COVID-19 Update
Volunteer Engagement Opportunities
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Effective March 17, 2020, All Volunteer Engagementsand Activites on-campus have been suspended until further notice, due to COVID-19 to ensure the safety of our youth and staff. The Executive Committee will continue to review CDC guidelines.
Although, we are practicing social distancing, we are offering Virtual Volunteer Opportunities for more information, please contact the Volunteer Department at volunteers@promisehouse.org
Delivery Hours and drop-off area(s) have been changed and/or restricted due to COVID-19 and are detailed below. Please adhere to the new hours and/or area(s) to ensure the safety of the staff and/or youth
In Kind Donations
- Donors dropping off donated goods should please leave the items at the 224 W. Page entrance and staff will retrieve them. We greatly appreciate your assistance in keeping our youth and yourself safe!
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Effective March 17, 2020, Delivery Hours and drop-off area(s) have been changed and/or restricted due to COVID-19. Please adhere to the new hours and/or area(s) to ensure the safety of the staff and/or youth.
· Delivery hours are Monday – Friday 10AM – 3 PM by appointment
· Delivery location 224 W. Page Ave. entrance. Operational Staff will retrieve items at the entrance. Note – Front Desk support is not available at this time.
· Write and/or label your name and/or organization’s name on all the donation packages to ensure donated items are reported accurately.
· To ensure donated items are pick-up by the Operational Staff in a timely manner, please contact the Volunteer team with the following below to ensure donated items are reported accurately into the system and distributed to the appropriate program and/or residential group home:
o Individual and/or organization’s name
o Individual and/or organization’s mailing address
o Donated Items (e.g. apparel, bedding, bath, personal care items, etc.)
o Donated Value
· The individual and/or organization will receive a donation letter within 7-12 business days.
If you have any questions or concerns
please contact our Volunteer Team at volunteers@promisehouse.org
In-Kind Donations
The Promise House Store allows residents to shop free for essentials like apparel, hygiene items, and bedding. We rely on the community to keep our store stocked so each youth has what they need to grow and thrive. See our Amazon Wish List for easy ordering! If you would like to donate other items, please submit an In-Kind Donation Form 3-4 weeks before your anticipated drive date, allowing time for our Volunteer Manager to ensure you are collecting items needed most.
Promise House only accepts new and unused items.
THE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
The rewards of working with Promise House youth can scarcely be expressed in words. Volunteers will also gain a deeper understanding of our services should they ever need to refer a teen from the community to one of our programs. The most important thing you can take away from this experience is the lasting sense of accomplishment knowing you have made an enormous difference in the lives of teens and in the community as a whole.
VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUITIES
Volunteers are an essential part of Promise House. By investing their time and talent, volunteers bring our mission to life and help us expand our reach. We could not achieve all that we do without the support of our volunteers. Although we are practicing social distancing, during this difficult period, you and your friends can help our youth by hosting an In-Kind Drive Party or sponsoring a delicious meal for our youth.
Take photos or video of the party or your friends shopping and delivery the donations! Need Volunteer Hours for your school and/or job? Donate a minimum of 20 kits of your choice. For more information, please email us at volunteers@promisehouse.org. Support our youth by completing a Proposal Form at www.promisehouse.org/volunteer and select one of the following Virtual Volunteer engagements below.
ACTIVITY KIT
Books, Crossword Puzzles and journals are a great diversion for our youth during this difficult time. Provide an Activity Kit which include(s): 1 Book and/or Comic Book, 1 Journal, 1 Pkg. Color Pencil and/or 1 PKG of color pens. A minimum of 20 Kits required.
PAJAMA KIT
Many of our youth that come to Promise House have nothing more than the clothes on their back. Provide a pair of pajamas for a youth on their first night away from home. The Pajama Kit will include(s) 1 Set of Pajamas, 1 pair of fuzzy socks and/or 1 pair of slippers. A minimum of 20 Kits required.
PERSONAL CARE KIT
Provide many of our youth an Personal Care Kit which include(s): 1 Body Wash, 1 Lotion, 1 Deodorant, 1 Toothbrush and 1 Toothpaste (Full Size Items Only). A minimum of 20 Kits required.
WELCOME KIT
When a youth arrive at Promise House this is their first time away from home. Help provide comfort for our young people by creating a Welcome Kit which include(s): 1 Tote Bag, 1 Pair of Socks, 1 Throw Blanket, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Adult Coloring Book, 1 Pkg. Colored Pencils. A minimum of 20 Kits required.
LUNCH TIME!
Provide a delicious meal for youth to enjoy during the afternoon! Meals can range from pizza, chicken strips, vegetables, sub sandwiches and much more! For more details, please contact the Volunteer Department. Sponsor/Cater a meal for 20 youths and 6-8 Direct Care Staff (p.23).
AMAZON WISH LIST
The Promise House Store allows residents to shop FREE for essential like apparel, hygiene items and bedding. We rely on the community to keep our store stocked so each youth has what they need to grow and thrive. See our Amazon Wish Link Here for easy ordering! Items are directly shipped to Promise House, Inc.
GIFT CARDS
If you don’t have time to shop! Don’t worry, we will shop for you. Donate a gift card (e.g. Wal-Mart, Dollar Store, Family Dollar, Kroger’s, Target, Amazon, Visa and/or MasterCard) to:
Promise House, Inc.
