Volunteering Experience

When I arrived at The Burke Women and Children's  Shelter I was greeted by Natalie who is a bubbly and sweet woman and in my previous post I shared the great things I learned about her and the role she has as house manager. The shelter is open 7 days a week, 5pm to 8am and is an emergency shelter for those in need. Behind the scenes a lot of work goes into keeping the shelter running. Keeping the shelter, sheets and laundry clean and hot meals ready is definitely a full-time job. Natalie and I  started preparing for intake which is from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm  and is when women and children in need of a place to stay can arrive at the shelter to spend the night. At 4:00 pm preparing for intake  includes folding laundry, preparing dinner, and making sure the shelter is clean and ready for all who may come. At 5:00 pm those looking for a warm bed to lay their head for the night and a hot meal after a cold winter day started arriving. Seeing these woman so grateful to have their clothes cleaned and the ability to take a hot shower made me realize how quickly we can forget that not everyone has these simple luxuries we take for granted. It is one thing to read statistics such as 108 people were counted as homeless in Burke County in January 2012 and 19% of these were women but it is a truly humbling feeling to see the faces of people who are living these statistics.

Besides what the shelter provides for these women and children during their stay, resources are also provided that can help them on their way of overcoming their current situation.  Natalie helps those in the shelter become aware of resources such as where free meals, clinics, and transportation are available along with where they can find affordable housing. While many women that take shelter here have jobs, it proves that it is not enough to make ends meet.  For those that don't have a job, they can take advantage of the computer to search for jobs and to complete online applications.

"The shelter provides stability and peace of mind" says Natalie and throughout my time volunteering this definitely rang true because as an emergency shelter it provides women the security of knowing there is a place for them to stay as long as necessary and this is priceless and  much needed in our community. The work  being done for those in poverty in Burke County is shown vibrantly at this shelter and was inevitable during my time spent volunteering.