Rahab’s Sisters Basic Volunteer Training Document 2024


Our Mission and Vision

Mission:

To build community through radical hospitality with women and gender-diverse individuals who are marginalized by poverty, houselessness, sex work, violence, and substance use.

Vision:

We envision a resilience-building community where women and gender-diverse individuals are valued, nourished, have a sense of belonging, and are safe from the impacts of gender-based marginalization.

Gender at Rahab’s Sisters:

As a part of creating a safe and equitable environment for Guests, Rahab’s Sisters services are open to women, trans, and nonbinary Guests only. As a result of this, our Guest-facing roles are available only to womens, trans, and nonbinary volunteers. Our behind the scenes roles are open to volunteers of all genders. 

For a full list of values and our community agreements, visit this page. 

Location

Montavilla United Methodist Church 

232 SE 80th Ave, 

Portland, OR 97215

Visit rahabs-sisters.org/arrivals for full instructions on accessing our space. 


Volunteer Schedule

Our full volunteer schedule and signups can be found here. 


Volunteer Guidance and Collective Boundaries

Guidance: Listening and Supporting


As a volunteer at Rahab's Sisters, your primary role is to help create an atmosphere of community and trust. Here are some recommendations on how to guide your interactions:

  • Sensitive Conversations: Allow Guests to take the lead on discussions on personal matters such as family or religion. Listen more than you speak.

  • Disclosure Is Not Inherently a Request: Guests may disclose instances of domestic violence, substance use, houselessness, etc. These disclosures are not, in and of themselves, requests for assistance with these situations. Unless a Guest asks for assistance, our primary role is to be a listening and caring ear. 

  • Specific Requests for Assistance: If a Guest explicitly asks for help with anything outside of the supplies we have available at the service in question, notify staff who can jump in and assist. 

  • Caring for yourself in conversations: We each have our own unique history, traumas, and triggers. You do not HAVE to follow Guests into every conversation. If you feel a conversation going down a road that you are uncomfortable with, you are always welcome to remove yourself from that conversation! We recommend saying things like "I noticed someone just walked in and I need to greet them, or I need to go check on something in the kitchen". Our Guests understand that volunteers at Rahab's are busy, and will need to periodically step away. 


Boundaries: Ensuring Safety and Equity


It's essential to maintain clear boundaries to ensure a safe, equitable environment for everyone. These are boundaries we ask all volunteers to hold:

  • Calling 911: We recognize the outsized impact of emergency services on the space, and that things like lights, sirens, and emergency personnel are often deeply triggering to Guests. We ask that volunteers do not call 911, but alert staff to any emergency situation as soon as possible, and follow their lead in involving emergency services.  

  • Clearing the Space: In extremely rare circumstances, we may make the decision to clear the space in the event of an escalation or emergency. If staff indicate that we’re clearing the space, please follow staff and guests calmly to the nearest exit. 

  • Money: We, as individuals, do not offer cash directly to Guests. 

  • Transportation: We do not offer rides in our personal vehicles to Guests. 

  • Personal Contact: We do not offer Guests our personal contact information. 

Intersectionality in a Low-Barrier Space

Due to the impacts of white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, etc, a low barrier space like ours does see instances of language or actions that reflect racism, transphobia, homophobia, and other biases. We have a zero tolerance policy for these instances, and our staff are committed to interrupting any and all of these as they happen, and caring for anyone harmed in the moment and after the fact. 

  • We ask that volunteers notify staff as soon as possible if they see or hear something concerning. 

We are so excited to have you at Rahab’s Sisters! If you have any questions about the information here, or need any additional information before coming for your first shift, please email us at volunteers@rahabs-sisters.org or call 971.208.3176