Joining Hands

Keys to Success

Running the Joining Hands Program for over 10 years has provided great insight into what is key to the program being successful, as well as what things should be avoided. Here are our thoughts as to the Keys to Success in running the Joining Hands Program.

Overall Program

Have the support you need to get started and finish successfully

• A champion/leader for the effort, to oversee and run the program for three years

• A committed contingent of volunteers, sufficient to support the programs

• Sufficient financial resources to cover expenses

Go in with the appropriate attitude

• The primary objective should be to build relationships and trust with residents,
  not preach the gospel

• Everyone should have a servant-hearted disposition in leading and delivering the program

• Need to be motivated and committed to running the program for three years

• Have patience, building trust takes time, it may take several weeks before residents come out and participate in events

Understand the community you will be serving

• Do research on the community, talk to the people who live there, understand their greatest needs, speak with the landlord

• Speak with local law enforcement to understand local issues relevant to the community
  (i.e., # of calls to service, past interactions)

Have a good communication process

• Maintain open and consistent communications with the landlord

  • when you start out, keep them in the loop on everything

  •  ask permission before proceeding

•   Be open and respectful in your communications with residents

  •  be transparent about what your intention and motivation for doing this

  • ensure all communications are clear, to the point, have relevant information

  • don’t leave flyers in the mailbox (gets lost), instead, tape to door or stick in screen door handle

• Ensure everyone on the delivery team gets to know the residents – their names, their family situation, who they are as people

• Ensure everyone on the delivery team is connected for efficient communication

WEEKLY BBQ

• Ensure you meet food handling requirements, that you have at least one person on site with a food handling certificate

• Ensure that you have more than enough food, so residents can take home leftovers

• Ensure volunteers come with an attitude of generosity

• Don’t scrimp on the quality – serve what you would want to eat

• Be culturally sensitive – determine if the residents want halal, vegetarian

• Ensure you are emphasising everyone has a good time, not just focus on serving food

• Allow/invite the residents to help with the set-up

• Select a suitable time to run the BBQ, for the residents and volunteers (day of the week, time),
  and ensure you are consistent week after week on the day and time

DROP-IN HOUR

• Offer food, refreshments to residents who come out (i.e., as muffins, cakes, tea and coffee)

• Allow/invite the residents to help with the set-up

• To help build trust and relationship, consider combining with a related activity that is a worthwhile purpose (i.e., pop-up foodbank, information sessions (from community groups)

Summer Camp

• Ensure kids in the community have the opportunity to go to camp in the summer

  • check that you are not competing with existing programs targeted at the residents – if one exists, help support and look to get the kids involved

  • establish a summer camp after you have spent a year building up trust with the residents (parents)

• Run the program where the kids live, or close by

  • recognize many parents don’t want to lose sight of their kids, so doing it on the property the first year helps to build trust

  • chose a park or green space that is easy to get to

• Don’t charge anything for kids to attend

  • offer for free; get funding to support the program, staff

•   Never turn a child away due to a lack of resources

  •  Plan for last minute additions, have a plan if all kids show up

• Provide residents with all the information they need

  • communicate the plans for the camp by May, provide information, run an info session if necessary

  • translate the important information into the key languages spoken/read by the residents

• Have high quality staff

  • Ensure you have an experienced Camp Coordinator to run everything

  • Ensure you have a good hiring process 

  • Staff will be mostly students (late high school or university), and ideally with some as former campers and/or from the communities

  • Pay student employees a wage

  • Don’t rely on volunteers

  • Look to have a low ratio of staff to campers (i.e., 1:5)

• Ensure the camp program is fun

  • dial down the Bible messages, dial up the building of relationships and trust

  • focus on capturing the campers doing good things and calling it out, focus on positive reinforcement, give out positive awards to campers

  • have a bare minimum of rules to ensure campers are safe

  • design the program so it has a purpose, and a theme, and each day builds on the
    previous day

MONTHLY COMMUNITY DINNERS

• These dinners will be successful once previous programs are successful, and the residents know you and trust you

  Promote these dinners as a continuation of the successful summer BBQ

• Ensure it is not perceived as a soup kitchen; ensure it is more family style

• Ensure food quality, culturally sensitive, food standards are met

• Plan on being generous, with lots for take home

• Include an activity to keep the kids entertained (i.e., crafts, Santa, Easter egg hunt)