I knew I wanted to volunteer when I got to Redlands. I didn’t know I would find such a great program to do it with.
Last week, I toured the Redlands Family Service Association and found that the opportunities to serve were just about as limitless as my imagination. Really, they are that chill there. This was the volunteer infrastructure that I wish so deeply that every in-need family in Grenada can experience.
To begin, Redlands is a small town full of rich people who care entirely too much about their small town.
Strange you say? I love it.
Want a stellar turnout at your community cleanup day Northern Nevada? Fill your town with third-generation residents with an overgrown sense of philanthropy. Oh, and shrink the city limits by like 75%.
But I digress.
The Redlands Family Service Association has been around since 1898, which gives you a sense of how deep-rooted philanthropy is in this community. Their mission is to “alleviate poverty, encourage self-sufficiency, and promote the dignity of all people”. The first part of their mission only exists to support the second two goals, according to its volunteer coordinator. Other organizations take care of chronic homelessness and poverty. This association deals with people who are really ready to be independent, but just need that extra help.
Here are the opportunities to serve:
- Playing with kids in a separate toys room while mom (and maybe dad) meet with a case worker.
- Helping job-seekers pick out one or two free professional outfits from the thrift store they run.
- Putting food in inconspicuous “Vonns” grocery bags when someone comes in asking for a week’s work of help.
- Helping a parent pick out a free toy for their child’s birthday (or Christmas) from the massive collection there.
- Teaching a yoga or scrapbooking or knitting (or anything else you are a pro at).
- Playing soccer with the kids outside.
- Going on a grocery run for pantry supplies.
- Eating dinner with the families.
- Etc.
These volunteering activities can be scheduled once a week, once a month or whenever you feel like dropping in. The paperwork is also simple. I was approved as a volunteer in 15 minutes.
What impressed me the most about this organization was its emphasis on families and normalcy. For example, when a family requests food for the week, the volunteer carefully packs the listed items into a bag from a local grocery store and the person in need must come and pick it up. The goal is to make the children believe that their parent is bringing home food and providing for them. Same with dinners at the location. The parent has to set the family’s table and put together the dinner in the kitchen. It isn’t served. Same with the toys room. While any child tripping in there would feel like they just entered Nirvana, the parent is the only one allowed in. Family Services gives the parent the gift wrap so they can make the toy look special and personalize their gift to their child.
If I were in need, I would find this place very empowering.
I’m sure in my 30 minute tour I didn’t see all sides of this place. I’m not naive when it comes to charity services. It also won’t provide the ability to get extremely close to a set group of children like the Limes and QE programs did in Grenada. People come to Redlands Family Services to climb up out of poverty – they aren’t going to be there for ever.
However, I think it will fill a hole in my personality that was left by Grenada. The daily service that I was able to give on that island changed me. I don’t think I will be the same again without someone in my community to serve.
If you are interested in volunteering, call Nicholas at 1-909-793-2673 or just drop in on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Or you can always go with me.
On Saturday, our church collected bags of donated food for the Association’s pantry. It was pretty fun scurrying from door to door to pick up these bags from people’s porches!
