Sanctuary Volunteer Instructions

Sanctuary provides a safe space for harm reduction & peer support for our fellow burners who may be feeling overwhelmed or distressed. Sanctuary volunteers hold space for Fireflies undergoing challenging experiences, who need a space to decompress and recenter. All are welcome.

VOLUNTEERS MUST BE BASELINE SOBER ON SHIFT*.

Instructions for volunteers

• Show up 15 minutes early for turnover.
• Sign in when you arrive and sign out when you depart.
• Take a Sanctuary lanyard and use the dry erase marker to write your preferred name during your shift.
• Be well rested, sober, hydrated, and bring a snack in case you get hungry. Self-care is paramount.
• Dress appropriately. The weather here can change quickly.
• Maintain the cleanliness of the area while on shift. Make sure the bedding area has blankets and pillows, that water, tea and tissues are stocked, that all moop is in the trash can, and the emesis bags and emergency puke bucket are easily located. Turn on/ off the lighting as appropriate. 6pm is usually a good time to turn on lights for the night.
• If you are on shift when ice is delivered around 10am, please get 1-2 ice bags for Sanctuary, we have a small Igloo cooler to keep the ice in. Ice is for participants or volunteers who may need to cool down.
• If you need to step away to take care of your body’s needs, and you are the only one on shift, please put the away sign up and go use the portos. Leave the radio in case someone comes by needing help.
• Greet all guests who come by. Everyone is welcome inside the carport as long as no other guests are disturbed. Guests who need to use Sanctuary’s carport should be invited to use the area they find most comfortable, and a volunteer should stay with them until they are ready to depart, unless they indicate that they would like solitude.
• At the end of a shift, perform a quick visual sweep of the carport for moop, then perform a turnover (if appropriate). If no one is signed up for the next shift, please leave the binder on the table in the welcome area for the next volunteer to find. Please fill out a feedback form at the end of your shift so that we may make improvements in the future (this is optional but greatly appreciated).
• Sanctuary volunteers are not qualified to administer medical assistance. If you suspect that someone who comes to Sanctuary is in need of medical attention, immediately radio for First Aid or Medical.
• If there is inappropriate or violent behavior, immediately call for assistance on the radio. Use the radio to call for the Officer of the Day (OOD) to come to Sanctuary for a “Face to Face”.
• If you ever feel overwhelmed for any reason, please call for the Sanctuary Lead On-Call on the radio and we will come support you.

Project Lead Contact info:

• Lead: Diana Bleimeyer in Camp Potato Support People on

• Mobile phone: 860-970-7175
• Radio handle: Sanctuary Lead (One of the leads or co-leads will always be carrying a radio)

Big thank you to all of our volunteers! Thank you for taking the time to contribute to the Firefly community!