Alex Wright, University Covenant Church.
"Come Join Us" is the theme of a series of public service announcements that have begun airing on Davis Community Television to promote the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter. Now in its fourth season, the shelter program was established to house the homless during the worst of the winter season.
Each of the one minute videos feature volunteer spokespersons for host organizations which provide an average of 25 homeless individuals per night with a hot meal, transportation, and a sleeping bag for a "good night's sleep." Hosts sites include United Methodist Church, Lutheran church of the Incarnation, University Covenant Church, First Baptist Church of Davis, Our Faith Lutheran Church, Davis Community Church, Unitarian Universalist Church, Congregation Bet Haverim, and St. James Catholic Church.
The winter shelter program operates from the the end of November to mid-March. At 5:00pm each evening homeless individuals assemble at 4th and L Streets at the Friends Society Meeting House which serves as a central intake center. There a team of volunteers assess their needs and provide transport to that week's host site. In the morning, at 6:30am, the homeless guests are transported to back to the intake site.
In addition to these faith-based organizations, other groups offering support and volunteers for the winter shleter program include UC Davis fraternities and sororities, the Boy Scouts of America, Sutter Davis Hospital E.R., Davis Bike Club, DCC Chancel Choir, Mother and Baby Source, Thrivent Financial, and The Spare Changer, a local publication on homless issues.
Lawson Snipes, editor and publisher of The Spare Changer and a founding member of the winter shelter program, organized and directed the video series. Formerly a homeless man himself, he is now comfprtably housed and says of the program: " As a guest last year, the shelter provided me with the opportunity to save money on housing for three months, just the sort of helping hand needed to take the next step towrds self sufficiency."
For more information on the Interfaith Roatating Winter Shelter program, contact their website at www.winter-shelter.org or telephone 530-753-2894.
The series was produced through the facilities of Davis Media Access by Rich Sequest, a volunteer producer.