WPC Joins the Community of Faith Mission Winter Shelter
Each winter, some of the most vulnerable members of our Williamsburg community face the bitter cold without a place to stay. Through the Community of Faith Mission (COFM)—a partnership of local congregations offering emergency winter shelter—our church offers warmth, safety, compassion, and human dignity to neighbors in need.
This year, Williamsburg Presbyterian Church will host the COFM Winter Shelter from January 4–11, 2026, and we are calling on our congregation to serve. We will also partner with neighboring churches to help staff their shelter nights.
Serving at the shelter is a meaningful hands-on ministry. Every shift—whether cooking dinner, checking in guests, or offering a quiet presence overnight—helps create a safe and welcoming environment for those who have nowhere else to go. If you’ve been looking for a tangible way to live out Christ’s call to love our neighbors, this is it!
Where WPC Is Serving
At WPC (January 4–11, 2026)
- January 4–5
- January 5–6
- January 10–11
At Partner Churches
- December 22-23, 2025 — Life Church
- January 20-21, 2026 — St. Martin’s Episcopal
Across all three locations, we need volunteers for a total of five nights (and the following mornings).
Shelter Shifts
- Guest Check-In Team (5:00–9:00 PM)
Volunteers will serve as either Security (interacting with guests in Stevenson Hall as they arrive to assess any drug or alcohol use); Check-in desk (assists Shelter Manager in Stevenson Hall with checking in guests by providing name tags, bag numbers, etc.); Runners (escorting guests down the stairs from Stevenson Hall to the Basement Shelter area; Property Room Guardian (receiving guests belongings in Basement Room LL010 and monitoring the room). Security, Runners and Property Room Guardian may also be asked to assist with smoke break, bedding distribution, and shower schedule. - Dinner / Kitchen Team (5:00–9:00 PM)
Prepare and serve dinner to our guests. Meals are served in the basement kitchen area. - Overnight Hospitality Team
- 9:00 PM–2:00 AM
Supports the Shelter Manager/WPC leader in monitoring guests and maintaining a fire watch; provides meals to any late arrivals. - 2:00 AM–7:30 AM
Supports the Shelter Manager/WPC leader in monitoring guests, maintaining a fire watch, and assisting, as needed, with breakfast and check-out.
- 9:00 PM–2:00 AM
- Breakfast & Check-Out Team (5:00–7:30 AM)
- Breakfast: Prepare and serve breakfast to our guests. Meals are served in the basement kitchen area.
- Check-out: Supports the Shelter Manager/WPC leader by receiving/stowing guest bedding, distributing guest belongings, and escorting guests out of WPC.
We also need people to help set up and break down the shelter during the week that WPC hosts. On January 4, volunteers will prepare the basement rooms for the shelter and transport supplies downstairs to the basement. On January 11, volunteers will break down the shelter and transport supplies upstairs to the trailer. They will also set up basement rooms for Sunday School.
