The goal of the Elizabethtown Emergency Shelter (EES) is to provide a place for individuals and families experiencing street-level homelessness to get out of the cold from early December through the end of March, said Natalie Dixon, development director for Elizabethtown Community Housing & Outreach Services (ECHOS). The shelter could use your help to make sure it can meet the needs of its clients during this coming winter.

Volunteers are sought for a variety of positions within the shelter, and a volunteer training will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 398 N. Locust St., Elizabethtown. The training is mandatory for all volunteers.

"Volunteers form the backbone of the Elizabethtown Emergency Shelter and are necessary for the EES to run smoothly," Dixon noted. "We require over 70 volunteers per week. EES volunteers represent over $100,000 of value that is donated to the organization and the clients we serve."

Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, she said, including churches, civic organizations, local businesses and family groups. "At the training, our staff will explain the role of the volunteer as well as go over the various shifts available," Dixon explained.

Volunteer opportunities include checking guests in to the shelter; serving dinner; providing guests with hygiene items, bedding or other needs as they settle in; and serving as an overnight volunteer as a backup for the ECHOS staff member on-site. "Our morning volunteers arrive in time to help guests wake up for the day, serve them breakfast, provide them with to-go food, and ensure they all exit the shelter on time," Dixon said. There are also opportunities for individuals or groups to provide dinner each evening for the guests, preparing the meals off-site and delivering them to the shelter, hot and ready to serve. Volunteers also may serve by cleaning the shelter twice a week during the day when guests are not present.

Along with food for three meals a day as well as other basic essentials, shelter guests have access to a shelter advocate who can help connect them with community resources, search for employment and housing and help them work through any obstacles they may be facing on their path to stability. Guests also can use on-site laundry and shower facilities as well as storage lockers for their belongings and have access to the Enrichment Center, which includes free Wi-Fi, computers, private meeting rooms, workshops, to-go food and hygiene items, employment assistance and additional services.

Nothing at the shelter would be possible without the dedication of staff members and volunteers, said Briana Anderson, ECHOS executive director.

"One thing I love about the Elizabethtown Emergency Shelter is the sense of community," she stated. "We pride ourselves on creating a warm and inviting atmosphere where guests feel cared for and don't have to worry about the things that we all should be entitled to - like a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. Running the Elizabethtown Emergency Shelter takes a village, and that village celebrates the successes of each and every one of our guests."

For more information on volunteering or to register for the volunteer training, visit https://echoslancaster.galaxydigital.com or email Carrie Stricker at volunteer@echoslancaster.org.