SHP Newsletter Issue 21.33

August 13, 2021

OPERATIONS

Hello SHP Family,

Hope all is well in your little neck of the woods. Over the past few weeks I've gotten several questions about why a chapter may get a surge in applications. It seems that there are some chapters that get a surge every now and then and you may see an uptick in bed requests come through to your chapter - why is that?

To be totally honest, there isn't a single reason why this happens. Nor is there always a logical reason behind the surge either. However, let me give you a few reasons and for some - ways to help your chapter receive applications if you can handle them.

1. News story - this is pretty common for most chapters. Once you have a news outlet pick up or publish an article or story about SHP you will almost always get an uptick in applications coming through. Sometimes these are not even local news stories. They may have been regional, state, or even national news events that hit and draw attention to people's social media feed, etc. 
   
   
2. Social Media - there was a social media post that got some attention! This may have been you or it may have been one posted by SHQ - either way, it showed up in someone's feed and they shared, commented, etc. and it has gotten you some attention.
   
   
3. Build day - that's right, build days generally have an effect on your applications! When volunteers participate they share their experience with everyone around them, and what happens - the good word spreads! It may have just been a conversation with a family member, friend or co-worker; but they have shared and told their story and that leads to an uptick.

The short answer is - there often isn't a rhyme or reason, it just happens! What I like to tell everyone is to enjoy the ride - ride that wave and think of the blessings of the children's lives you are making! Keep up the amazing work my friends.

Best,

Q

Director of Operations

COMMUNICATIONS CORNER

Hey family!  

Today I want to send a reminder about Delivery and Photo standards.  I have a few important points we are asking you to share with your core teams and all delivery teams.

• No one goes into a home alone.  This protects your teams as well as the families we serve.
  
  
• As you are scheduling deliveries talk with parents about the indemnifiction form and the photo release.  We don't ever want a family to feel like they have to say yes to pictures in order to get a bed.  I address this in my vetting call to families, "the waiver I'm going to send you has 2 parts.  The first page is the release of liability, the safety waiver, and the second page is a photo release.  We do use those pictures on our social media pages, our donors love to see their donations being used to help kids, but it's ok if you say no.  You can say yes or no on the second page, I just need you to for sure fill out both pages."
  
  
• If a family says no to pictures on the form, you may not take pictures of their kids.  Period.  Even if the parent changes their mind when you get there, you cannot take pictures with the kids.This will be a situation when taking a picture of just the bed and bedding is appropriate. 
  
  
• Make sure that every child in any picture is on the indemnification form.  If there are neighborhood kids or cousins or any other form of extra kids in the home they should not be in any pictures if they are not on the photo release.
  
  
• Make sure when taking pictures that there are no identifying items in them, pictures on the walls, name plaques, etc.
  
  
• Final reminder, and maybe the most important one, we are asking when taking and posting pictures with kids in them you use the standard of being "Exceptionally Appropriate".  All kids in pictures need to be fully dressed, not tiny night gowns, underwear, shirts off, etc.  PLEASE hold the standard above appropriate and check every picture to be "Exceptionally Appropriate" before posting.

Thank you so much for all you do for SHP and your communities.  I feel truly blessed to rub shoulders with some of the best people in the world!  Please, as always, if you have any questions or concerns reach out to me.  I sure love and appreciate all of you!

Amy Andrew

Director of Communications

CHAPTER SUPPORT

Budgeting

I hope this finds all of you enjoying your summer.  I also hope you have all had a great time building and delivering beds to the children in your community.

Over the past few weeks we have had some questions about budgeting.  Specifically we have received questions about budgeting for SHQ purchases.  So I wanted to give a review and reminder of how those funds are requested and documented on your monthly Budget Request Sheet.

Below you see a copy of a monthly budget request sheet.  The column labeled Requested Budget is where you request the funds that need to be added to your Divvy Card.  Those funds include building materials, build tools, storage rental, online purchases (staff store, Amazon, etc.) or any other purchase that requires you to use your Divvy card.

Purchases that are made from the SHQ order form including mattresses, jigs, branding irons etc. that do not require you to use your Divvy card should be entered in the column labeled SHQ Expensed Items.  Those funds are pulled directly from your available funds that are listed on your P & L after your order has been processed.  They are NOT charged to your DIVVY CARD.

Remember SHQ expensed items do not go on your Divvy card.  But you must have the funds available on your P & L. 

I hope this is not too confusing.  If it is please reach out to your RSL/CSL or send me an email at chapter.support@shpbeds.org and I will help in any way that I can. 

Please ask the question if you have one.  I am here to help.

Bruce Crenshaw

Director of Chapter Support

OPERATIONS & CHAPTER SUPPORT

Please Update Your L4P Primary Payment Method

With the rollout and activation of our new Divvy Visa cards, there’s one other task you’ll need to complete. Please make sure that you go into your Lowe’s 4 Pros (L4P) account and update your primary payment method to reflect your new Divvy Visa and delete your old Divvy Mastercard. Realizing that is not something that we do very often, we’ve included a short video tutorial to show the steps.

https://youtu.be/JnN7QcwOeKI

If you have any difficulties completing this update, please don’t hesitate to contact your RSL/CSL, Chapter Support or myself and we will help you out.

Allowable Mattress Thicknesses

I know that everyone must be getting tired of talking about mattress issues – I’m with ya big time! However, we do seem to be turning the corner, at least I hope that we are. I applaud everyone for their creativity in sourcing mattresses during this difficult time! I just want to provide a word of caution for those who are getting any donated 8” mattresses. Please remember that we CANNOT deliver those when delivering a bunk bed! Those should only be delivered with SINGLE beds. Failing to do this, puts us as CPs, and the organization as a whole in a hazardous position liability wise. Delivering a tall mattress with a bunk, even if you install it on the lower bunk, does nothing to keep the family from moving it to the top bunk! On the top bunk it will violate the CPSC gap requirements and not provide the required space to top of the safety rail.

Thank you for complying with these requirements and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Thank You for all you and your teams do for your communities and the deserving children therein!

JP Wilson

GRANTS

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANTS

Many Municipalities are beginning to announce American Rescue Plan Grant Opportunities.  As you see these announced and where the program fits our program, please email grants@shpbeds with a link to the funder, please (and I apologize for all caps) DO NOT create an account on any portal in regards to these funds, again (I cannot begin to emphasize this kindly enough) please send an email to grants@shpbeds.org with a link to the funder.  This will be one of the programs that we absolutely have to manage the proposals from a centralized standpoint without question.

In addition, we have a really full grants proposal schedule this year, and I anticipate that the opportunities for the ARP funds will increase the schedule tenfold.  If anyone on your local teams would like to volunteer on the grants team, I would appreciate the help.  This will be in the capacity of multiple chapters, not solely one.

Thank you so much for all you all do for these children who need us most!  I am humbled to work alongside such incredible hearts.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to give me a call anytime.

Jan Spackman