Get uncomfortable. Volunteer for something new.

This past winter I was doing some research for Stone Soup Food pantry trying to find ideas for programs to offer our community.
I came across many cool programs for kids that dealt with cooking and nutrition.
I thought,  "what a great idea!" Let's get kids excited about eating healthy! Since I couldn't find anything like that already being offered in Lapeer I decided to give it a try.

Of course I've never in my life led a class about nutrition or cooking. But with all the resources available on the Internet I figured I'd give it a shot.

Just a few searches and anyone can get a basic understanding about almost anything. It's great. And with a little more time you can become a mini expert on a subject.

I put some time in on the Internet and came up with all sorts of resources,  ready made lessons, and printables.
Then I called the local library to arrange an evening to hold the class. The library took care of promoting it and soon I was taking calls from parents wanting to register their kids.

My first class was this past Tuesday and you know what?  It was a lot of fun!
The kids were excited and into the lesson and I can't wait for the next class.

Who knew it could be so much fun teaching kids how to eat healthy.

Is there something you have been wanting to do but you feel you aren't qualified?  Just try it!  Get involved in your community connecting with others by trying something new.

Maybe you could sit and paint with the elderly at a nursing home, or even just go and paint some ladies nails!  Believe me they will love it!

Maybe you could try helping out at a local food pantry. Volunteer at a local animal shelter or school.

Get creative. Find out what's missing in your town and see what you can do.

Remember it only takes a small act to shine a bright light in your community.

Volunteering Has Meaning

Lately, I've been talking about the need for volunteers at The Refuge Homeless Shelter of Lapeer where I am co-founder. 

Through research on the topic of volunteer recruitment and through conversations with friends I've come to the conclusion that we may have forgotten the meaning in volunteering. Also, I think we've mislabeled the ordinary, simple acts often needed in volunteer positions as beneath us in our pursuit to "make a difference".

It's easy to live our lives disconnected from each other in this day and age by keeping our connections limited to the realm of status updates, texts, and tweets. This type of connection while not all bad keeps, us at arm’s length from others. It doesn't help us connect with our communities.

Volunteering in our communities however, puts us in direct connection with others allowing us to share their joys, hurts, victories, and pain making us stronger communities.

I found an article written for the American Red Cross. You can read the full article here: http://www.redcross.int/EN/mag/magazine399/31999_8.asp

In it the author sums up for me the incredible value in volunteering. 

"The value of volunteers is not simply that they deliver services that would otherwise be too expensive to provide. Volunteering is in itself a social, communal act; one that encourages people to be actively involved in working with, understanding and supporting fellow human beings. 

Volunteering strengthens community links, encourages participation and promotes an awareness that quality of life can be affected and improved by the acts of each individual."

I love that. I really like the line in particular that states that "volunteering is a communal act that actively involves people in understanding and supporting fellow human beings." 

That's beautiful! It's also in line with what Jesus taught. Jesus demonstrated time and again while on this earth that a full life involves loving God and loving and serving others, bringing light into dark places.

Volunteering is not just a connection to another person outside of our normal circle of friends and family, but it is connection to Christ himself. 

When you participate in something that is bringing about change, healing, or betterment to the community and it's people then you are part of what Jesus is interested in. 

Finally, I want to point out that it doesn't matter if we volunteer by working one on one with another person or participate in behind the scenes work. Everything matters, even the small things. Mother Teresa would say, "do small things with great love."

I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago and he commented that the couple times he had come to volunteer at The Refuge, there "wasn't anything for him to do, but sit and visit with the guests." 

Now he didn't mind doing that, but it made me think. 

Do our volunteers understand the significance of even small acts of service?
We don't always get to be part of the action on front lines. Some don't want to be a part of that anyways.
The point is that each act matters. 

Making better communities, shining light in dark places, coming alongside someone in need, most often takes ordinary acts. Acts that sometimes need to be repeated often and maybe even for long periods of time.

We all want to make a difference. We all want to make our time count. Consider your community around you and what the needs are and get yourself connected.
Do something small. Do something a little bigger.
Do something grand.
Just do something to participate in loving people like Jesus asked us to do.

All good things must end?

I wrote this post yesterday, but my thoughts were a jumble, so here's a clearer version.
I have a hard time saying things up front because I'm always worried that someone will take offense or think I'm too negative.

Yes, The Refuge is in trouble right now. I'm saying it as clearly as possible.

I try to be positive about things because I know that what we are doing by providing shelter to homeless in Lapeer is a good thing. A great thing in fact, because there is no other shelter in Lapeer.
There's clearly a need for one since this winter alone we housed 52 individuals. Actually, the number would be higher if we didn't have a cap set at 20 each night. So, what we are doing is a great blessing to the community. I know that, so I don't want to give up.

But it is a never ending job to get volunteers, keep them and help those in need all at the same time. The job gets harder and harder every year and The Refuge is losing ground steadily.

We need a shelter. We need more than shelter.
But there's not enough people to help.
The Refuge can't continue with the way it is without volunteers and it certainly can't grow to meet the needs that go beyond temporary shelter.

I get so frustrated.  I read books about making a better outreach for homeless persons, but don't have enough people to make it happen. Then I decide to read everything on marketing (yes marketing because let's be honest that's what any organization has to do in this day and age), recruiting volunteers, and leading.

I feel like we're just spinning our wheels though. Something has to change and I'm willing to do whatever is needed.

Over the years The Refuge has been a great blessing. It hasn't always been such a struggle.
I listen to our homeless guests stories each year when I sit down with them to an interview and it's unmistakable that The Refuge is a blessing in their time of need. I'm grateful beyond words to be a part of that.

For example, did you know that some would have died from living outside in the cold had we not been there?
Did you know that we have a very small group of ladies who work in the medical field that take time to see our guests regularly while we are open?
Because of their dedication to helping we've actually saved the lives of some of our guests.
We've had several over the years get baptized or recommit their lives to Christ.
Many are in permanent housing now living stable lives because we were there when they needed us.

What a blessing The Refuge has been!
The reality though is we don't have enough volunteers to keep making it happen.

I don't know what to do.
I've been working every angle I can think of.
I've been praying.

I don't care if The Refuge as we know it ends so long as something takes it's place. I'm all for partnering with whomever to get the job done. I just want to help people bottom line.

It doesn't have to be The Refuge, but it needs to be something.
Our community has to come together somehow to meet this need.

People are still out there living in tents, staying on couches from one house to another, still dealing with everything that they have been carrying with them for all this time and wondering if it will ever change.

And say what you want about why these people are homeless or what you think the homeless should be doing to move forward.
Bottom line, the homeless are people. People made by God. Jesus still died for them to save them that they might have abundant life.

Their lives still matter and I want to make sure that I let each of them know that. I want to make sure that whether they accept help or move forward or not move forward that they know that they matter.

If they know that, then at least I've done all I can to show them love and what they choose to do with it is their choice.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Here's my simple prayer. Lord of the harvest send workers into this harvest field. Amen.