February 2, 2012
7 Ways To Volunteer With Samaritan Village
Posted by Michael
On Christmas Eve of 2010, Summit Church gave generously to Samaritan Village. The mission of Samaritan Village is to “to provide a Christ-centered program for women transitioning from chemical dependency and sexual exploitation to healing, wholeness and productivity in society.” Thanks to your generosity, Samaritan Village was able to purchase a house on Valentine’s Day of 2011. This past November, four women moved into the house to begin the process of recovery and healing.
Rhonda Stapleton, Founder & CEO of Samaritan Village, is excited about the future of these four women. “They are learning how to live in a caring community,” she says. “They are able to see a counselor and a doctor for free on a regular basis and will be starting the Jobs Partnership program soon. They all have weekly chores to do at the house and are amazing cooks! “
Samaritan Village is doing very well, but they can use some help in a few areas. Here are 7 places that Rhonda can use some good volunteers in:
1. Got a van? Samaritan Village is looking for a 6-to-8-seat mini-van that can be used to transport the women to various meetings and doctor appointments. If you have one that you would like to donate, it would be a huge blessing to the women.
2. Like to drive? As mentioned, the women go meetings and doctor appointments every week. Volunteers are needed to drive the women to and from these appointments. Ideally, several volunteers would be put on a rotation so that the time commitment would be flexible.
3. Like hanging out? Every Saturday night the women have a “fun night” at the house and play games or watch movies. Volunteering at these fun nights is a great way to meet the women and get plugged into the vision of Samaritan Village. If you are in a Connect group, this would be a great way to serve together. You can bring some board games and some DVDs to the house and just have fun hanging out. A few groups have even signed up to give manicures and pedicures to the women!
4. Good at math? Rhonda is looking for someone to help with bookkeeping. She estimates that the time commitment would be about four hours a week. Jobs would include helping keep track of the inventory at Transitions and budgeting. If you are good at Quick Books, this job is for you!
5. Like being around people? Transitions Resale Boutique is right across the street from Summit Herndon, and helps to fund Samaritan Village. Last year it brought in $30,000 in gross income and over the past two months sales and donations have been at an all-time high. Volunteers are needed to work in the store.
6. Own a business? As the women graduate from the program, they will need jobs. If you own a business, Rhonda would love to talk to you about this possibility.
7. Like to run? On Saturday, April 14th Samaritan Village will have its annual Run For Her Life 5K in Baldwin Park. This is one of two yearly fundraisers. Volunteers are needed to help put on the event. And, of course, they need runners!
If you are interested in volunteering in any of the above areas, please email Rhonda at rstapleton@samaritanvillage.net. And please spread the word. It really matters.
Six years ago, Rhonda had a vision to create a place where women could seek refuge and learn how much they matter to God. Because she and others were faithful, it is now a reality. “It is going better than I thought it would,” she says. “I love seeing God work and care for the women. They are becoming whole. This is the hardest I’ve ever worked, but it is worth it!”
