PASTORAL CARE TEAM

Six thousand homeless people are admitted to Boston area hospitals each year with no one to visit or offer spiritual support. Volunteers (laity and clergy) are sought to be with homeless men and women in hospitals and other health care facilities.

Program Description

Ecclesia Ministries' Pastoral Care Team visits homeless people in respite care centers run by Boston Health Care for the Homeless. Close to 100 lay and ordained volunteers have now been trained, and ten to fifteen are currently visiting homeless people in Boston area hospitals, rehabilitation and at respite care facilities run by Boston Health Care for the Homeless (BHCH). We also serve as chaplains and offer memorial services in these facilities. On-site and in-service training offers volunteers discussion about spiritual friendship, homelessness, pastoral skills, laying-on-of-hands and healing, setting boundaries, safety, visiting hospitals, death and dying, and related subjects. Volunteers receive ongoing supervision and support and attend monthly team peer supervision and theological reflection meetings.

Job/Volunteer Duties

We hold regular prayer, healing and Communion services; volunteers are encouraged to lead these services, and to offer Gospel Reflection groups. Volunteers may do art projects, play cards or games, or just listen and talk. Some like to offer the possibility of quiet prayer time with patients. Some volunteers bring in baked goods, or collect used books and magazines to offer to patients. The main requirement of volunteers is a willingness to listen and become engaged with patients in one on one relationships, and to provide an opportunity for patients to have safe and confidential conversations about whatever may be of concern to them.

Qualifications/Training

Many volunteers come with no particular background in Pastoral Care, just a desire to learn more about homeless people and to be directly involved in their lives in some way. We offer both a daylong training, supervision, and ongoing peer support. Newcomers are partnered initially with an experienced Pastoral Care Visitor and they visit as a pair until both feel that the new member is ready to branch out alone. At this point the new Pastoral Care Visitor may want to pair up with another Team member.

Training is offered by Ecclesia and by Boston Health Care for the Homeless (BHCH). Sessions provide training in spiritual friendships, homelessness, pastoral skills, setting boundaries, safety, visiting hospitals, and related subjects. Team members receive ongoing supervision and support.

Time Commitment

Any time is welcome. An average of two hours a week is ideal. Typically volunteers visit a facility once a week for around two hours, usually in the company of another volunteer.

Location/Sites

Lay and ordained volunteers who have been trained visit homeless people at Boston Medical Center, Shattuck Hospital, Brigham and Woman's Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and respite care facilities, Barbara McInnis House and Betty Sneed House:

Barbara M. McInnis House - 461 Walnut Ave. Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Betty Snead House - 18-20 Parker Hill Ave. Boston, MA 02130
Shattuck Shelter - 170 Morton St. Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Boston Medical Center - Harrison Ave. Boston, MA

Street Ministry

Members of the Ecclesia community spend several hours most days in direct street ministry. We visit people on park benches, where meals are served, in railway stations, street corners, etc. We try to focus ourselves on offering what is uniquely "church" and invite people to talk about God, and to pray together. We try to provide for immediate needs (food, blanket, warm coat, and medical emergency) through our network with homeless outreach social and medical services. We offer healing and anointing, and invite people we meet to our Monday healing service, to common cathedral, and to our other programs.

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