FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
From CARITAS Volunteers
United by our compassion, we help our most vulnerable neighbors
break the cycles of homelessness and addiction to reclaim their dignity.
What does CARITAS do?
CARITAS breaks the cycle of homelessness in Richmond through innovative programs that fill
gaps in our service system and move individuals from crisis situations to stability.
I want to help, but I am not an extrovert. Can I do this?
Yes! There is a job for everyone, and we need all personalities and talents. And remember that not
all of the guests are extroverts, either, so you are not expected to be anyone other than yourself.
Starting up a conversation with a guest is remarkably easy- it usually takes asking them one question.
“Where are you from?” or “Tell me about your day” are good examples.
Can our children help?
Children can be great volunteers in many ways. They can help serve the guests at dinner. Children
can interact and play card games and chess with the adult guests. When children are around adult
guests tend to put their personal frustrations aside and put their best selves forward for the sake of
the children. Many of your guests may have children themselves, and appreciate even brief contact
with a young person. Encourage your young volunteers to share their time evenly as possible with
your guests, and of course, no volunteer, young or old should be spend time alone with a guests.
Child volunteers are not needed as playmates for the Family Focus children, but can still help as
volunteers with meals and interaction.
What if a situation arises with a guest that I don’t know how to handle?
Whenever guests are at your facility, there will be at least one CARITAS staff member present who is
trained to handle problems that arise. If you have any questions or observe any problem with a
guest, we ask that you go immediately to the staff member and let them handle the situation.
Who do we contact if there is a problem?
When there is a problem the staff person should be capable of handling the situation. However, if the
problem goes unresolved, contact the Team Lead. If the issue is still unresolved call the Shelter
Operations Manager, Tom Bannard, 804-366-8027.
How do we do laundry for guests?
Laundry can be done by having volunteers in the congregation take laundry home one evening and
returning it the next night or by providing quarters, detergent, and transportation to a local laundry.
The first option is preferred by guests and staff, and is a great way to get homebound seniors and
young families involved!
How do we get showers for our guests?
Showers are generally accomplished by visiting the YMCA in the area where your congregation is
located or by making arrangements with another church (with showers). During the summer months,
there may be a school that will allow you to use their shower facility or you may even have a shower
on the premises. If showers are located on the premises you may want to determine the number that
can shower each night based on the capacity of your hot water tank. You are encouraged to
determine in advance how many evenings during the week that showers will be offered, and have
your guest sign up in advance. Also….don’t forget to supply towels, washcloths, and personal care
items! If you are hosting Family Focus, parents and children must travel together to showers.
What should we include in a lunch?
Lunch should be balanced – a sandwich, fruit (not apples- many of your guests suffer from dental
problems), something crunchy-like chips, something to drink (bottled water is best) and a desert.
Your guests’ workdays can be extreme. Many Single Adult guests are often walking most of the day
in search of employment or services to reach certain goals. Day labor employment consists of hard
physical labor at modest wages, less expenses to rent required safety equipment. Your guests really
need a good lunch! For Family Focus children- please do not include candy.
What kinds of food do they like?
Nothing fancy or out of the norm. If they have never heard of it or it looks strange to them it will
probably not be eaten. Regular hot, nutritious, home-cooked style meals are always appreciated.
This goes double for Family Focus.
Why are overnight volunteers needed?
Overnight volunteers are needed to be of assistance to our staff in case of emergencies. It is very
rare they will be called upon to help, however they are much more familiar with your building and your
leadership than are our staff.
Does it matter if overnight volunteers are men or women?
The gender of the volunteer is immaterial. The fellowship, respect and compassion that passed from
one human being to another are much more important. However, many congregations are most
comfortable with couples as overnight volunteers.
How do they get to our facility?
Overnight guests are transported every evening by bus from the Intake Site (Single Adult) which is
located at a downtown congregation or the Day Site (Family Focus). CARITAS has a contract with a
company called Winn Transportation to provide transportation service in the evening and morning to
bring guests to and from our participating Host Sites.
Do you prescreen guests before they get on the bus?
A form of screening actually happens twice for Single Adults. First they are screened by Homeless
Point of Entry which is operated by Commonwealth Catholic Charities. This is the hub in the
Richmond homeless service provider network of agencies and provides referrals for all shelter and
other basic needs.
We then receive your single adult overnight guests at a CARITAS Intake Site where we can observe
their behavior prior to departure to the host site. If an issue or issues exist, staff may either go over
guidelines with the entire group or may pull an individual to the side to discuss that person’s individual
circumstance to bring about closure. It is not in the best interest of clients, staff, or volunteers to bring
a potentially volatile guest to your facility.
