National Volunteer Week
Recognizing the service that our volunteers provide year-round
Did you know that the Bridge House has opportunities for over 300 volunteers a month? And that a high percentage of those volunteers have been serving with us for over a year…over five years…and in some cases even over ten years? When it comes to addressing the reality of homelessness, the Bridge House is a leader in our community, providing real solutions to this complex and challenging issue. In turn, our volunteers are right there with us, ready to serve those who find themselves struggling with life on the streets, to provide the human interaction and compassion which can truly make a difference in someone’s life. We can not underestimate the power of our genuine presence; Bridge House is known for treating its guests with dignity and respect, and our volunteers are an essential part of that gift to the community.
This is National Volunteer Week! It provides us the opportunity to both thank all of our illustrious volunteers who stand with us, and also to encourage you to work with us to find new ways to better serve those who need our help, to meet them where they are and to encourage them to move forward to the next, higher step on their journey back to housed life. If you would like to find new ways to give back with us, there will be a multitude of new opportunities in the coming year: our new Community Table Kitchen will open this summer with expanded cooking and training opportunities, our Bridge House garden is about to start blossoming (as soon as the snows end!) and will need additional community volunteers, we are foreseeing expanded meal service in the not too distant future, and finally we are incredibly excited to launch our new volunteer program for younger folks this summer, called Kids Give Back!
***To receive more info about these and other volunteer opportunities, please e-mail me at [email protected] and I will add you to our bi-monthly Volunteer e-newsletter which will highlight new ways to serve with us. If you have KIDS aged 5 – 18, we would love to add them to our special Kids Give Back club which will offer unique ways for families to serve together…please indicate you would like to join that program, along with the age of your kid(s)***
For those of you who have already been volunteering with us and continue to do so: any thanks we can give you pales in comparison to the gratitude of our guests and clients. Many of you tell us about the appreciation you receive while volunteering with us, and it is not uncommon for me to hear, “I thought I was going to be the one giving, but I have received so much more than I gave.” And while the clients we serve are living in extreme conditions filled with uncertainty and difficulty, the humanity and compassion that you bring to the time you spend with them truly makes a difference. I hope you join me in feeling honored to serve in the ways that we do, and I look forward to working with you more in the coming year. Thank you for sharing your heart and hands with us! Please don’t hesitate to contact me with ideas, suggestions or inquiries on how else to volunteer with us.
Yours in service,
Scott Medina
Volunteer Coordinator