JustServe

Something exciting is starting in Dallas.  My church is sponsoring a new service based website called "JustServe" (www.JustServe.org)

It links organizations, cities, agencies who NEED volunteer service with people, classes, groups, families who WANT to serve.

It's brilliant and inspired. 

It's also been a lot of work.  In my assignment at church I've been charged with getting the ball rolling for my Stake and for the Dallas area.  This has become a part-time job and I've become something of the area expert for this.

But it's also been so much fun.  I've had brilliant experiences building relationships with community partners and leaders.  Our reception has been incredibly positive by our partners.  I feel that this is another sign of the hastening of the work and we get to be involved in it.

Our FIRST partner and project was making blankets with The Joyful Foundation.  This event with a breast cancer theme, was already in the works on behalf of my good friend Leigh Anne who is battling her own breast cancer fight but also for Allie Arnett who lost her battle last year.

I asked Jenn Meldrum and the Joyful Foundation to be my guinnea pig with posting projects and I sat and let people register for this activity.

Hearts for Angie

Service feels good!

Our sweet crossing guard Angie lost her husband unexpectedly.  We'd noticed she took a week off from work and had missed her.  It didn't take long for word to spread of why she'd been absent.  I see this woman each and every day, I know her name, I thank her for crossing us safely.  She has a tricky corner to manage and she does so each day working really hard.

The neighborhood community rallied around her.  A thread on facebook all mentioned desires to help.  I suggested that we find out where she lived and heart attack her.  My friend Sarah told me later that she really liked that idea.  It morphed into spreading the word for the children that she helps cross the street to each decorate and give her a heart on the Friday after she's back to work.

We got out all our crafting supplies and got to work gluing, writing, cutting and making A LOT of hearts.  A few friends joined us in making these crafts and then the morning of (it was COLD) Then Kaitlyn and I stationed ourselves out of sight and handed hearts to those who were walking on the route towards Angie's corner.

Stephen went to work late that morning and was able to station himself at the other corner to help collect the hearts and keep children from wandering into the road to give them to her.

Angie wouldn't let me take her photo but here are a few of my helpers and the bag of collected hearts.  I want my children to learn that service can make a difference, and that we can show love to those who hurt.

 

Maybe it was a bit soon for her, but about a week later, around Valentines Day, Angie told me that she and her daughters finally got around to reading the messages on the hearts and that they'd even decorated the fridge with them.  It feels so good to serve.