In 2017, our volunteers served nearly 1,900 clients and gave out 64 layettes. All that was accomplished during the 20 hours a week we are open, so my hat goes off to the volunteers who man our shifts nearly every day. While demand for our services has increased with the start of our FREE Ultrasounds and will remain so indefinitely, our volunteer numbers have significantly decreased for a number of reasons — health or personal changes or a move out of the area (we do have a number of Army War College-affiliated volunteers). A few long-time staffers simply decided it was time to retire. While change is bound to happen and it’s the one constant we can rely upon, it still has a significant impact on our center because we are 99% volunteer-run.
This means we need you now more than ever — not only your monetary support but your donation of time and energy. Our greatest need is for volunteer counselors to assist clients with everyday basic needs. We are all busy, but your service at our center could make the difference between a woman deciding to keep her baby or aborting him or her, between a family with young children sleeping in a warm shelter or on the street for the night, between a family getting a nutritious meal or skipping one or several, between a child spending his day in clean diapers and adequate clothing or running around in a dirty diaper and soiled or torn clothes. These scenarios are not exaggerations. At the same time, we experience lots of joy and see plenty of babies here. Occasionally, a client will stop in to thank us or will drop off a donation of clothes or equipment so we can help the next person. What does it take to be a volunteer? Not much materially but so much personally. We’re looking for people who are good listeners, have a compassionate heart and have a willingness to serve 2-3 times a month. Training is provided free of charge.
We so appreciate all of our volunteers and absolutely could not serve our clients and their families without their dedicated service and selfless donation of their time and talents. We are always looking for new volunteers, so if you have been thinking about it and just need more information, please call Jackie anytime at 717-243-6544.
If you can’t volunteer, would you, your church or your organization be willing to host a baby shower for us? Many of the items we give to families are donated to us by local churches or groups. We are so appreciative of these events because they help us serve more families than we otherwise could help. If you are willing to host a shower, call us for a list of layette needs. Has God called you to serve? If so, give us a call.
NEXT TRAINING WILL BE HELD IN LATE WINTER/EARLY SPRING
For more information, call Jackie!
717-243-6544
info@carlisleareafamilylifecenter.org