By Dave Costello
Glen Mar has long been a dedicated partner to the Grassroots Cold Weather Shelter providing critical support for individuals experiencing homelessness during the coldest months of the year. This year, Glen Mar’s week is breakfast on Monday, March 17 through dinner on Sunday, March 23. However, this year, the request of the church is changing based on the new requirements of Grassroots to ensure its support remains impactful while adapting to changing needs. In previous years, the shelter was hosted at churches, and then during the pandemic it was shifted to hotels. Now in an effort to consolidate Grassroots’ services, the shelter will be hosted at its facility on Freetown Road in Columbia.
To Volunteer or Donate:
When donating, select Cold Weather Shelter from the Fund pulldown. Also, please see additional information below if you intend to volunteer or donate:
How Glen Mar Is Helping
We have committed to providing the following to Grassroots at its request: Continental breakfast for 70-75 guests, Hot dinners for 70-75 guests, and three servers for dinner. The 70-75 people are guests in the emergency shelter as well as the CWS. Grassroots is requesting that we provide meals for all so that everyone at the shelter can eat the same thing and not have to be excluded from certain dinner times. This shift will change how Glen Mar will be trying to accommodate the request to continue meeting the shelter’s needs. We will still be requesting people bring in items for the continental breakfasts. The dinners we are going to approach a different way. Grassroots would like everyone’s dinner to be the same. To accomplish this, we are going to request Glen Martians provide cash donations that can be used to purchase ingredients to make the dinners. We will also be doing meal prep and cooking at Glen Mar on specific nights during our CWS week. Glen Martians will be asked to volunteer to help with meal prep and cooking on these nights. We know this is a different approach, and we are hoping to accommodate the shelter’s request for 70-75 of the same meal for all of its guests. We will also need servers as well as people to take food from Glen Mar to the Freetown Road facility. With this new strategy, Glen Mar’s commitment to its neighbors in need remains strong, reinforcing the church’s mission to serve the world.
Serve Dinner
- Volunteers must be 15 years or older.
- Covid and Flu vaccines are required unless you wear a mask while providing services at the shelter. Please bring a copy of your Covid & Flu vaccine if you will not be wearing mask.
- Grassroots requires all volunteers working at the Shelter to have a background check. Please use the following button to access the application for a Grassroots background check:
- Please report to Grassroots kitchen at 4:45pm. Dinner will be served from 5-6:30pm.
- If you have long hair, please pull it back or place it under a cap.
- Please wash your hands before serving and wear gloves, they will be provided.
Bulk Items
For Sunday deliveries, please deliver prior to 11AM; for Thursday deliveries, please deliver prior to 3:30PM. There will be a location identified in the Glen Mar kitchen for these items.
Prepare Dinners in Glen Mar Kitchen
Groups will make the dinners under supervision of George Dohner. Ages >16 only. Times are specified in the Sign-up Genius.
Delivery of Meals to Grassroots Shelter
The dinners will be made in large chaffing dishes. You will likely be delivering 2 to 3 dinners at a time (Prepared dinners will be delivered to Grassroots and they will warm the meals as necessary). The dinners will be in the refrigerator marked “CWS” in the Glen Mar kitchen. Carts are available in the kitchen to help you move the dinners to your vehicle. Carts will also be available in the Shelter’s kitchen to assist you in moving the meals from your cars. In some cases, the dinners might still be warm.
Cash donation to purchase ingredients to make dinners
Cash, check and on-line donations in any amount are accepted and appreciated. All checks and cash should be in an envelope marked for “CWS” and your name. Checks should be made out to Glen Mar Church. You may drop your envelope in the check slot outside the main door to the Spirit Center anytime the church is open. On-line donations can be made by clicking the button below. Please specify “Cold Weather Shelter” for your type of fund.
