take a variety of forms, depending on your circumstances. Some congrega- tions are able to stock a food pantry. Others choose to offer prepared meals. Still others pack meals and deliver them off-premises. Clothing closets can offer appropriate street clothes and/or clothing for job interviews. Hygiene kits with toiletries and/or basic medical supplies can fill an important gap. And transportation assistance can take a variety of forms, from distributing bus or rail passes to having volunteers provide rides to and from church or to medical or court appointments. The Service Station model is a great fit for a congregation that... …is already actively engaged in a similar ministry. Often, it simply means applying what you already know and do to a slightly different group of peo- ple—or, oftentimes, to the same people you’re already serving. The fact is, re- turning citizens are often already in the ranks of the homeless, needy, and struggling. …doesn’t have a large number of volunteers with specialized social service competencies. Serving a meal or packing small care packages doesn’t require deep expertise or even scores of volunteers. All sizes of churches do these things regularly. …is accessible to people in need. Because transportation is such a problem for so many returning citizens, especially right after their release, proximity matters. Being near a bus route is helpful but not necessary. Parole officers and local police may be able to give you some idea of how many returning cit- izens are within a makeable distance from your congregation’s location. And remember, there are also options where you can take your services to them, instead of making them coming to you. …wants to dip a toe in the reentry waters. This approach isn’t particularly difficult or mysterious. It doesn’t require much to get going, it doesn’t need to interfere with your Sunday schedule, and it can provide an opportunity for your folks to serve Monday-Saturday. Tips for getting started The Service Station model is about team effort, stability, and consistency. Re- turning citizens want to know if you’re for real. For example, will you be open when you say you will? This isn’t a Lone Ranger enterprise, so begin by gath- ering an initial working team composed of some of your key hands-on doers. In case you’re wondering... One of the reviewers of the first draft of this guide asked, “I may have missed it or perhaps it is assumed elsewhere, but how would a congregation connect with returning citizens in the first place?” If
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