ATTN: Volunteer Team
224 W. Page Avenue – Dallas, TX 75208
VIRTUAL LIFE SKILL CLASS
Provide an educational life skill class which include(s) Career Readiness, Resume Writing/Critique, Financial Aid and Financial Literacy. Note – Life Skill classes will be viewed virtually. Note, Life skill classes are rotated bi-weekly, monthly and/or quarterly. For more details, please contact the Volunteer team at volunteers@promisehouse.org.
· Transitional Living Program (Age 18-21)
o Schedule: 2nd – 4th Saturdays 10 AM – 11 AM
· Wesley Inn – Pregnant Teen/Mothers (Age 14-21)
o Schedule: Mondays 11 AM and/or 7 PM
DELIVERY HOURS AND INSTRUCTIONS NOTE
Effective March 17, 2020, Delivery Hours and drop-off area(s) have been changed and/or restricted due to COVID-19. Please adhere to the new hours and/or area(s) to ensure the safety of the staff and/or youth.
· Delivery hours are Monday – Friday 10AM – 3 PM by appointment.
· Delivery location 224 W. Page Ave. entrance. Operational Staff will retrieve items at the entrance. Note – Front Desk support is not available at this time.
· Write and/or label your name and/or organization’s name on all the donation packages to ensure donated items are reported accurately.
· To ensure donated items are pick-up by the Operational Staff in a timely manner, please contact the Volunteer Manager and/or Volunteer Coordinator with the following below to ensure donated items are reported accurately into the system and distributed to the appropriate program and/or residential group home:
o Individual and/or organization’s name
o Individual and/or organization’s mailing address
o Donated Items (e.g. apparel, bedding, bath, personal care items, etc.)
o Donated Value
· The individual and/or organization will receive a donation letter within 7-12 business days.
Sponsor an outing/passes for 15 youth to attend Ice Skating, A Drive-In Movie, Bowling, Dallas Aquarium or another great attraction! This is a great way for the youth to experience a great adventure during the holidays!
You and your group of friends or co-workers can host a virtual donation drive to help the youth of Promise House this holiday season. Set up a drive at your workplace, church or social group, or request guests of your virtual holiday party to bring an item from our Holiday Wish List! Apparel, bedding and gift cards are great examples of well-used drive items. Promise House accepts new and unused items.
The youth will use their imagination by creating various D.I.Y (Do It Yourself) projects such as Handprint Christmas Wreaths, Door Signs, Jewelry Beading, Gingerbread houses, Santa’s Hats and/or Stockings or Christmas ornaments. Donate Holiday Materials and/or Gingerbread Kits for the youth to enjoy!
Sponsor a meal (lunch or dinner). Food suggestions: Pasta, Tacos, Chicken, BBQ, Vegetables, etc. Soda beverages are prohibited/Ice Tea, Fruit Punch and Juice are accepted. Please prep/cater your meal for 25 youth and 6-8 Essential Staff. Note, we cannot guarantee the number of youth. Delivery Hours: 11 AM and 3 PM
Sponsor a meal (lunch or dinner). Food suggestions: Pasta, Tacos, Chicken, BBQ, Vegetables, etc. Soda beverages are prohibited/Ice Tea, Fruit Punch and Juice are accepted. Please prep/cater your meal for 25 youth and 6-8 Essential Staff. Note, we cannot guarantee the number of youth. Delivery Hours: 11 AM and 3 PM
COVID-19 Update
Youth homelessness doesn’t stop – so we can’t either
Homeless youth need our help right now, more than ever. In this time of extreme uncertainty we are their constants and our commitment to meet their needs is unwavering. We know that the young people we serve are especially vulnerable given that they lack resources necessary for adequate healthcare and housing. Every day, Promise House leads the way in providing youth in our community access to the most basic needs – shelter, nourishment and access to healthcare. We will continue to provide compassionate care and meet the needs of the youth in our shelters.
Promise House is continuing to closely monitor the current state of affairs regarding COVID-19 across the nation and the implications in our local community. We are taking all measures necessary to safeguard the health and safety of our staff and youth in care working out detailed policies and procedures for how we will handle a quarantine (both of a single individual and for an entire facility).
In order to help minimize risk to youth we serve, Promise House is immediately taking the following actions:
- Any youth who is assessed through the Promise House intake process will be screened for potential exposure and youth who are determined to have been at risk of exposure will be screened by a medical professional before they are cleared for intake into one of our programs.
- We have developed an Emergency Response Plan in the event that a youth in care has to be quarantined at Promise House.
- Until further notice, Promise House facilities are closed to visitors and all volunteer activities on-campus are suspended. Donors dropping off donated goods will be instructed to leave the items at the 224 W. Page entrance for staff to retrieve.
- Because social distancing is one of the most effective ways that we can limit exposure to the virus, and we want to provide the most effective safeguards against our youth in care being exposed to this dangerous virus, all non-essential staff that do not work directly with youth have been moved to a remote work plan.
As you will seek shelter and protection for your family, we will protect and represent our youth. We are their voice. We are their home. We are their family. During this time of uncertainty, we anticipate increased needs and a spike in requests for our services. Because of our generous supporters, we will be ready to answer the call.
Promise House Spring 2020 Job Fair (1)