Family Overflow Shelter
The Women's Overflow Shelter is coordinated by Interfaith Works. A transient temporary shelter for women and families is coordinated every year during the winter months by Interfaith Works. Many faith communities in the area host the shelter for 2 week periods. St. Michael has hosted the shelter for many years and in 2009 did two sessions. Because of the extreme economic situations of many, the shelter operated year round and was coordinated by the Family Support Center from April through October. We can house up to 20 people and we serve a hot meal every evening. The guests are referred by and screened at the Family Support Center. This shelter has provided opportunities for many parishioners to become involved in a variety of ways. Many groups support the shelter by donating items. The dinner preparers and hosts are able to meet, talk to and develop relationship with the women
The guests arrive by their own means at the Church in the evening (having previously been screened through the Emergency Shelter Network) and there is a limit of 20 guests per night. Since this is an overflow shelter (taking overflow from permanent shelters in the area), there were two nights this season when no guests arrived. Our largest occupancy in the 2007 shelter season was 18.