National Volunteer Appreciation Week was a month ago and pictured just last week in this paper, but my appreciation for MOM volunteers is what moves me to write this time around.

Many movements among volunteers at MOM

Julie Posselt-the Volunteer Coordinator we hired a year ago at this time and who has moved MOM into greater recruitment, appreciation and retention of volunteers-is herself moving. Julie leaves us June 26 for undetermined work in Fort Collins, Colorado, as she follows her husband Derek's teaching and PhD. career (in meteorology).

As we bid a fond farewell to Julie, we are also welcome the new Volunteer Coordinator, Sarah MacKesey. Sarah knows MOM well, as her family volunteers here and she was a Social Work intern who served us so well during the 2002-03 school year. To the other interns-Rebecca, Jessica and Gina-we bid a fond farewell, too, but we are delighted Sarah can stay on in this new capacity.

You volunteers in food and clothing get to move this month, too. We move "MOM's Mother Hubbard Cupboard Food Pantry" on June 21 from the St. Luke's Church, the mother church that gave birth to MOM in 1980 and housed the pantry ever since. This move is now necessary, at least for a year, because of that growing congregation demolishing the space we are in and building a larger one.

While we're at it, we are moving also our Clothing Closet from MOM's main office building-all to the MOM Distribution Center in the Middleton Industrial Park-two miles from downtown, on at 8710 Montclair Drive. That's now where all food, clothing and furniture get sorted, stored and redistributed to our clients, under the leadership of Kermit Hovey, the MOM Distribution Programs Manager.

Julie and Sarah and Kermit are not alone in this endeavor. An Eagle Scout, Michael Blakely, is heading up a train of scouts and other volunteers who will do the physical relocation of all shelving units and commodities and more.

Chris Van Haren is doing behind-the-scenes administrative help to oversee the Pantry relocation effort. For their work in the Pantry and more, MOM nominated Chris, along with Jonne Fleming for United Way's "Community Volunteer Award."

Chris would add, by the way, "Please let it be known that there is really nothing special about me. I'm just an ordinary person who seeks to do God's will. God just happens to have given me a heart for the work done through MOM." And I would add that "ordinary people serving an extraordinary God" is what drive many of us to serve at MOM.

We need MORE warehouse and client service volunteers, especially now that we are moving to this consolidated and self-service model at the Distribution Center. With the summer break upon us, please consider joining this team, perhaps with your whole family. I hope and pray that many of you will see yourself in another movement at MOM. I see MOM moving from a decade of doing mostly commodity-based mercy (e.g., food and vouchers) to one of also doing relational-based mercy.

Evidence of relational mercy is manifold

Volunteers with the Project for Older People (POP) provide home chores, traveling companions, friendly visitors, and respite care for people less mobile and for folks at the end of life. Self-reliance and independent living is the goal. The friendship between caregiver and care receiver can extend for years, as in the Stephen Ministry.

Stephen Ministry has always been relational, equipping and matching laypersons to provide distinctively Christian care to dozens of care receivers-the handicapped, divorced, unemployed, terminally ill, those grieving the death of another, and those in spiritual crisis or just curious. Stephen Ministers also experience spiritual growth and blessings for themselves, as a result of exercising their gifts of mercy, helps, faith and encouragement.

Self-reliance and independent living are also the goals of financial mentors. These MOM volunteers will build trust and coach people to break free of patterns that have kept our clients dependent on welfare or trapped in generational poverty. Two Section 8 recipients mentored by others, have told me how they got good-paying jobs in banking and hospital work. I want that future for my MOM clients.

I also hope and pray that relational mercy, as well as commodity-based mercy will take place between volunteers and clients. I can see this happening in stages: Our volunteers will reach across the aisles and shelves of the food or clothing and get to know their frequent customers by name, then those frequent customers become favorites of theirs, then a friendship and trust develops, when then leads to fellowship at church. Perhaps the new customer-friendly self-service model will lead to this extension of grace.

Extending grace to all, one person at a time, results in a transformed community, even a foretaste of God's kingdom. That's my vision or destination, the desire of my heart. How or when we get there is still a mystery to me. But we will have "arrived" at our destination when we hit certain desired outcomes along the way:

Desired Outcomes for our Volunteers

Many volunteers will enjoy and befriend a client, across cultures or generations. Most will access support and training to effectively use their gifts and abilities. Most will DO the Gospel, testifying to God's love and serving others in Christ's name. Many will witness God at work-that is, see His handiwork or "fingerprints" in the lives of others.

Vicky Moeser is owner of Crestwood Auto and a member of High Point Church (HPC). Vicki not only knows how to work on a drive chain, but also heads up a prayer chain. She acts out her faith at work, doing car repairs and discounting the cost to MOM, so that our clients can get back on the road to work. Tom Trotta, also of HPC, and owner of the Colonial Motel, assures our homeless clients, "Yes, there is room at the inn."

Through the Dane County Bar Association, Rhea Myers found us in 1998. He's worked for MOM pro bono ever since-130 hours in 5 years-on our personnel handbook, faith requirements in hiring, clergy housing, grievance procedures, and more.

Many others discount or donate their professional services, pro bono. Vicky, Tom, and Rhea are but a few. We hope that more and more business people will volunteer at MOM in their professional capacity.

I see this happening, even last week, which I hope will multiply in weeks to come. A team of financial mentors-Andy Rohrer, Craig Waggoner, Andrea Flickinger, Mike Petta, and Fran Diederich met last week at Middleton Community Bank to brainstorm how to help clients develop a budget and climb out of debt. Two YWCA staff, Martha Lemnus and Colleen Butler are now partnering with MOM on this.

Most volunteers join us from the ranks of the recently retired. But those who volunteer while still a client, or who volunteer late in life, are a wonderful exceptions.

Roxanne White and Jim Edsall are a case in point. They team up at MOM's Distribution Center in the Industrial Park to help sort, store and redistribute food and clothes. Jim, at age 80 and with Alzheimer's, has come alive by volunteering. Roxanne, a MOM client, is paying back to the community that has given her so much.

Volunteering is indeed a moving experience. Contact MOM's new Volunteer Coordinator, Sarah MacKesey for more information. She's pictured here and can be seen at the main office four days a week. Drop by or connect with her at 826-3409 or sarah@mompop.org.

© 2003 Middleton Outreach Ministry

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