“I’d really like to give some time to a good cause, but I don’t have much time to give…” “I need a way to help others where I just have to show up, because I don’t have the resources to plan what to do!” Many members of St. Andrew’s long to live out Christian compassion by helping others, but struggle to find a way to do so in the middle of very busy and demanding lives. As our church’s outreach ministries grow, we will continue to look for ways that busy and good-hearted people can offer their time, energy, and talents in meaningful ways.
One opportunity is before us already, for anyone who sometimes has free weekday hours. Lutheran Social Services, the agency principally responsible for assisting refugees in the Concord area, can use our help! The refugees from around the world who are making new lives in the Concord area arrive here as strangers, in need of care and support – and welcoming the stranger as a member of God’s family is one of the most consistent ethical calls of both the Old and New Testaments.
We can live out that call and assist Lutheran Social Services by developing a team of volunteers who could commit to helping out for a two– or three-hour morning shift at the LSS offices, twice a month – meaning that any one volunteer might only be scheduled once every two months, a minimal commitment. Volunteers would go in pairs and be ready to do whatever most needs doing: helping with paperwork, unpacking and arranging donations for the refugees, driving a family to the doctor, helping set up an apartment for a family to move into. (Volunteers with limited physical strength are welcome; it’s not all heavy lifting!)
If this opportunity sounds appealing and might fit your schedule, please contact the Rev. Miranda Hassett.
