VOLUNTEERS IN SERVICE
7730 EASTERN AVE SE, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49518 www.visgr.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO ENABLE CHURCHES TO BE CHRIST'S CARING SERVANTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

WHILE HUMBLER SERVICE IS OUR CALL AS CHRISTIANS, IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. COMPLEX SOCIAL ISSUES, A WEB OF COMMUNITY AGENCIES, AND THE DYNAMICS OF PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS CAN LEAD SOME VOLUNTEERS AND CHURCHES TO FEEL UNCERTAIN OR UNPREPARED. THROUGH OUR CONNECTING PROGRAM, VOLUNTEERS IN SERVICE HELPS PEOPLE OF FAITH NAVIGATE THE ISSUES, CONNECTIONS, AND SKILLS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A THRIVING RELATIONAL MINISTRY. WE WORK WITH DEACONS, SMALL GROUP LEADERS, OUTREACH COMMITTEES, AND OTHER CHURCH LEADERS TO HELP THEM REVEAL THE GIFTS OF DISCIPLESHIP, SO THEY CAN VOLUNTEER MORE FULLY AND LIVE AS STRONGER DISCIPLES ELSEWHERE IN LIFE. TO SAY THAT COVID MADE AN IMPACT ON THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY VOLUNTEERS THROUGH VIS IN 2020 WOULD BE A HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT. SOME SERVICES DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE WE WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE IN-HOME SERVICES FOR MOST OF THE YEAR. OTHER SERVICES, SUCH AS FOOD PANTRY PICK-UP AND GROCERY SHOPPING FOR PEOPLE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. OVERALL, WE CONNECTED 1,312 CHURCH AND SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS WHO PUT IN 4,070 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE IN 2020. THE BREAKDOWN OF THESE NUMBERS IS AS FOLLOWS: BENEVOLENCE VOLUNTEERS: 220 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 220 HOURS TO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY HELPING WITH THINGS LIKE FOOD PANTRY PICK-UP, GROCERY SHOPPING, FURNITURE PICK-UP AND DELIVERY, AND OTHER SPECIAL SERVICES. 44% OF THESE SERVICES HELPED PROVIDE FOOD FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE QUARANTINED DUE TO COVID, OR FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE AT HIGH RISK SHOULD THEY GET THE VIRUS. SERVICE PROJECT VOLUNTEERS: 911 CHURCH AND SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED 3,374 HOURS OF SERVICE COMPLETING SERVICE PROJECTS. 504 OF THESE VOLUNTEERS PUT IN 2,016 HOURS OF SERVICE, PROVIDING SERVICES SMALLER IN SCOPE SUCH AS MOWING A LAWN, HELP MOVE FURNITURE TO STORAGE, CLEANING AN APARTMENT AFTER A MOVE, OR SNOW SHOVELING. OF THESE SERVICE PROJECT VOLUNTEERS, 407 PEOPLE FROM CHURCH AND SCHOOL GROUPS GAVE 1,358 HOURS WORKING ON LARGER SCALE PROJECTS SUCH AS LOCAL AGENCY CLEAN-UP, MORE EXTENSIVE YARD WORK, ALLEY CLEAN UP, LARGER PAINTING PROJECTS, AND SMALL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS SUCH AS BUILDING A RAISED GARDEN OR REPAIRING A DECK OR WHEELCHAIR RAMP. THIS IS A 53% DROP IN VOLUNTEERS AND NEARLY 80% DROP IN HOURS, DUE TO GROUPS NOT VOLUNTEERING BECAUSE OF COVID. WHILE SERVICE PROJECTS ARE TYPICALLY ONE OR TWO DAY PROJECTS, THE VOLUNTEERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SPEND TIME WITH AND BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WTIH THOSE THEY ARE SERVICING. IN THIS WAY, THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH THE WORK THEY DO, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE LIVES THEY TOUCH IN SHARING JOY, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND HOPE IN THE NAME OF CHRIST. SOCIAL VOLUNTEERS (FORMERLY CALLED FRIENDSHIP VOLUNTEERS): THERE WERE 67 CHURCH VOLUNTEERS WHO PROVIDED 134 HOURS OF FRIENDLY VISITOR, MOTHER'S HELPER, PHONE VISITOR, AND SOCIAL OUTING SERVICES FOR THOSE STRUGGLING IN THE COMMUNITY. SOCIAL VOLUNTEERS ARE MORE RELATIONALLY CONNECTED AND OFFER ONGOING SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE AND ARE LONGER TERM CONNECTIONS. THEY TYPICALLY SERVE AN AVERAGE OF TWO HOURS PER MONTH VISITING WITH LONELY, ISOLATED PEOPLE, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND FRIENDSHIP. THOSE THEY SERVE USUALLY HAVE LITTLE TO NO SUPPORT IN THEIR LIFE AND OFTEN ARE NOT CONNECTED TO A CHURCH. THROUGH THEIR LOVE OF CHRIST, VOLUNTEERS BRING HOPE AND JOY INTO THE LIVES OF OTHERS. BECAUSE OF COVID, THE NUMBERS IN THIS CATEGORY ARE CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN IN THE PAST BECAUSE VOLUNTEERS WERE NOT ABLE TO ENTER THE HOMES OF VIS FRIENDS, WHICH REALLY LIMITED WHAT COULD BE DONE. AS A RESULT, WE CHANGED TO MAKING CONTACTS BY OTHER MEANS SUCH AS PHONE CALLS AND/OR CARDS. TRANSPORTATION VOLUNTEERS: FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE BEGAN TRACKING TRANSPORTATION CASES SEPARATELY BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME SUCH A BIG NEED. 114 VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED 342 HOURS OF SERVICE TRANSPORTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH APPOINTMENTS, AND TO THE GROCERY STORE, BANK AND OTHER ERRANDS. FOR MANY PEOPLE, VIS PROVIDED ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE THAT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE. VIS IS UNIQUE IN THAT WE ARE THE ONLY FREE SERVICE THAT PROVIDES RIDES TO MEDICAL PROCEDURES THAT REQUIRE THE VOLUNTEER TO STAY WITH THEM DURING THE PROCEDURE, SOMETIMES TAKING AS LONG AS 3-4 HOURS OF THEIR TIME.

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