The success of Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Kingsport depends on the hard work and enthusiasm of the volunteers in our host and support churches. Our volunteers express their hospitality by interacting with guests, treating guest families with dignity and respect, and showing genuine concern for their well-being. Without volunteers, there would be no network.

The volunteer's role

We all want to know the best ways to help. IHNGK volunteers help most when they understand their roles: As members of a host congregation they have offered their congregation's facility as a temporary home. As hosts, they support homeless families on their paths to independence. Although volunteers cannot solve the guests' problems, their caring makes a difference in the lives of the homeless families they serve.

How can I help? By providing a temporary home…

Homelessness disrupts life beyond all measure. Host congregations invite guests to use their facilities as their temporary home. During host week, when volunteers enter their church, they are entering their guests' home. By experiencing their congregation's facilities in this way, volunteers identify with the needs of the guests.

How can I help? By seeing beyond stereotypes…

The families who become our guests through IHNGK are our neighbors who have been faced with a tragic situation - homelessness. As volunteers, we need to put a human face on homelessness and develop relationships with guests based on mutual respect. We are all God's children.

How can I help? By striving for understanding…

Volunteers need to understand that guests are going through what may be the most severe crisis of their lives. Each person deals with this trauma in a different way. Some individuals are optimistic and open about their situations, while others feel ashamed, humiliated, and alienated. However guests cope with their displacement, they find themselves dependent upon others to support their basic needs and the needs of their children. Many homeless people feel helpless and frustrated and may express these feelings by withdrawing or acting in an angry manner. Some may find it difficult to accept the goodwill of volunteers or to show appreciation. Volunteers need to recognize and be sensitive to the frustration and anger that guests may feel. Most of our guests have lost everything and are going through the grieving process. As they work toward acceptance of their situation with the love of volunteers, you will observe mood swings and must be sympathetic to these.

How can I help? By not judging …

It is a natural tendency to judge or criticize. Guests and volunteers may have different lifestyles and values; it is the volunteer's task to forego these differences and relate to guests as individuals worthy of trust, respect, and utmost courtesy. An ability to see life from another perspective is an especially useful attitude for all volunteers.

How can I help? By being a good listener...

While volunteers are not counselors, they do need to employ the listening skills of good counselors: reflecting back, clarifying, and summarizing what they hear. Good listeners don't assume that others think as they do; they listen more than they talk; they don't need to express an opinion on everything that's said. By becoming adept listeners, volunteers can help Guests begin to work through the problems they face.

How can I help? By respecting privacy...

Guests will meet dozens of volunteers during their stay in the network. For this reason especially, volunteers need to take their cues from the guests. Volunteers should introduce themselves and be friendly, but not pry or hover. Guests who want to talk are not usually shy about it. Volunteers should respect those who don't.

How can I help? By focusing on strengths...

As volunteers develop relationships with guests, volunteers become a helping force by focusing on the guest's strengths and capabilities. This focus helps create empowerment, or a state of mind in which an individual feels personal power as a result of confidence and self-esteem. As guests begin to feel empowered, they mobilize their own internal and external resources to take action and solve problems.

How can I help? By understanding my limits...

At times volunteers may feel helpless in the face of seemingly insurmountable problems in guests' lives. To temper disappointment, it is vital that volunteers remain clear about their role. They are not counselors, or professional problem solvers. At most, volunteers encounter guests a few times a week every two to three months. The role of volunteers is "not to solve but to serve". The goal of network volunteers must be to provide a secure, homelike environment where guests can focus on their needs and take action to solve their problems.

While in IHNGK, guests are required to "work a program." As part of this program, guests are required to put effort into identifying and solving the problems that made them homeless. The old saw, "too many cooks spoil the stew," fits this situation.
It is the responsibility of the executive director and day center assistant to work with adult guests on a daily basis to help them with their problems.  IHNGK's goal is to teach the guest problem-solving techniques and encourage them as they work their way back to self-sufficiency. Too many people with too much advice can be confusing to someone who is already stressed out by homelessness.

How can I help? By letting guests do it themselves…

When a mom with a "brood" of kids starts talking about what she needs, it's natural for a volunteer to want to fill those needs. Any time a volunteer feels the urge to give cash or gifts to a guest, they must check with the executive director or assistant first. Some of our guests have made a habit of taking handouts rather than earning their keep. A volunteer doesn't know a guest's background and might not know that giving to that guest would be a setback rather than a hand up. For this reason, volunteers should check with IHNGK staff before giving material gifts to guests.

How can I help? By adopting the Hospitality Code...

Just as network guests are asked to comply with a set of guidelines, volunteer hosts are asked to observe the IHN Hospitality Code. The code summarizes IHN's philosophy of treating network families with dignity and respect. All volunteers should be familiar with the Hospitality Code and strive to live by it in their relationships with guests. Click Here for the Hospitality Code