Family Focus guests also come to us via Central Intake. They then report to our Day Site at our
offices near the Brook Road Post Office to complete a lengthy intake process which includes a
demographic profile, social history, and service plan. Guests are monitored by staff each afternoon
before boarding the bus.
Where are they dropped off in the morning?
Single Adult guests are returned to the previous evening’s Intake Site, while Family Focus guests are
returned to the Day Site at our administrative office.
What do our homeless guests do during the day?
During the day many of your guests go to work at a regular job or seek work through day labor.
Others follow through with appointments that may have established in cooperation with their case
manager pertaining to their mental and physical health. They also may be seeking resources to fulfill
the criteria of their service plan designed to assist them in meeting the eventual goal of personal
stability and housing. Of course, children in the Family Focus program attend school or if
arrangements can be made, daycare.
Why are they homeless?
The high cost of housing is an overarching theme that spurs homelessness. In addition, your guests
are homeless due to a myriad of social conditions and individual circumstances. There are those who
are homeless due to eviction. Some are struggling with mental illness or medical issues and are not
receiving the financial, emotional, or structural support they need to maintain a place to live or to keep
current with their medications or appointments. Some people have recently been released from jail or
prison and lack the support of family in the immediate area. Some have been hospitalized, lost their
housing, and were not transitioned out from the health care provider to a suitable living situation.
Some are in the throws of alcohol or drug addiction and have few friends or family members willing to
help, while others have been recently released from a recovery program. Finally, there are those who
are dual diagnosed (mental illness and chemical addition) and need intensive case management to
help them cope with their complicated issues. Domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse also
drives individuals and families from their homes. Each story is as different as the individual people we
serve.
Besides meeting their immediate needs for a week, how is CARITAS helping these people get
out of the cycle of homelessness?
CARITAS is more than simply a place to stay and get something to eat. We have a staff of case
managers who work individually and collectively with clients that are willing to move forward toward
independent living. Staff and clients work together to identify, and then addresses the emotional,
physical, mental, legal, or medical obstacles standing between that person’s current state and selfsufficiency.
Do they work?
Those who are capable and prepared do work. However, work is not always the first item to be
addressed. Often other deep-seated, chronic issues must be considered before someone in crisis
can be in a position to be suitable, reliable employee for a potential employer.
How do the homeless get mental health services?
Mental health services are provided through several venues, but there is a significant gap for this type
of care in our homeless services system. Your guests can visit the Daily Planet but they only see
clients on a very limited basis. Richmond Behavior Health Authority is available, but only for those
with Medicaid, Medicare or some form of health insurance. The same goes for the small number of
private providers willing to serve the homeless. Cross Over Health Center renders services when
they have a psychiatrist on duty.
Can we provide non prescription medications?
Non prescription medications can be given out by the volunteers, but should only be distributed
through the staff on duty. It is helpful to have cold medicines and aspirins available during the winter
months; however it is critical that cold medications do not contain alcohol. The cold weather, poor
diet, physical exhaustion, and consequent chronic illness plague the homeless community during this
time of year.
What happens after they leave CARITAS?
When our guests leave CARITAS we hope they are successfully exiting into another emergency
shelter program that meets their needs, a transitional housing program, a single occupancy
residential program, subsidized housing or a market rate rental unit. Some will fall short of success
due to their personal issues and questionable decision-making, and remain in the system to return to
CARITAS or another shelter program to try once again.
How can I stay in touch with a guest or family after they leave our congregation?
We discourage volunteers from becoming overly involved with any one guest or family. However, we
encourage you to do your very best during the week of shelter to help your guests feel welcome and
of value. You can even extend an invitation to make your congregation their spiritual home. Some
congregations provide transportation to Sunday church services and once a guest is successfully
transitioned to more stable housing they may seek out your congregation. Finally, there is the
possibility for continued involvement and support through our Furniture Bank and Works programs
whereby congregations help furnish homes of former clients and offer support to help clients maintain
housing.
This has been such an amazing week for our congregation. Is there a way we can encourage
other congregations to participate?
Yes! And please do! The best way for CARITAS to recruit new congregations is through volunteers
like you. Finding congregations to host a week is our most fundamental, critical need. Word of
mouth and personal, individual contacts are the best way to start. Then, an interested congregation
can either visit our website and download a registration form from www.caritassva.org Or send an
email to tbannard@caritasva.org to get a form, or simply give Tom a call at 804-366-8027.
