Expectations
Expectations of All Workdays Participants (Youth and Adult)
- Every participant attending workdays signs a Release of All Claims taking responsibility
for their own intentional acts and well-being.
- Adults are responsible for the youth they bring to workdays.
- All participants are to show respect for the facility.
- All participants are to show respect for one another and the residents.
- Groups of youth must have 1 adult (21 or older) for every 5 youth.
Expectations of Adults not supervising a youth group:
- Adults assume the role of a crew member, not the leader. Group decision-making is the goal.
- Adults provide good judgment in emergencies.
- Remember, no one enjoys being bossed around. An atmosphere of acceptance, affirmation, and cooperation ensures success.
- Adults do not condone unacceptable behavior such as profanity, putting people down, lack of cooperation, misuse of materials (such as paint fights) or behaving in a negative way to the residents being served.
- Adults never reprimand a young person in front of the group. Meet with that person openly, but away from the group.
- Adults avoid compromising situations by always having another person present when meeting or driving with a young person.
Adult Youth Leader Expectations:
Adults need to find a balance between allowing young people to assume responsibility and guiding the work crew’s experience.
- Adult leaders provide support and encouragement to the crew. Although our goal is to have team decision-making, at times adults may need to provide direct guidance and assume leadership of the crew.
- Adult leaders provide good judgment in emergencies.
- Adult leaders must always provide adequate supervision for their group at the worksite. Neither the resident nor the site supervisor qualifies as a supervising adult for your group on the worksite. [Ratio of at least 1 adult to every 5 youth]
It is our hope that we will contribute to the well being of a number of households with our work, get to know youth and adults from other congregations and thereby strengthen our bonds as congregations within the area.
Assignment of Site(s)
- Email is the easiest method to communicate this information – please be sure we have a contact email address
- We will attempt to assign you (or your group) to a site (or sites) at least one week in advance.
- You will receive directions to your site(s) at that time.
- After receiving your team tasks, please gather the tools needed for the assignment using the tools to bring list. Be sure all tools are labeled. [All listed tools will be important to your project unless we specify otherwise. Please let us know if you are absolutely unable to provide items on your list!]
Arrival and Registration:
- Registration is from 8:30 to 9 AM on Saturday and Sunday at a location to be announced. When you arrive please go directly to the registration area to check in, turn in your sponsorship money, and receive information about your site. (Youth Groups please send one adult leader to the registration table). All youth under 21 must have a Waiver form signed by his/her parent or they cannot work at the site.
Composition of Work Crews:
- Each site will have a People Person (to direct and support the people) and a Site Supervisor (to direct and supervise the work). Individuals will be assigned to work teams on the site. Every work team will have a team leader.
[GROUPS: Because the needs for workers at each site will vary, we may not be able to accommodate all of you at one site in every instance. Your willingness to cooperate with split assignments will help us to do the best work in the greatest number of sites.]
Materials at the site
- Morning coffee and orange juice, water, soda and a snack (bring lunch)
- Work materials suitable for the job - paint, lumber, nails etc. (dress for safety and bring your own tools based on your site assignment– see list)
- An emergency telephone
- A first aid kit
- Access to a toilet
Departure
- Departure time will be by 5PM
- Work will conclude at all sites by 4:30PM
- We will clean up from 4:30 until 5 PM.
- Please plan to stay for the whole day and help with clean up until it is finished. (It is frustrating to be left by others to do their cleanup. Please plan to be a responsible member of your site teams and help with set-up and clean up.)
- IF YOU HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO COME FOR PART OF THE DAY PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME AND STAY UNTIL YOUR ARRANGED DEPARTURE TIME. Work commitments are made, materials are purchased and numbers of workers apportioned according to the number of folk expected on each site. It’s very hard for the rest of the team to be left with more than they can handle due to inaccurate expectations.
- We would appreciate it if each participant would fill out an event evaluation before your final departure
WE HOPE THAT THE SHAPE OF THE WEEKEND WILL OFFER
COMPLETION OF HELPFUL WORK, GETTING TO KNOW NEW FRIENDS
AND HAVING FUN!!!
For More Information about WAYS |
For Information about WAYS workdays or for information about work projects for your group in the Central MA area on other dates please contact:
The Rev. Shantia Wright-Gray
Mission Educator and WAYS Coordinator for
Tthe Worcester Area Mission Society, UCC
shantiawg@gmail.com
978-422-6256 home/office
508-450-2001 Cell
48 Main St.
Sterling, MA 01564
