St. Andrew's Episcopal Church - Anglican

02/23/2025

02/18/2025

Critical cold weather is coming and they need volunteers. Please read and help where you can. 

** Overnight Warming Station (OWS) Update **
Tuesday 7:40 am

From Tammy Chan, Executive Director

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you see this text from someone’s share, please comment on our original post so we can be sure to see everything.

Thank you to everyone who has checked on me and thanks for your prayers.

I have tested positive for Strep and Covid, which explains my low energy and other issues. I’m taking antibiotics and Paclovid and some immune boosters. I have all that I personally need at this time.

My biggest concern is operating the Overnight Warming Station (OWS) during the dangerous cold that is coming this week. I would normally be there as much as possible, but I can’t for four more days.

In addition to Raymond Cox, who is a tremendous help and who represents the Fort Worth Episcopal Diocese that is letting us use St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. we need to have at least one person there at all times.

In my previous post I listed tasks, shifts, meals that are needed.

Many people have offered to volunteer to help, but now we need even more help. We need to make sure there is always at least one person signed up for each shift.

Please pray about helping us as a couple or as an individual. It will be a sacrifice of time, but it is humbling and rewarding too.

If you can help with one of the shifts, tasks or meals, please make a comment.

Please note that we will open at 1 pm and begin pick ups at that time due to dropping temperatures and possible freezing precipitation later. Our goal is to get everyone who will come inside by 7 pm. Some people will still decline buses they worry about their things being stolen.

Our OWS is exclusively for our clients. We do not have space or resources to accommodate people for whom we have no verification that they are sleeping outside in our service area. We will provide information about Warming Stations in other cities so they can be served there, as opposed to coming to Grand Prairie.

We do run backgrounds on all guests and on volunteers who will stay overnight to serve as overnight prayer monitors.

We are not set up to handle families with children. We will connect them to resources to help them.

Unless you’re helping to pick assigned people up from their camps, please do not bring people to the OWS.

If you see someone you suspect may be experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Grand Prairie, please text (preferable) at 214-212-7958 so that we can go check on them and see if they qualify for our services.

—— MEALS That Still Need to Be Covered…

MEAL 3) Lunch for 30 people. We may need more or less. We will update beforehand. - TAKEN by Cindy Dolezal

MEAL 5) Thursday, February 20th - sometime around 7 am. Breakfast for 30 people. - TAKEN by Deborah Badger Jones

——SHIFTS That Still Need to Be Covered…

This is where we really need help! We can have more than one person per shift.

SHIFT 2) Tuesday, February 18th from 7 pm - 11 pm

Help greet the unsheltered neighbors as they arrive and show them around and help them get settled. Latest anyone can come in is 10 pm. The front door gets locked at 10 pm and lights go out at 10:30 pm.

SHIFT 3) Tuesday, February 18th from 11 pm - 6 am on Wednesday, February 19th

Volunteers as an overnight prayer monitor which means to hang out and pray while our other volunteers, including myself, if I am able to make it, can rest.

SHIFT 4) Wednesday, February 19th from 6 am - 10 am

Help greet any new unsheltered neighbors as they arrive and show them around and help them get settled. Hang out with our friends and help with breakfast and make coffee.

SHIFT 7) Wednesday, February 19th from 6 pm - 11 pm

Hang out and monitor. Front door locks at 10 pm and lights out at 10:30 pm.

SHIFT 8: Wednesday, February 19th from 11 pm - 6 am on Thursday, February 20th

Volunteers as an overnight prayer monitor which means to hang out and pray while our other volunteers, including myself, if I am able to make it, can rest.

SHIFT 9) Thursday, February 20th from 6 am - 10 am

Hang out with our friends and help with breakfast and make coffee.

SHIFT 10) Thursday, February 20th from 10 am - 2 pm

Hang out and monitor and help with lunch

SHIFT 11) Thursday, February 20th 2 pm - 6 pm

Hang out and monitor and help with dinner.

SHIFT 12) Thursday, February 20th from 6 pm - 11 pm

Hang out and monitor. Front door locks at 10 pm and lights out at 10:30 pm.

SHIFT 13) Thursday, February 20th from 11 pm - 6 am on Friday, February 21st

Volunteer as an overnight prayer monitor which means to hang out and pray while our other volunteers, including myself, if I am able to make it, can rest.

SHIFT 14) Friday, February 21st from 6 am - 10 am

Hang out with our friends and help with breakfast and make coffee.

SHIFT 16) Friday, February 21st from 2 pm - 6 pm

Hang out and monitor

SHIFT 17) Friday, February 21st from 6 pm - 11 pm

Hang out and monitor. Front door locks at 10 pm and lights out at 10:30 pm.

