Volunteers are the life blood of Agape!
Agape was born out of volunteerism! For the first two years of our existence 100% of our staff were volunteers. That means we all did a bit of everything from fixing the plumbing, creating a web site, raising funds and sitting on the board. Cozy!
Agape volunteers have played a major role not only in agency operations but also the life changing mentorship of the many women and children who we have the honor of serving. Agape volunteers share their hearts with compassion and grace, which gives hope and encouragement to women and children who have experienced so very little of those things in their lives.
Sharing time, talent, treasure, and grace changes the lives of our incredible volunteers as well as the women and children we serve. Imagine how it may feel to a woman who left abuse to suddenly have a mere stranger truly care about them, pray with them, hug them and love them just for who they are. Imagine how the volunteer feels watching a beautiful transformation. BOTH are transformed for the good, forever.
Agape volunteers are so faithful! Several volunteers have mowed our lawns and taken care of our homes for most of our 11 years – and counting!
Our volunteer receptionists / first responders (some who have become employees!) have cried with homeless moms who call seeking for help out of seemingly impossible situations. They offer a compassionate, listening ear, suggestions – and hope.
Volunteers, companies, faith groups and Employee Resource Groups host household good supply drives to keep our God’s Gifts supply closet stocked with household items that allow our women to “shop” for free, saving their limited dollars for food, clothing, gas and health care for themselves and their children.
You can imagine what our “honey do” list of repairs and chores looks like just to keep our family housing nice and safe. Thanks to Custer Road UMC, Plain-o-Helpers, Chase Oaks Church, Greenville Oaks Church of Christ, St Andrew Methodist Church, and a myriad of professionals who all donate their time so that our families enjoy homes they are proud of and comfortable in… even if they share their homes from time to time with pesky and persistent squirrels!
The volunteers of Bed Start FILL OUR HOMES with furniture AND help our grads furnish their homes. It truly takes a village to end cycles of homelessness, poverty and abuse.
Our Birthday Fairy creates the perfect “Birthday Party in a Box,” complete with a handmade personalized card and specially selected gift so that each mom and child knows they are loved on their special day.
We are grateful for each and every volunteer, but there are several who are extra special. Their impact is immeasurable and lifelong. For over 11 years, our counselors, Mary and Debbie, along with our amazing Clinical Director, Dr. Linda Carmicle, have logged literally THOUSANDS of volunteer hours helping our women heal from the oppression and pain of trauma and abuse. The skill, compassion and patience of this amazing team have changed hundreds of lives from the inside out. Transformation to self-sustaining lives would not happen without these huge servant hearts, and we are grateful.
And there is the amazing and incomparable Linda George who has been with Agape for almost all of our 10 1/2 years, volunteering for 40+ hours a week handling donor relations, property, plumbing, loaner cars…. I think she has done every job at Agape and everything in between! As our whole staff says many times each week, “We would be lost without her!” She has so many rubies in her crown that it would tump her over if she wore it! (Tump is, btw, a perfectly good Texas word).
Over the years we have had over 4000 volunteers share their time, talent and treasure with Agape. If we wrote down everything our volunteers did to serve Agape and our women and children, “the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” We are humbled by the hearts, compassion, and faithfulness of each and every one. For each volunteer who has shared your gifts with Agape for the good of all, please know we cannot adequately express our gratitude for all you have done, are doing, and will do. We see you and your names are forever stitched on our hearts. This month and every day we celebrate you!
And if by chance you’ve not volunteered… yet… and you would like to change your life and the life of another – just come!!! We will help you find that very special task that touches your heart. We will keep the light on for you.
God bless you and keep you,
Rev Janet
“If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
