Hypothermia Hosting

Helpers Hunted for

March 18-31, 2007

When the forecast is for the teens or 20s, perhaps with snow or ice, do you give any thought to how the homeless in Fairfax cope? While you are snug at home, do they spend another freezing night under a bridge or in a tent or cardboard hovel in the woods? If area shelters are full, they may have to.

The Mission Outreach Ministry is seeking volunteers to help FPC join a coalition of area churches and service organizations to assure that our homeless residents don't spend freezing nights outdoors.

Last winter, FPC hosted an average of 50 people a night for a week in December. It snowed that week, and the temperature dropped into the teens. Without the shelter of FPC's Fellowship Hall, overnight conditions for those guests would have been miserable.

This winter, FPC will boost its commitment to the Hypothermia Hosting Program. Because program coordinators had difficulty finding enough host churches, we agreed to play host for a two-week stretch. FPC will close the 06-07 program by hosting the last two weeks, from Sunday, March 18 through Saturday, March 31.

The effort will be labor intensive. We need people to clean and set-up the Fellowship Hall, the Multipurpose Room and the kitchen. We need people to sign in our guests. We need cooks to prepare dinners and bag lunches. We need people to spend the night at church as chaperones. And we need people to simply be there as hosts and friends.

Last year, more than three dozen church members participated in our week of hosting. This season, with two weeks of hosting, we will need more help. Those who participated last season found the experience very rewarding. If you think you might be moved to help FPC help homeless people stay warm on cold nights at the end of March, or you want more information, please contact Lou Major. If you leave a message or an email, you will go onto the contact list for the planning which is underway.