SHIFT 18) Friday, February 21st from 11 pm - 6 am on Saturday, February 22nd

Volunteer as an overnight prayer monitor which means to hang out and pray while our other volunteers, including myself, if I am able to make it, can rest.

SHIFT 19) Saturday, February 22nd from 6 am - 11 am

—— TASKS for Which We Still Need Volunteers Help…

We can have more than one person per task.

TASK 2) Tuesday, February 18th from 3 pm - 7 pm

Pick up people and pets from camps and spots and bring them to the OWS. - TAKEN By Karen Brock - More help is needed.

TASK 3) Thursday, February 20th from 10 am - 2 pm

Take people to the motel rooms to shower for 20 minutes each and bring them back.

TASK 4) Thursday, February 20th from 10 am - 2 pm

Take people to the motel rooms to shower for 20 minutes each and bring them back.

TASK 5) Thursday, February 20th from 2
2 pm - 6 pm

Take people to the motel rooms to shower for 20 minutes each.

TASK 6). Thursday, February 20th from 6
2 pm - 9 pm

Take people to the motel rooms to shower for 20 minutes each and bring them back.

TASK 8: Saturday, February 22nd from 10 am - 12 pm - Help put blankets, sheets, pillow covers and pillow cases in black bags for washing on Sunday afternoon.

TASK 9) Sunday, February 23rd from 1 pm - 4 pm - Wash laundry at Fiesta Wash and Dry located at 1017 Fort Worth St., Grand Prairie, TX 75050.

TASK 10) Sunday, February 23rd from 4 pm - 6 pm - Final cleanup at St. Andrews. - TAKEN by Ashleigh Johnson - Can still use more help.

This is a lot to ask! We are paying for the Lord to move hearts to help.

Please text us at 214-212-7958 if you have any questions.

Thank you!

01/29/2025

St. Andrew’s just goes on giving and it serves the community well. And like this article says, it is an absolutely gorgeous church.

01/26/2025

Appreciation is expressed for what they are calling their community Barn Raising at St Andrews all of last week.

01/23/2025

They now have central heat and have said that all the needs have been met for their homeless clients (and their pets) at this time. Enjoy the read and photos below. It will warm your heart. 

01/19/2025

Update on needs for the homeless who are seeking shelter at St. Andrews during this frigid cold front. 

NEW UPDATE as of 12:00 pm on Sunday, 1-19-25: Almost everything we have asked for has been provided. The only remaining needs are…

- Six 20-ft extension cords and some more surge-protected electric strips.

4-6 more surge-protected electric strips.

After that we will be all set up.

We will make a better post later but for now we are all set.

UPDATE from the Overnight Warming Station 9:45 am 1-19-25:

If you see this post from a shared post, and if you can help, please comment on our original post so we can see the replies. Thanks!

We have a few needs….

If you can help with any of these items, please make a comment so others will know, and to prevent duplicates, and bring them to the Overnignt Warming Center located at 727 Hill St., Grand Prairie, TX 75050.

We have plenty of snacks.

1) Volunteers to come hang out throughout whole day. Tammy Chan can’t leave to check on people and bring them inside or go to storage or go shopping if we don’t have volunteers to free her up.

2) A relatively large loaner gas generator and gas in gas cans so we can run the electic heaters

3) A second relatively loaner gas generator and gas in gas cans so we can run the electric heaters

4) Cleaning supplies (like spray cleaner), sponges

5) 100 Paper cups for coffee with lids

6) 100 Paper plates

7) Hot chocolate

8. XL Depends (two packs)

9) Dog food - 1 big bag and some cans

10) Aluminum pans that are 9.5 wide so we can fit them in the oven.

11) Napkins

12) 1 Loaner long extension cords marked with the owner’s name and number. These are to run from the generators outside.

13) 1 Loaner long extension cords marked with the owner’s name and number. These are to run from the generators outside.

14) 1 Loaner long extension cords marked with the owner’s name and number. These are to run from the generators outside.

15) 1 minimum 10-15 ft. surge protector bar with multiple plugs

16) 1 minimum 10-15 ft. surge protector bar with multiple plugs

17) 1 minimum 10-15 ft. surge protector bar with multiple plugs

18) 1 minimum 10-15 ft. surge protector bar with multiple plugs

19) 1 minimum 10-15 ft. surge protector bar with multiple plugs

20) 1 minimum 10-15 ft. surge protector bar with multiple plugs

21) Baby Wipes

22) A handy person to replace a door k**b to an outer area. We can’t close the door and cold air is coming in. See photo.

01/18/2025

Update on heating needs at St. Andrew’s.

01/17/2025

I thought some of you would like to see how our church buildings are being  temporarily utilized to help protect the homeless during the next cold front late tonight. They are always looking for volunteers so there’s a number you can call if you would like to help out.

01/10/2025