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Wesleyan’s Winter Homeless Shelter Returns for Fourth Year
December 1, 2009
Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Va. â€" Virginia Wesleyan College, in partnership with Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless, hosts the fourth annual Winter Homeless Shelter, January 10-16, in the C-MAC in Jane P. Batten Student Center on the College campus.
The shelter offers the homeless a week of shelter services that include hot meals, a warm place to sleep and fellowship. New to the shelter this year are themed nights and ping-pong. Returning activities include basketball buddies, salsa dancing and haircuts.
†In the community service world, sustainability is a big deal because when you do that, your impact is greater,†said Diane Hotaling, director of community service and shelter operations manager. †It makes me feel really good that Virginia Wesleyan students and the campus community have sustained this program.â€
Virginia Wesleyan served an average of 72 guests per night during the 2009 Winter Homeless Shelter.In conjunction with the shelter, Virginia Wesleyan students can also take a course over the Winter Session term. The course, INST 124 or PORT 124: Service Learning in Hampton Roads: Homelessness Is Where The Heart Is - A Local Perspective On Homelessness, is open to 60 students.
The shelter accepts volunteers of all ages. Due to the high number of volunteers, individuals are limited to two days. Those interested in volunteering can sign up in the Office of Community Service, located in the Jane P. Batten Student Center, room 25.
Donations in the form of food, clothing and money are also being accepted. All donations can be dropped off in the Office of Community Service.
For more information on volunteering or donating, contact Diane Hotaling at 757.455.3216 or dhotaling@vwu.edu.
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