SAM - Shelter Area Meadville is a mutual help organization created to protect our unhoused neighbors from the increasingly frequent inclement weather.  They are volunteers working to hold space for those seeking shelter on evening where the temperature is projected to fall to or below 25F with or without windchill between November 15th and March 31st. The program is modeled after the Our Neighbor's Place program started by the Erie United Methodist Alliance (EUMA). EUMA lends SAM their experience, strength and hope, as well as their institutional support to meet the needs of our neighbors left oout in the cold.

You Can Help!

Get involved in making sure that unsheltered personsn and animals in Meadville have a place to exist overnight in inclement weather!

Volunteer Orientation and Training Includes:

  • SAM Mission and Values
  • Organizational Structure
    • Roles/Responsibilities
    • Schedule, Setup
    • Welcome and Farewell Procedure
    • Safety/Security/Health & Care Concerns
    • Communication Plan
  • Relevant Topics
    • The Experience of Homelessness
    • Stigma
    • Trauma 101
    • Conflict Resolution
    • De-Escalation Techniques