Volunteer Appreciation Month

April is "Volunteer Appreciation Month". In that spirit, we would like to share a reflection from one of the Rotational Shelter Volunteers, Lynn B. Lynn volunteers at First United Methodist of National City and wrote about her experience for her church newsletter, "The Heritage". Her experience highlights the heart of the Rotational Shelter Program and names much of what we hope every volunteer experiences as a part of this program. Thank you, Lynn! We so appreciate you, the team at First United Methodist of National City, and all of our amazing volunteers! Here is a portion of what Lynn shared.

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For the first time serving the church, I had the opportunity to volunteer in the Rotational Interfaith Shelter program. I volunteered to be chaperone and provide a meal with my son, Jeremy, and good friend, Sarah.

I did not know what to expect, however, I felt, in my heart, the Lord was giving me an opportunity to love others as yourself (John 13: 34-35)," "be kind and compassionate to one another, (Ephesians 4:32)," and serve others (Mark 10:45).

In addition to not knowing what to expect, I also was fearful about spending the night with people I did not know and, to be truthful, less fortunate than myself. To allay my fears and concerns, I sought to learn more about the program. I asked questions, listened to other 's experiences with our Guests and knew that this was a service I could do. When Ben asked for volunteers, I signed up. I took a leap of faith and prayed to God. Just as in the hymn, "Here I am Lord," I sought to keep a promise to God to guide and use me.

My experience with the Rotational Interfaith Shelter was truly rewarding and transformational. I enjoy helping, serving, and meeting others that I would not be otherwise able to do. I found our Guests to be just like you and me. We each have basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and inclusion. In addition, we want a chance to be productive members of society; to be able to share talents learned and experienced.

During my rotation, I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with two couples, a single mother and her daughters, and a single individual. We shared meals and conversation, played dominoes, and tried to complete a puzzle.

Through my interaction with our Guests, I learned what their concerns were and thought to myself, they are no different than me. We are all human beings, imperfect, trying to survive and navigate in a constantly changing, chaotic society. No one knows what the future holds. Try as we might, each day presents its own problems, sometimes good, sometimes bad. I believe the choices we make, and the free-will God gave us, shape our being. But whatever the outcome, I believe we can have influence in our Guests' lives.

My first experience volunteering at the Rotational Interfaith Shelter was a positive one! I look forward to the next time it comes around. I highly recommend each of us to volunteer our time and efforts to this program. It filled my heart with JOY!