Tom Butt
 
  E-Mail Forum – 2017  
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  Volunteer Information for Safe Time
June 2, 2017
 

I heard a presentation on this at Richmond Rotary and thought it should be shared.

Safe Time is a non-profit program that recruits volunteers in the Richmond area to temporarily host low-income families in their homes. The website is SafeTimeHost.org.

Prospective guests are referred to us by schools, churches, and community service organizations that support low-income families. When they see a client family in danger of becoming homeless, and believe the family is fully appropriate for temporary home-sharing, the groups contact us to see if a volunteer host is available.

Volunteer hosts go through several steps to assure a proposed guest will be desirable. Hosts receive a phone call description of the prospective guest(s) and a written application with references, followed by two meetings with the family, before making any commitment. 

Please visit SafeTimeHost.org to learn more and consider volunteering.

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Although we are brand new and in startup mode, some folks that you may know including Jim Becker of Richmond Community Fund, Gary Conner of White Pony Express, Art Hatchett of GRIP and Lavonna Martin of CCC are aware of us.

I would be more than happy to talk about this more if you would like.

Thanks,
Chuck
Chuck Grant
Executive Director
Safe Time Home Sharing, Inc. - a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Preventing Homelessness through Home Sharing
Safetimehost.org
510-524-5525
Kensington, CA 94707

Volunteer Information for Safe Time

Safe Time Program for Community-based Organizations (CBOs)
May 14, 2017

Safe Time Home Sharing, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit corporation.  Our mission is preventing homelessness.  We are piloting the Safe Time Program in 2017, and this summary description is evolving and subject to review and improvement.

Safe Time will recruit volunteer hosts to shelter needy individuals and families in their apartments, condos and houses for a small number of months. Safe Time will qualify the hosts and develop a registry with detailed host profiles.

Safe Time partners with CBOs (including police and schools) who refer selected, known, appropriate clients in poverty for the Safe Time program. When a client is found to be facing imminent homelessness, Safe Time and the CBO will cooperate to arrange a temporary match with an available host.

The clients appropriate for placement in a home sharing situation are sober, healthy (including behavior health), non-felons and free of violence. The must have a credible plan to move to permanent housing in a small number of months. U.S citizenship is not required.

The current steps for arranging a placement that is desired by a client are a) The potential host is called with a description of the client and is also sent a completed Guest Application Form; b) A meeting is arranged between the client and host away from the home; c) A meeting is arranged at the home; d) A one day waiting period allows both parties to consider whether the placement is desired. Either client or host can decline the placement at any step in the process. CBOs and Safe Time will cooperate in facilitating these steps.

Safe Time has created documents to facilitate the process including

  • For guest applicants: Guest Application Form (includes a hold-harmless agreement)
  • For volunteer hosts: Host Information Sheet (includes a hold-harmless agreement)
  • For both hosts and guests: A suggested outline for discussion at first meeting
  • For both hosts and guests: A suggested Guest-Host Contract for them to sign

After a placement begins, CBOs are expected to remain in contact with their client (and the host) to support the success of the placement.

We invite Contra Costa County CBOs to participate with us in our 2017 pilot. Please review the Safe Time Program Memorandum of Cooperation below and then contact Chuck Grant at cgrant@safetimehost.org or 510-524-5525.

CBO and Safe Time Home Sharing, Inc. (Safe Time) intend to cooperate during the 2017 pilot of the Safe Time Program to arrange temporary (transitional) home sharing for appropriate needy singles and families who are on the verge of homelessness (Guest).

The 2017 pilot program is intended to improve and refine the Safe Time Program.

This Memorandum is a non-binding agreement to cooperate in arranging Safe Time placements.  Either CBO or Safe Time may choose to discontinue cooperation at any time. Agreement to and cancellation of this nonbinding agreement may be communicated by email.

CBO will only refer Guests known to them and will use reasonable best efforts to assure such Guests are appropriate for home-sharing.  Specifically, CBO is expected to be familiar with the Guest and provide the Safe Time Guest Application for completion by the Guest and then review it for errors or misrepresentations. CBO will follow the Safe Time procedures for placement of Guests.

Hosts made available by Safe Time will be qualified using reasonable best efforts to assure their appropriateness to shelter clients and will include a phone interview and at least one reference check. Background checks of hosts and home visits may be made in specific cases.

No Guest-host placement is to be initiated without both Guest and Host signing an agreement to hold CBO and Safe Time harmless.

Please acknowledge your willingness to participate in the Safe Time pilot by phone or email to Chuck Grant.

Once Safe Time receives acknowledgement of participation by CBO, Safe Time will inform CBO of current volunteer hosts available for Guests.

Thank you!

 
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