Volunteer of the week: Dana Bunch, of Niles
Published 10:02 am Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Dana Bunch, of Niles, volunteers as a donation coordinator for Project WARM, a weather amnesty shelter for homeless men during the winter months in South Bend, Indiana. The shelter is open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Dec. 1 through March 31 at Hope Ministries on Michigan Street in South Bend.
Dana Bunch
Q: What do you do for Project WARM?
I am in charge of getting donations throughout the year from different people. We have a pretty good group of people now that are good about helping out with the donations. I organize them and I volunteer there (at the shelter) as well one night a week. On average I put in about five or six hours a week, but it really depends on the week.
Q: How did you get involved?
I saw it on Facebook and I knew a couple people that were doing it. I knew the guy who started it and I made the connection there. It started four years ago and I started that first year.
Q: Why is this cause important to you?
I think that they are homeless and they are valuable. I think we are all a paycheck away and that it could happen to any of us. It could be our fathers, our brothers or our friends. I’ve built a lot of great relationships and it is great to see them get off the street and live new lives. Occasionally I will run into one of them that needs a little extra help and Project WARM is there to help them.
Q: What do you enjoy most about volunteering there?
I think it is the relationships that are built and seeing different lives transformed.
Q: Why is it important to volunteer?
We have to put ourselves in their shoes. Most of us are fortunate that we haven’t had to worry about being homeless, but at the same time we all go through different times in our lives that we could’ve been there or we could be. Some of them have served in the military and they are out on the streets and that is unfortunate. There are so many reasons why a person can be homeless. I think helping them is something I was called to do.
Q: How can people learn more or help?
It is on Facebook and online at projectwarmsb.org. If people want to donate they can drop off donations at Hope Ministries (532 S. Michigan St., South Bend) and they can label it “Project WARM.” We need mittens and gloves, gently used coats, especially large sizes and boots. People can also make financial donations on the website. We always need warm socks.
