Project Homeless Connect Kansas City Volunteer:
Frequently Asked Questions

The Project Homeless Connect Kansas City (PHCKC) event welcomes guests on Tuesday, May 9 from 9:00am to 3:00pm. 

Please check the details of your specific shift, as arrival time for the morning Navigators is 8:00am and 11:30am for the afternoon Navigator shift. See more details on all the volunteer shift times below.

The PHCKC event will take place at the Gregg/Klice Community Center, located at 1600 E 17th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64108 (17th and Paseo Blvd).

Volunteers will park at St. Monica’s Catholic Church, located at 1616 The Paseo, Kansas City, MO 64108, where their volunteer training will take place.

There is limited parking at the church, so please carpool with friends and colleagues if possible.

The majority of volunteers will serve as “Navigators” at the event. Navigators are paired one-to-one with a person experiencing homelessness to help them navigate the event. As a navigator, you will play an important role in making guests feel welcome and comfortable, learning their needs and helping them access services. If this is your first time as a Navigator, General Volunteer or Health Helper at Project Homeless Connect KC, you will receive mandatory training as a part of your shift.

Volunteers in other roles will work at the check-in/check-out tables, assist with food preparation, help with setup or tear down, serve as Health Helpers and fulfill other duties as needed.

Our most needed shifts are volunteer navigators. Additional shift times are also included below for reference:

• PRE-EVENT (Evening Setup): May 8, 2023 at 5:30-8pm
• NAVIGATOR ALL DAY: 8am - 3:30pm
• NAVIGATOR SHIFT 1: 8am -12:30pm
• NAVIGATOR SHIFT 2: 11:30am - 3:30pm
• GENERAL/SPECIALTY: 8am-3:30pm
• CHECK-IN/OUT: 8am-3:30pm
• PRE-EVENT(Same Day Setup): 7am-9am
• POST-EVENT (Same Day Teardown): 3-5pm
• HEALTH HELPER: 8am-3:30pm

Yes, to ensure you feel comfortable working directly with the participants all Navigators and General Volunteers have required training included in their shift time.

We expect to serve 300+ guests during this day-long event. Guests that come to PHCKC have been living on the streets, staying in one of the homeless shelters or are facing homelessness without immediate interventions. You will meet single adults, couples, and families with children. This is a day of “yes” and a day of hope. The kindness and compassion you show to your guests will help build trust.

Training will be provided to ensure you feel comfortable and prepared to help Guests at the event. For any questions that arise while volunteering at the event, committee members wearing blue PHCKC shirts will be available.

1. Greet your guest and break the ice. A smile does wonders!
2. Fill out Intake Form to help your guest prioritize services desired for the day. If they have a long list, help them talk through which services are most critical.
3. Make a plan together and start visiting different service providers.
4. At meal time, eat and talk together.

Just as you may feel nervous about starting a conversation with a guest, they may be nervous, too. Here are a few tips for breaking the ice:

1. Smile!
2. Introduce yourself using only your first name. Tell them about yourself.
3. Ask questions in a kind and compassionate manner without judgment.
4. Be courteous. Respect the person, their space and their time.

Please keep in mind that many guests will come with their belongings. They may be very protective of their things and will typically not want to separate from them or even let you help them carry their items. Respecting their belongings will help build trust.

Please do not take any pictures of participants or post anything that would reveal identities of the participants on social media.

Comfortable shoes and casual attire. You will be given a gray volunteer t-shirt upon check-in at Volunteer Central. There are facilities where you can change into your shirt.

Plan to leave all other items locked safely in your car trunk. There will not be storage space to leave your items at the event, so please don’t bring anything other than yourself and your car keys into the event.

Volunteer Central will be across the street from Gregg/Klice Community Center at St. Monica’s Catholic Church at 1616 Paseo, Kansas City, MO 64108. Volunteers can also park in the church parking lot. You will see signs the day of the event.

There is limited parking provided at the church. Please carpool when possible.

Yes, it is recommended that volunteers take a brief, 5-minute break between navigator positions. Coffee, water, and snacks will be available in Volunteer Central.

Coffee, water and snacks are provided in Volunteer Central.

A BBQ lunch is also provided. You are encouraged to eat with the guests you are volunteering with.

PHCKC committee members, wearing blue t-shirts, can answer your questions.

If at any time a volunteer feels uncomfortable, service providers wearing ReStart shirts can answer questions or assist. There will be two on-duty police officers in plain-clothes attire monitoring the event.