Volunteering
What Do Volunteers Do?
Prospective volunteers, in an effort to better understand the work of the volunteers, often ask what a day at the houses is like.
First, it is important to understand that Annunciation House is a volunteer organization, and that the volunteers live and work in the houses; volunteers receive no compensation in their first year, and longer-term volunteers receive only a stipend. The volunteers at the houses work under the supervision of the House Coordinator, a volunteer who has typically worked at the house for at least a year. The volunteer staff is responsible for the operation of the house, attending to the needs of the guests, coordinating the meals, picking up food donations, doing house and car maintenance, and all the other things that necessary to maintain a house of hospitality for 50 people.
At times, Annunciation House makes use of community volunteers. These are people from the local community who make themselves available for a few hours each week to do a guest-servant shift, help in the office, and/or work on specific projects such as building maintenance, car maintenance, or guest recreation.
Mealtime at Casa Vides
Volunteers have four main areas of responsibility: guest-servant shifts, being a contact person, weekly rotations, and permanent rotations. The guest-servant is the person immediately responsible for the operation of the house. The House Coordinator makes a weekly schedule with each day divided into two guest-servant shifts, a morning shift from 6am to 2pm, and an evening shift from 2pm to 10pm. The guest-servant will find him or herself answering the phone, welcoming new guests, checking on meal preparations, applying bandages to a guest’s wound, distributing laundry soap, or finding a spot for a recent donation. Volunteers hesitate to label any shift or day as typical or normal. Each guest, each day is new and so too each guest-servant shift is a new opportunity to learn how to love and serve.
In addition to guest-servant shifts, volunteers also serve as contact person. Each new guest welcomed into the house is assigned a contact person -a volunteer who works with him or her individually to clarify and resolve their situation. Each guest is asked to plan the next step in their life or journey. The house works to foster the independence, responsibility, and ability of the guests to solve their problems. A contact person may show a guest how to use a phone, for example. Guests in need of medical attention are accompanied to local clinics or hospitals where health care arrangements are made. Parents of school-age children are assisted in registering their children in one of the neighborhood schools. Befriending, listening, questioning, suggesting, explaining, and translating, are all part of the work of the contact person. This is hospitality on a personal level.
Volunteers and guests at Casa Vides
Weekly assignments and special projects (holiday plans or putting together a party, for instance) are divided and rotated among the volunteers to assure that the house is ready for guests. Weekly rotations include House Laundry, House Guest Recreation, and House Safety Inspection.
Some of the house responsibilities involve a period of learning that would be too overwhelming if the job were a weekly rotation. Hence, each volunteer is assigned a permanent job, which they keep for the length of their commitment. For example, one volunteer is in charge of keeping the food pantry stocked and in order. Another volunteer oversees the clothing bank. Other volunteers are in charge of house records, bookkeeping, and house maintenance.
Of all the works that the volunteers are asked to offer, none is more important than that of being a welcoming presence to those who come. This is the work of listening to the story that comes from the heart or playing with a lonely child, taking a walk with a runaway, or holding a baby for an overwhelmed mother. This is the work of living with those whom one must see as brother or sister, mother or father, son or daughter. It is the work of building community and creating family with those who hunger to belong and to hear someone say “yes” to them. This is the work that volunteers do that has no days and no time to measure its gift.
While offering hospitality is our primary work, there is other work that we do that volunteers might be asked to become involved in according to the house’s needs at any given time. The areas of this work includes: education, advocacy, and administrative support.
Education
Educating people to the realities of the border and the various forces that bring people to the border is also part of the house’s work. To this end we have developed the Border Awareness Experience (BAE), an immersion experience through which we provide hospitality to groups from colleges, universities, seminaries, and churches in the United States and facilitate face-to-face meetings and encounters between them and organizations, groups, and individuals on both sides of the border. Volunteers are involved in coordinating these trips, translating, and accompanying groups during their time with us.
Advocacy
Advocacy for our guests and for the immigrants whom we will never meet is also part of the work that we do. Volunteers often find themselves accompanying guests to meetings with social service agencies or doctors, for example, to provide support, encouragement, and translation. Also, once a year we host a Voice of the Voiceless event to recognize others who are working for justice for immigrants. The months-long outreach to the border community to involve them in this event and to galvanize them around the issue of justice for immigrants is a profound example of the advocacy work that Annunciation House does.
Administrative Support
Administrative and clerical work goes on in our office that is located at Casa Teresa, two blocks from Annunciation House. In the office volunteers do research, writing, computer work, bookkeeping, and other tasks that help fulfill the administrative needs of the house. Annunciation House also puts out a newsletter. Volunteers are always encouraged to get involved with the research, writing, formatting, and distribution of this newsletter.
With all of the work that volunteers do, it is important to have time off to rest and renew. For this purpose, once a week volunteers have a day and a night off. An apartment on the second floor of Casa Teresa is available for volunteers’ use on their day off. There is a men’s and women’s dorm at Casa Teresa, as well as a living room, dining room, and kitchen. Volunteers have access to Internet and a television in this space as well. On the bottom floor of Casa Teresa behind the administrative offices is another apartment. This apartment serves as the living space of long-term volunteers.
