IMPORTANT NEWS FOR CURRENT A-SPAN VOLUNTEERS -- Please read carefully!

APRIL 30th, 2007

On weekdays, A-SPAN's Emergency Shelter (ES) is now open from 6-8pm to serve bagged meals to homeless clients.  Volunteers who serve Monday - Friday should NOT HAND OUT SECONDS of the bagged meals at the Oakland Mini-Park and Rosslyn stops.  You should continue to hand out seconds of the hot food.  Please take the seconds to the ES at 2049 N. 15th Street, Arlington, VA 22201 once you have finished serving meals at both of your regular stops.

Please note that you should only proceed to the ES if you have leftover bagged meals; the shelter cannot accept hot food.  Hot food should be disposed of at Sullivan House as usual. 

If you volunteer on the weekend, nothing has changed - the Emergency Winter Shelter is open Monday-Friday ONLY.

Some volunteers have noted that it is sometimes difficult to deny seconds to clients who are accustomed to receiving them.  We have seen, however, that up to 20 clients per night are arriving at the EWS to eat the meals that would have been given out as seconds.  Please help us transition to our new system so that we can continue to expand our services to the community.

Those who are interested in learning more about the extension of our shelter services should contact Lucy Cronin, Shelter Director, at 703 820 4357 ext. 15 or aspancm03@aol.com. 

April 30th, 2007

Preparation Volunteers, please do not purchase any sweet snacks containing chocolate for the bagged meals.  An Arlington community member has reminded us that any chocolate snacks accidentally dropped on the ground by our clients at the Oakland Mini-Park might be eaten by dogs, which is potentially very dangerous for them.