How to Volunteer
Thank you so much for expressing interest in volunteering with St. Rose Outreach and Recovery, we do appreciate it. We developed the following guidelines to help you plan your trip to Bay St. Louis and to ensure your time with us is meaningful, productive and safe. Please note that we accept groups/teams as well as individuals volunteers. We recommend that you print this out to make sure you have covered all the details prior to your arrival onsite.
Planning a Trip With St. Rose Outreach and Recovery
1.) How You Will Help the Rebuilding Effort
St. Rose Outreach and Recovery operates under the premise that no family can recover from Katrina before it has a stable and secure home in which to live. While St. Rose is thankful for all those who want to help us in our mission to rebuild affordable housing, nothing replaces construction experience. We insist that groups bring one skilled volunteer for every four unskilled volunteers. Skilled volunteers are more efficient and the work is better. Single individuals should have some prior experience with construction, relief work or manual labor.
A skilled volunteer has significant experience in drywall, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or finish carpentry, has an eye for detail and accuracy in the work, and can teach and lead unskilled volunteers in the group.
We will not be able to accept teams who do not have any skilled volunteers and will ask such teams to postpone their trip until such volunteers can be recruited from their local area. All groups are encouraged to get additional training in construction skills such as drywall for their unskilled members.
Note to Unskilled Workers: We recognize there are many people who have a lot to offer, but are unskilled in construction. If you can help advertise our effort (writers, visual media experience), please let us know so we can utilize your skills. Further, we are always in need of volunteers who are willing to help work in the kitchen and help clean and maintain the retreat center facilities.
We are working to develop projects with other organizations in the area in order to address other pervasive conditions associated with Katrina. For instance, Hancock County has seen a drastic increase in mental health illnesses, and the effects of the Hurricane on the children of this area are often severe, though sometimes unseen for years. We are beginning to set up specific projects with groups like the Boys and Girls Club, Headstart and Coastal Family Health, BUT these should not be considered regular options at the current time; please contact the volunteer coordinator for more information about when they may be.
2.) Determine Team Leader, Group Size and Pick a Date
Prior to contacting the volunteer coordinator determine: Dates your group may be able to come, Group size, and Team leader(s) (Minors under 18 must accompanied by their parents). Every group must have a designated team leader who will be the single point of contact for the entire group.
When determining dates please keep in mind that Saturdays and Sundays are days of REST for the St. Rose Staff.
Note on Group Size: Generally we find that teams are most productive if the group size is limited to 30 people. Larger groups will be taken on a case by case basis.
3.) Contact our Volunteer Coordinator
Jennifer Feltner will be the volunteer coordinator for St. Rose until the end of November 2007. Jennifer is the only one on staff who can schedule volunteer groups and confirm your reservation.
Jennifer will check the calendar for availability, work with your group to determine exact dates, and will ensure that your group would be a good fit for St. Rose. Due to space and staffing limitations we will not be able to accommodate every group who would like to come, though we will try our best to find an alternative date. At certain times of the year we fill up very quickly - we recommend booking as far in advance as possible and no less than two weeks in advance.
4.) Fill out Forms and Waivers
Get the applications, forms and waivers on the St. Rose website. Please make sure that EVERY member of the team fills out these forms. The Group Leader should return all the forms to Jennifer at least two weeks prior to your group's arrival.
5.) Confirm your Reservation
Once Jennifer has ascertained your group's size, make-up and skill level she can confirm you. The applications and forms do not have to be received for this to happen; the group leader can confirm the reservation over the phone with Jennifer.
5.) Pay the Fee for Food and Accommodations
The cost for room at board at the Retreat Center is $10 per person per day. The team leader will have to pay the total amount for your group upon your arrival in check or cash. The fee can also be paid online once you have been confirmed by Jennifer. It is requested that one payment be made on behalf of the entire team. Checks should be made out to St. Rose Relief Fund.