Don’t Assume

Many people lately have asked me what I do for a living. As some of you know, I am an author of two books and a regular speaker at Honey Lake Clinic in Greenville, Florida. But what may come as a surprise, my “real” job is Outreach and Connections Coordinator at Fellowship Baptist Church. This means I get to talk to and organize people most of the time (which I absolutely love!).

This week, along with my normal “connection” activities, I had the great privilege of following up with community members who have contacted me about volunteering and mentoring at Madison Central. We have so many amazing people with tons of hidden talent in this quaint little community.

I met a former truck driver who excitedly took each of her grandchildren on cross-country hauls, which afforded them the opportunity to visit places most will never see. We stood outside in her beautifully peaceful yard and talked about faith and God’s amazing ways. She blessed my soul with her eagerness and desire to encourage the younger generations.

Then I met a mom, like me, who wants to be a part of her child’s education. She sought me out in search of ways to help. Genuine care radiated from her as we stood in the cold chatting and filling out paperwork. I’m so excited to plug her in very soon.

I sat in the living room of another new friend who works from home, and she can’t wait to help in one of the lower grade classrooms. Since her job is home-based, she misses the interactions with others and longs to offer back to our community in a meaningful way.

The stories could on and on. From messages on Facebook, to phone calls, to face to face visits, I could not be more encouraged at the response from our community.

In my conversations, many people had no idea of the needs in our schools. They assumed someone else was handling it or that there was no real need for them to offer themselves. Almost every single person lit up as I shared specific requests from teachers. “I could do that,” or “Yeah, that sounds fun,” and “I’d love to encourage a child, like so and so did for me at that age,” are just a few of the comments I’ve gotten.

We Need You

Every school in this community has needs. They may not even realize it’s a need until your willing body shows up to fill it—right on time. Let’s not assume others are enough. There will never be “enough” volunteers and positive influences in the lives of children. There can always be more.

We are still recruiting at Central, and so are all the other schools in the district. Fill out a volunteer form at the district office by the end of the week and we can get you plugged in as a volunteer in February. Reach out. There’s a spot waiting just for you.