September

Recently someone came to Church in the middle of our serving our Loaves & Fishes meal and commented to Linda how all the volunteers had smiles on their faces and seemed to be really enjoying serving up meals. I’ve had lots of our core volunteer group thank Linda and I for creating this opportunity. What??? In an age where finding volunteers is very difficult why are volunteers thanking us?

First, the core group of volunteers are an extraordinary group of people! As we stand together in this ministry we come from different experiences and backgrounds. T his is a huge gift; we need to see our ministry from different perspectives, it helps us to see the different experiences and backgrounds of our guests. There are only two requirements for volunteering and that is we will serve and treat our guests as our brothers and sisters. We will also treat each other as brothers and sisters. It is awe inspiring to watch our volunteers work together with love, respect, and joy!

Too often people view volunteering as a chore or task that they must do. Some individuals are built to get things done whether they really want to or not…but that’s called drudgery! How do we find joy in volunteering? Volunteering is about building affirming relationships with each other and with our guests. As a volunteer group we are building relationships with each other, and the relationships are built on caring for and loving each other. The same goes for the relationships we are building with our guests. One guest asked if it was OK to ask for thirteen meals. I said of course! She then said that she had taken in another family because they had nowhere to go, and she had invited them in because she had been in that situation herself. What could be more inspiring than a person loving others and inviting others into her home! We are honored that we can help her take care of others!

Our core volunteer group continues to grow! I get calls from individuals that ask how they can volunteer to be part of our ministry. I tell them to show up on the night of the meal and we’ll show them the rest. What then happens is the person shows up and is immediately accepted into the group with love, respect, and joy!

To our core group of volunteers Linda and I say WE APPRECIATE YOU! Appreciate is a better word than saying thank you because it means to really see and recognize our volunteers for the gifts they have and what they bring to each other, and our guests! Love, respect, and joy!

The Ministry continues to grow in the number of guests and meals! God is at work!!

8/2/22 – 266 Meals Served – 97 Households Served
8/9/22 – 362 Meals Served – 156 Households Served
8/16/22 – 476 Meals Served – 197 Households Served