There are also opportunities to support the passionate efforts of smaller congregations who desire to
host our program, but lack the volunteers and resources to do so. Again, give Tom a call to find out
about getting involved in a support role.
Our Programs
What is the CARITAS Shelter?
The CARITAS Shelter is the largest and most inclusive emergency shelter in Central Virginia,
providing food, shelter, and a pathway back to self-sufficiency. Our innovative approach
leverages the support of over 160 congregations and over 15,000 volunteers help more than
1,000 individuals annually.
What is the CARITAS Furniture Bank?
The CARITAS Furniture Bank is the only furniture bank in Central Virginia, serving 800 families
annually. Equipped with basic household goods, these families can dedicate their resources to
breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty. With the help of the community, CARITAS has
provided beds to nearly 2,000 children since 2010.
What is CARITAS Works?
CARITAS Works is an intensive five-week job readiness program for individuals with barriers to
employment including homelessness, addiction, and felony convictions. Our students leave the
program equipped to live independently and thrive in our community.
What is The Healing Place?
The Healing Place is a 214-bed shelter and long term recovery program for addicted men. The
best practices model boasts a one year out sobriety rate of over 65%. The Healing Place
provides a path to recovery and a second chance at life to men struggling with addiction and
homelessness.
What is Sleep Tight?
CARITAS addresses the question, how to kill bed bugs & their eggs environmentally and
succeeded with an innovative solution. Sleep Tight has an especially designed mobile truck to
pick up contaminated furniture. The truck is blasted with forced air heat causing the death of all
live bed bugs and the eggs that are most difficult to kill. This is a triple bottom line business.
Environment, Employment and Economic revenue.
How is CARITAS Funded?
Last year CARITAS relied on private contributions for 76% of its funding. Like most nonprofits,
CARITAS depends primarily on the support of individuals whether from private foundations,
employee giving campaigns or individuals. CARITAS received 16% from state and local
governments, but we do not receive any federal funding. We have been successful in earning
income from our monthly yard sales and income on our Healing Place Rental properties; this
represented 8% of our income. We are trying to increase our sources of earned income so that
we are less reliant on changes in government spending and ensure stability in uncertain
economic times.
Volunteering
What will volunteers gain from their experience with CARITAS?
Involvement with CARITAS is often a transformative experience for both clients and volunteers.
Most of our volunteers reflect that they received far more than they gave from their interactions
with clients.
I’d like my congregation, company or organization to learn more about CARITAS and
breaking the cycles of homelessness and addiction. Can someone come speak to us?
Yes, we are happy to educate your group of 20 or more. Please contact Sharon Drennan, Our
Volunteer Coordinator, at sdrennan@caritasva.org or Tom Bannard, Shelter Operations Manager,
tbannard@caritasva.org. Congregations, companies and organizations play a critical role in
transforming the lives of our clients through hosting shelter, performing furniture drives,
building furniture, and financial support. CARITAS can accommodate volunteer groups of up to
30.
How can my congregation become a CARITAS Shelter host site?
CARITAS is provides shelter through partnerships with over a 160 area congregations a year. To
become one of our host congregations please contact Tom Bannard, our Shelter Operations
Manager, at tbannard@caritasva.org.
How can I learn more about current volunteer opportunities at CARITAS?
Attend our “Connect with CARITAS” session any Wednesday, 1:00pm at 1125 E Commerce Rd.
The session typically runs 30 minutes and includes a tour of our facility. You do not need to
make an appointment, just show up!
Donations
How do I support CARITAS financially?
We always need financial assistance; you can mail donations to PO Box 25790, Richmond VA
23260 or make a donation on line at www.caritasva.org
What other donations does CARITAS accept?
Our biggest needs in the Furniture Bank are sofas, mattresses, dining sets, chairs, beds, counter
top appliances, pots/pans, silverware, towels, linens, and sheets. We accept all other
furniture and household goods .
In the Shelter program, we are always in need of toiletries, sheets and pillows.
In our Works program we are always in need of Men’s Dress Clothing especially socks and belts.
At The Healing Place we are always in need of men’s clothing and toiletries.
You can deliver all donations to a central drop off location. Our warehouse operates M-F 9am4pm and one Saturday per month. For a small fee we can send our truck to pick up large items.
You can drop off donations at one of our many storage facilities, please call 343-5008 for more
info.
All donations are tax deductible, receipts are available at all locations.
How do I learn more about CARITAS?
Please visit our website www.caritasva.org, or attend our “Connect with CARITAS” session any
Wednesday, 1:00pm at 1125 E Commerce Rd.