Contact The Refuge Lapeer 810.667.3886

The Refuge 
Lapeer

810.667.3886

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    • Home
    • about
    • Need HELP?
    • Donate
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • church partners
    • Calendar
    • gallery
    • Financials
    • Contact

810.667.3886

The Refuge 
Lapeer
  • Home
  • about
  • Need HELP?
  • Donate
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • church partners
  • Calendar
  • gallery
  • Financials
  • Contact

Make a difference today!

PRESS THE DONATE BUTTON BELOW TO DONATE BY PAYPAL. THANKS!

YOU ALSO CAN DONATE BY CHECK

Send a check payable to

 The Refuge Lapeer
P.O. Box 1435
Lapeer, Michigan 48446 

Church Sponsorship

Please go to our page How Your Church Can Get Involved. Even if you are not a church, but another ministry or Christian club that has a building and volunteers, you too can partner with us. 

Volunteering at a Local Church

The Refuge Lapeer Homeless Shelter partners with local churches in order to give food and shelter to the homeless of Lapeer County during the winter months of the year. Every November to April, The Refuge Lapeer hosts guests rotationally at Lapeer County churches. Shelter includes bedding/privacy for the night, food, access to clothing, and access to job-search transportation. The Refuge Lapeer needs volunteers to help at local churches during hosting. 

Providing Clothing

We often get inquiries about clothing donations. We do not accept clothing; however, we have partnered with New To You Consignment in downtown Lapeer to receive donations of clothing and other items on our behalf. If you want to donate clothing or any other items to The Refuge, you can take them to New To You Consignment and donate on behalf of The Refuge. If our guests have need of clothing, coats, shoes, boots, etc., they can receive a special voucher from The Refuge to get clothing at no cost to the guest. Also, when any other donations on behalf of The Refuge are sold, a portion of the proceeds go to The Refuge and will be used to help our guests.
 

New To You Consignment 

286 West Nepessing Street, downtown Lapeer, Michigan
810-664-2710
Tell them you are donating for The Refuge Lapeer.

Day Center

Our Day Center is open year round during the day to give aid to the homeless and other displaced people in our area. Please contact us if you would like to help with the Day Center. 

Making Meals and Feeding Guests

The Refuge Lapeer provides meals to guests while they are staying at churches. Volunteers are needed to make meals and serve them. 

Educational/Vocational Services and Basic Life Skills Training

The Refuge Lapeer provides educational and vocational services. Please contact us to learn more.

Housing Transition Resources

The Refuge Lapeer seeks to provide permanent housing for guests. If you have housing to provide or would like to assist in this goal, please contact us. 

Spiritual Guidance

The Refuge Lapeer provides spiritual support and guidance for those guests who desire such assistance. Please contact us if you can help in this area.

Post Prison Resources

Guests who are exiting the prison system require particular services. Please contact us if you can provide help with these services.

Fundraising Events

The Refuge Lapeer hosts various fundraising events throughout the year. Please contact us if you would like to participate in one of these worthy events to help us run The Refuge.

The Refuge Lapeer Board of Directors

Please contact us if you are interested in joining The Refuge Lapeer Board of Directors.

volunteering details

Days, Times, and More

Most of the work in caring for the homeless in our shelter is provided by volunteers from the local churches and the community at large. Below you will find our daily and overnight schedule and the required volunteer positions for each shift. What follows are descriptions for each position required.
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We post to our Facebook page when volunteer positions are available.

Please like and follow us on Facebook.


​Day Operations at Restoration Center
8 am – 12 pm – Attendant: male and female
12 pm – 4 pm – Attendant: male and female
4 pm – 6 pm – Attendant: male and female

Check-In Operation Times
5:30 am – 6:30 pm: Volunteer Attendant: male and female @ Restoration Center

Day Attendant: Interact with the guests of The Refuge during the day, coaching them in their goals and overseeing the facilities and resources. Training required.


Check-In Process: All our homeless guests are checked in daily. This process involves a breathalyzer test, an electronic pat-down, and search of belongings for contraband. During this COVID crisis, we also perform daily temperature checks and verbal symptom checks. This position must always be accompanied by at least one male and one female. This position also requires proper training (that we provide) and a signed volunteer agreement form available online.


​ 

About Volunteering

 

Information for Volunteers

All volunteers must sign a volunteer agreement form. Please click the link to the right to sign the agreement. You only need to do this once a year.

  • Every volunteer must fill out the Volunteer Agreement Form that is available online. Every volunteer must read these policies and procedures.
  • Every volunteer is to sign in on the volunteer sign in sheet in the designated volunteer area before each shift noting name, date, and time.
  • No guests are allowed in the volunteer designation area.
  • In the volunteer designated area is the first aid kit and cleanup kit.
  • Check smoking schedule and rules.
  • Each guest and volunteer are solely responsible for their personal items should theft/damage occur while at The Refuge or at any of its affiliates.
  • Each guest is responsible for his or her own medication.


