Helping Children Learn to Serve

One of the areas of service in our ministry that doesn’t get as much notice is resource coordination. Our Resource Volunteers rarely interact directly with parents or children, yet they play such an integral role in our ministry!

Audrey, one of our Resource Volunteers who helps oversee resource coordination, has been serving with us for four years. She, along with the rest of the team, help make sure that before a hosting starts, volunteers have everything they need to make the hosting a success. This includes a backpack for hosted kids stocked with socks, pajamas, toys, a Bible, a toothbrush, etc. The team also includes any items that Host Families may practically need including highchairs, diapers, formula, car seats, and more!

Audrey also helps to keep our Fort Wayne resource closet organized and ensures that it is kept well stocked. For her, one of the beautiful things about serving in this capacity has been bringing her kids along with her so they can learn to serve others. Whether it’s her littles helping to organize the toys or her older kids helping her to pull resources, she loves that they are learning the value of serving at a young age.

Audrey expressed that she feels her kids live a fairly easy life, as all of their needs are being met. She is thankful for that but also glad for the opportunity to share with them that not everyone is in the same situation. Her littles see the backpacks that they are helping fill with essentials for other children, and it sparks fruitful conversations. She hopes that this time plants seeds and a desire to help others and be tender-hearted. Audrey has already seen a willingness in her older children to come and pull items for hostings.

The way that God has provided resources for those in need has been incredible to witness. Audrey shared that she is constantly amazed by how every resource request is always met. Whenever there is a resource need, it ends up being filled. Always. She can’t think of any time where she has had to tell someone “We can’t help with this.”

Most recently, our ministry was blessed and encouraged by Danny Gokey’s Better Than I Found It Organization. The singer chose New Mercies Ministries to be the recipient of his Bus Stop Giveback in Fort Wayne, providing resources to start two new resource closets – one in Elkhart County and one in Noble County. We’re thankful for this generous support and for the wide variety of ways that we see God providing resources to help us continue to share with families in need across Northern Indiana. We’re also so grateful for our Resource Volunteers. They keep things running smoothly and ensure that our hostings get off to a great start!

Watching parents and children learn to serve together is such a joy, and Audrey’s family is a beautiful example of this in action. God in His grace has given so many opportunities for His people to be involved in Kingdom work, and it is a blessing to see families choosing to get involved together!