Dorothy's Dayroom

The Day Room at Dorothy's Place Hospitality Center is designed to be a gathering place where the homeless, marginalized, and others who are our guests can socialize. They may also take care of basic health and hygiene needs, and access other services that are geared towards helping them live with greater dignity and discover possible "next steps" for their lives.
The primary objective of the Day Room mirrors that of the Hospitality Center itself: to create a place of peace and a healing environment that offers opportunities for volunteering and becoming part of our extended family. From this foundation, an individual may develop an increased capacity for life, and understand the deep meaning of life in relation to community and the desire to love. Usually other guests who have become volunteers introduce new arrivals to the services available at the Center.
The Companions of the Way Community serves in the Day Room as mentors and otherwise counsel and suggest ways in which someone might be able reach towards their potential. Referrals are oftentimes made to recovery programs and other appropriate services and agencies.

Through Our Eyes
Mark, a young African-American, just happened to show up one day. He would simply sit in the Day Room for the greater part of each day. We began to discover something of his story and also recognize his possibilities. After a few weeks of daily suggestions that he begin to volunteer, he finally said while coming into the Kitchen for lunch, "Me work? I don't think so!"
But the next day he did start volunteering. We could see his self-esteem growing by leaps and bounds. His smile became infectious. His life philosophy, which he shared anytime stood still long enough to listen, charmed us and made us think of a higher purpose. Our family is blessed again! We don't see Mark as much as we used to because after receiving help from a local agency with his psychiatric disability, he has become self-sufficient and has his own apartment. But of course, he still comes back to visit.

The services offered in the Day Room include:
• A safe place to rest and socialize
• Movies and music
• Telephone access
• Showers
• Laundry
• Restrooms
• Hygiene supplies
• A mailing address
• Referrals to recovery programs
• Daily volunteer opportunities
• Clothing
• Occasional organized activities such as softball games and field trips
• Occasional special classes such as CPR, meditation, art projects, and voluntary prayer groups
The Day Room is open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Hours are also occasionally extended depending upon the weather and the number of volunteers available.
What is the one thing that we all crave more than anything else (other than air and food, of course)? That is what we are striving to be about.