop and maintain healthy, professional boundaries with our clients. Do not give clients personal information such as your last name, address, e-mail or phone number, and do not give rides, money or individual gifts to our clients.
- Please seek permission in advance before photographing, videotaping or interviewing clients.
- Proselytizing of religious or political views, verbally or with written materials, is not allowed.
- Please do not open the doors at St. Paul's unless you are asked to do so by a staff member.
- Please do not wear revealing clothing while volunteering.
- Please do not come to the Shelter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY
It is St. Paul's Community Center policy that we do not confirm or deny a person’s presence at St. Paul's, nor do we provide client information (name, current situation, etc.) to others. Exceptions are made in cases where it is vital to the client’s welfare or if the information is being requested by a law officer, and if either situation arises a staff member will communicate the necessary information that has been requested. As a volunteer, your presence at St. Paul's requires a level of trust and confidentiality. Please respect each person’s privacy, and be aware of the fact that clients may be sensitive about needing to use St. Paul's services and about the stigma that may be associated with homelessness. If you are unsure about a situation regarding client confidentiality, please ask the staff.
