Homeless Overnight Volunteers Needed

Originally the word sanctuary was used to describe a sacred place set aside for the worship of God. In time the meaning of this word grew to include a place of safety and protection. The word is now frequently used in this way to describe not only the place, but the act of providing safety. One night each month, RPC provides overnight shelter to a group of men, through a program run by the Open Arms Shelter, in White Plains. These men arrive after dark to sleep on cots in the Assembly Room and are gone at day break rarely seen by any of us. During the time when they are asleep under our roof, we have literally reunited the two meanings of this word. Each night we provide sanctuary for these men, in addition to staff from the shelter, a volunteer member of our church stays here at the church. After they leave we need to wash the linens they have used. We need volunteers to sleep overnight at the church and do laundry once a month for the next sleep over. Won't you please consider helping just one night? Our next date is Saturday, January 2, 2010. A schedule of our nights throughout 2010 can be found on a clipboard in the reception area. Please volunteer to either spend the night or help with laundry.