Volunteers and guests after soccer
“If there is hunger anywhere in the world, then our celebration of the Eucharist is somehow incomplete everywhere in the world.” –Pedro Arrupe
Faith and Spirituality
From the very beginning, the story of Annunciation House has been one of a faith journey. It has been and continues to be an attempt to encounter the Jesus of the Gospel in today’s world. The starting point for the volunteers is not “what can I do for others”. Rather, it is the realization that one has a profound desire and hunger to experience holiness, joy, peace, and goodness, and that these are to be found with and among the poor. Annunciation House is not a place for individuals who primarily seek to do social work. It is a place for individuals who are in search of a deeper experience of God and who have come to understand that for them, it may come through free and complete service to the poor. The call of Annunciation House is one of faith, and as such, it must include a life of prayer and reflection. At Annunciation House, there are regularly scheduled times for prayer and reflection. Because the house came into being out of a Catholic tradition, the Eucharist is very much a part of the prayer life of the house.
Eucharistic celebrations are an important part of both volunteer gatherings and a part of celebrations in the houses. Volunteers coming to Annunciation House are expected to be part of and participate in the prayer and spiritual life of the house. Annunciation House welcomes volunteer workers from all faiths and there exists a commitment to a prayer and spiritual life that is ecumenically inclusive. In addition, the planning and preparation for prayer and reflection times are rotated and shared among the volunteers. The challenge for some individuals is that as lay people, they have not had too great of an exposure to prayer and theological reflection.
It is equally important for individuals considering coming to Annunciation House that they realize that there is a deep respect for the religious beliefs and practices of the guests. There is absolutely no room at Annunciation House for any form of proselytizing or obliging of guests to participate in religious services as a precondition to being welcomed or assisted.
Volunteering
Year-Long Volunteer
Over the years, the work of Annunciation House has grown and the number of people coming to the house has increased greatly. Individuals coming to live and work at the house find that it takes them several months before they feel fully knowledgeable of all that it takes to be a good volunteer and servant of the homeless poor. For this reason, individuals wishing to volunteer at Annunciation House are expected to make a commitment to serve at the house for at least one year.
Summer Internship
The exception to this minimum commitment is a ten week Summer Internship that is open to individuals each summer. It begins May 25th and ends August 3rd. The internship is specifically geared to students, teachers, and others whose life situation precludes their having more time -to consider serving at Annunciation House. Individuals seeking to participate in the Summer Internship are expected to complete the same application process requested of longer-term volunteers. In addition there is an April 25th deadline for the Summer Internship applicants, a date by which all information is to be received.
Volunteers coming to Annunciation House through the Summer Internship Program participate in all aspects of the work and life of Annunciation House. Their presence is a great help to the House as it increases the staff which allows work to be done or completed on special projects or needs that the house may have.
Because the ten-week period is such a short time, Summer Internship volunteers are expected to be at the house for the entire period. Those who have a conflict with the dates or have another commitment that will take them away from the house for more than four days are discouraged from applying.
Community Volunteers
At times, Annunciation House makes use of community volunteers. These are people from the local community who make themselves available for a few hours each week to do a guest-servant shift, help in the office, and/or work on specific projects such as building maintenance, car maintenance, or guest recreation.
How To Apply
When applying, please include on the application any questions or concerns you have about the life and work of the house. Acceptance of volunteers is based on the guidelines below.
Volunteers are asked to be:
- Available to work at Annunciation House for the minimum commitment period of one year or the entire summer internship. They must be free of any other commitments, responsibilities, or obligations.
- At least 20 years of age, in good physical health, and able to live simply.
- Able to work in some very hot and some very cold weather.
- Single or married with no dependents.
- Spanish language skills are not required, but helpful. Non-Spanish speakers must come with a willingness to learn the language.
- Must have the maturity to live and work with adults and persons from other cultures.
- Able to provide their own transportation to and from the house at the beginning and end of their service period or summer internship.
- Willing and able to commit themselves to the lifestyle, rules, and structures of the house, and open to serving in the simplest of ways.
- Willing to fill out, comply with, and return the application used by the house.
- Able to start service on one of the four arrival dates: February 1st, May 25th, August 1st, and November 1st.
Volunteers will be provided with:
- Full room and board.
- A travel stipend for those who complete a full year of service.
- Health insurance (year-long volunteers only).
The application process requires:
- Filling out the application form.
- Submitting an essay or letter stating your reasons for wanting to come to the house.
- Providing a recent photograph.
- Having a physical exam or obtaining a copy of an exam from within the last year.
- Obtaining four reference letters.
- A criminal background check.
Notification of acceptance will be made as soon as possible.
- Volunteers need to bring an original birth certificate or passport along when they come to the house.
- To contact the Volunteer Coordinator by e-mail please contact
Return the application form to:
Volunteer Coordinator
Annunciation House
815 Myrtle Avenue
El Paso, TX 79901-2620