What happens if a guest is sick or injured?

In the event of an injury or sickness, if necessary, volunteers should call 911. Otherwise, volunteers should ask the guest if her or she would like to go to the hospital. If yes, volunteers are not to transport the guest. Instead, call an ambulance. Please make it clear to the guest that if he/she wants to go to the hospital and an ambulance must be called, they are responsible for all charges incurred.

Volunteers should contact the on-call nurse if they need assistance. Find out from the manager the nurse that is on call.  

Volunteer should make sure that they contact the manager let them know that a guest is sick and what procedures have been followed.


When and how to use the first-aid kit?

The first-aid kit will be in the designated for volunteer area. This kit contains many supplies needed for various ailments or injuries. Please use as needed.

If using over the over-the-counter topical creams and/or medications such as Tylenol, etc., please use the OTC Form located in The Refuge Folder. Once a volunteer fills out the form, they should place the form back into The Refuge Folder.


What are guidelines for interacting with guests?

  • Please use caution when sharing personal information, such as your phone number, address, etc. with the guests.
  • Do not let guests use your cell phone for any reason other than an emergency.
  • Please respect a guest's privacy. Do not share information with anyone outside of The Refuge and only if necessary.  If you should see them in public, please do not speak about his/her being homeless.
  • Please do not give our guests gifts of money. If you see a need, contact your manager or a Refuge board member.
  • Do not attempt to counsel our guests. If you should become aware of what you consider to be a potentially serious or dangerous situation, such as a threat to harm self, please contact the manager. If it is an immediate emergency, call 911.
  • Should a guest choose to leave at any point, they may, but they are not allowed to return to the Restoration Center or other overnight location that night unless it is due to a medical emergency and with permission from the manager.
  • Guests are informed that their children ages 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian AT ALL TIMES. Children are not allowed in the care of another guest. NO exceptions!


How do I handle a conflict with a guest?
If a guest becomes disruptive or disrespectful towards any other guest or staff, proceed with the following:

  • A guest should be DISMISSED IMMEDIATELY from The Refuge Host Site for the following:
    • Exhibits acts of violence towards other guests, a volunteer, or other staff.
    • Exhibits inappropriate physical contact of any nature between adults or inappropriate contact between an adult and a child. Inappropriate physical contact is strictly prohibited for guests, volunteers, and staff.


If it is not a situation for dismissal, calmly and firmly remind him/her what is the expected behavior. Remind him/her that he/she signed a contract agreeing to the following expectations. If it is not a situation for dismissal and you need assistance in solving the issue, call your manager. Managers have the right to dismiss a guest for any relevant reason:

  • Acts of disrespect towards other guests, volunteers, or staff.
  • Abusive language will not be tolerated.
  • No bullying toward any persons.
  • No smoking indoors.
  • No possessing any items that are not allowed in The Refuge:
    • Knives, scissors, or weapons of any kind.
    • Medications not cataloged by The Refuge Check-in Associates.


Please contact your manager if a guest has an item they are not allowed to have.

An Incident Form MUST be filled out for ANY guest that does not comply with the expectations listed. Fill the form out and place in the The Refuge Folder in the designated volunteer area. Then notify your manager. Incident Forms are found in The Refuge Folder in the designated volunteer area.


What do I do if a guest is coming later to the Host Site?
Sometimes we have guests that must work or have meetings that are after normal check-in times. If there is a guest arriving late, follow these guidelines:

  • When the guest arrives, check that he/she is only bringing in items necessary for overnight.
  • Give them the Alcolmeter test located in the traveling suitcase (three-step directions provided).
  • Ask for they have new medications that need to be logged.
  • Perform COVID procedures.


Volunteering to Provide a Meal
All of our homeless guests are provided a proper meal each night. The meal should be at the Restoration Center by 6:30 pm. Volunteers providing dinner need to deliver meals in an individual ready to go box for each guest. This can be a home cooked meal or a purchased meal (ie: KFC/Pizza). If individual ready-to-go boxes cannot be prepared, meals maybe delivered in bulk (chili, sloppy-joes, etc.) and served by staff; this must be pre-arranged. Donations also are requested for breakfasts and lunch during the day. Food Safe Service guidelines are required. No training is needed for this position. 


What are the rules for lights out?

  • Lights out are at 10 pm. The only exceptions are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day.
  • Quiet time is 9 pm, and that means that everyone including volunteers should keep the volume and activity down.
  • At 10 pm, lights are out, and everyone must go to his/her sleeping area.


Dial 911 for any medical emergency or if you suspect the safety of the guests, volunteers, or yourself is in question.  

Get involved!

 

THANK YOU FOR VISITING THE REFUGE WEBSITE

1009 NORTH SAGINAW STREET

LAPEER, MICHIGAN 48446

810.667.3886

EMAIL US

 

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