Week 1 spent at St John's Shelter for Women and Children

1 week down...51 to go.

I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to spend time at St John's Shelter on Saturday.  I had never been there before and, aside from what I read on their website, I was not sure what to expect. 

When I first arrived, I noticed that the building looked like a regular office park building.  There was nothing from the street that indicated this was a shelter.  However, once inside, I was pleasantly surprised.  Right away, I knew I was in the right place.  The shelter was lively with small children. They were playing in the halls.  Upon my arrival, I was given a tour of the facility, which included the sleeping quarters, childcare room, playground/outdoor recreation area, activity room, family room, kitchen/cafeteria.  The walls were decorated with photos and stories of families that had graduated from the program to serve as encouragement to the residents.  The entire time during the tour, small children were sneaking into the group to see what was going on.  St John's Shelter runs a 90 day program.  I am told that the residents of this program participate in a strict schedule of classes to prepare them for their next step.  In addition, the residents are required to complete daily chores and many work with the shelter's restaurant "Plates", where they work regular shifts. The "Plates" program gives the participants job experience and skills to help them support their families.  During the tour, I was told that many of the women are coming into the shelter from domestic violence situations, which explains why the building is discrete.  The staff and volunteers at the shelter were focused on the safety and well being of their residents.  It seemed like one big giant family.

I feel very blessed to get a glimpse into the lives of those who have experienced such hardships but are taking the steps to improve their situation and become positive, functioning members of the community.

St John's has a ton of volunteer opportunities available.  So, if you are curious, I encourage you to reach out to them:

916-381-2233
http://www.stjohnsshelter.org/

Stay tuned for updates regarding my future volunteer experiences.