Volunteer work spotlights

I've mentioned before that our four Service Adventure participants are full-time volunteers with local nonprofits, but I haven't delved much into the details of this work. But now I will! These groups are so awesome I can't help but brag on them a bit. My thoughts are only a small piece of the whole picture, so I'm including links to the organizations' websites for more details!

Seeds Community Cafe: Seeds is a pretty atypical restaurant. Not only do they cook with tons of local and organic ingredients (and are super vegetarian friendly), but also their main mission is to solve hunger by offering a meal to anyone regardless of what they can afford. All meals are paid for on a donation basis (suggested donation is $15/person), and many patrons pay more in order to feed someone in need. Anyone who cannot pay is invited to volunteer an hour of work in exchange for a free lunch. Though messy in the day-to-day details, it's a beautiful model that I hope to see spreading.

Because Seeds relies on food donations from various local farms and businesses, their menu changes daily. What doesn't change is the fun, vibrant, colorful atmosphere (for you Harrisonburg people, it feels a bit like The Little Grill, but less eclectic in decor). Seeds is only two years old, and of the four placements, this is the only one that has not had a Service Adventure volunteer before. Anali is the first, but I hope she won't be the last!

Interfaith Hospitality Network (Family Promise): IHN is the local name; Family Promise is the national organization. I don't know how our local group compares to others around the country, but this nonprofit is doing great work. IHN works with homeless families, though I hesitate to even use the phrase "homeless families" because of one of the many great things about this organization: They de-emphasize the labeling of "homeless people" and emphasize that these people are "in a homeless situation." IHN takes on up to four families at a time (and they are fairly selective in this process, taking into account factors from criminal background to personality, generally evaluating their likelihood to succeed -- this is one of Sarah's responsibilities). When they take on a family, their goal is to have that family progress on from the program within 90 days. During those 90 days, IHN staff work with the family on job searching, interview prep, budgeting, and many other life skills.

For night shelter, IHN partners with local churches who take turns hosting the four families for a week at a time. So each night, the families proceed to the designated church, where they are provided with dinner, a place to sleep, and breakfast the next morning. During the day, some of the families choose to hang out at a day center where they can eat lunch, read, use computers, etc.

Overall, one of the greatest strengths of this program (from my limited perspective) is its endeavor to humanize those who struggle with homelessness. Many of us, myself included, benefit from the reminder that were it not for our good fortune and strong network of community/family/church, we ourselves could be one major incident away from homelessness.

Westside Community Preschool: This preschool is one of many different programs going on at Westside Community Center. The center does a lot of good things (all kinds of classes, a food pantry, etc.), but their funding is limited, so I'm happy we can provide them with a full-time volunteer. (Anna really wanted to work with kids, and Westside has taken Service Adventure volunteers in the past. Those factors, combined with its close proximity to our house, made it a great choice.) The preschool is affiliated with Diakonia Preschools and focuses especially on curiosity and creative play. The staff seem to be really passionate about children, their health, and encouraging them in their development during an incredibly formative time of life. This year, they are offering a childcare program for the first time, which (unlike the preschool program) extends throughout the afternoon.

Our House - Bright Futures: Our House is a day center for adults with disabilities. The program is designed to accommodate young adults with developmental disabilities, and from what I can tell, they basically just hang out and have a great time. Franzi always comes home and tells us what she did that day and usually it's different than what she did in days previous. Common activities are various games, arts & crafts (recently homemade play-dough), walks on the nearby trails, etc. When Daniel and I have visited Our House, it's always had a super positive vibe, with people generally seeming happy to be there and excited to meet new friends. As far as I can tell, the students are greatly valued as people regardless of their handicaps, and it's so uplifting to find a care center that feels joyous instead of depressing.

I'm so proud of the important work our four housemates are doing at these nonprofits. I hope to keep you updated throughout the year with details about the way they are impacting our community!