Buffalo’s Little Portion Friary shelter searching for volunteers

Volunteers have been the backbone of Little Portion Friary since its inception in 1982. The emergency homeless shelter serving downtown Buffalo offers a roof, meals and counseling to help those in need get back on their feet.

Greetings, intake, cooking, laundry and cleaning are all done by generous people donating their time. The center has only four paid staff and overnight security.

“Since Covid, we lost a pretty large portion of our volunteer base,” said Kaitlin Price, executive director, who explained that they now have about 90 volunteers, still short of the 130 they previously had. “Most of the work done here is done by volunteers.”

Technically an emergency shelter meant to be a short stop on a longer journey, the goal is to take homeless people and get them back on their feet. Breakfast and dinner are provided each day, as well as case management. 

“Every guest works with our case manager on their individual goals,” Price said. “As soon as they come in, they sit down and come up with a plan.”

That plan involves what they will work on during their stay, applying for benefits, disability and/or jobs. The plan may include going back to school. The case manager will help link them with the needed resources. They’ll also check in with the guests to make sure they’re on the right path.

Guest presenters from Crisis Services and FeedMore WNY come to the resource center, which also has computers to help with job searches.

Laundry gets done and a clothing closet is available to pick new clothes. The average stay is four months, which is up from past years due to the housing situation in the city.

“There’s a huge lack of affordable housing. Rents have increased pretty significantly,” said Price. “This means it takes longer to save up the first and last month’s rent and security deposit needed to get an apartment.”

Price can’t give a profile on a typical guest, other than the average age is 45-55. They’ve seen domestic violence, mental illness and drug use.

“People are coming from all walks of life,” she said. “For some people, it is their first time being homeless. We do get a number of chronically homeless individuals. A lot of people have lost their jobs and need a couple months to catch up before moving on.”

Volunteers who can commit to a few hours a week or every other week for the next few months are needed to fill some scheduling gaps. The greatest needs are Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. A.M. (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Day (1-6 p.m.) shifts.

A few different options are available: weekly, biweekly, and substitutes used when a hole appears in the schedule.

They also have independent projects, such as yard work, for teens looking to fill service hours. People can also share their special skills such as knitting and sewing in the resource center.

“We really need those regular volunteers, but there are opportunities for special projects,” said Price.

No experience is needed to help out. All volunteers will be trained in trauma informed care. New volunteers are partnered with the veterans for peer to peer mentoring. All new volunteers need are four free hours and a desire to help.

“When they’re here, the volunteers are empowered to really take care of the house and the guests,” said Kelly Deschamps, volunteer community engagement manager. “No two shifts will be exactly the same because you’re working with people, not robots. You’re taking each situation as it comes, each need as it comes, and really just doing your best to fulfill that specific need or specific situation.”

Housed in the former G. Barrett Rich Mansion at 1305 Main St, in downtown Buffalo. The building was purchased by the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, Holy Name Province, to establish the Franciscan community known as the Little Portion Friary. It is now a 501c3 organization overseen by a board of directors. 

For more information visit www.littleportionfriary.com or call 716-404-9801.