Delivery and Pick Up Volunteers
Room 7 Volunteers
The Furniture Ministry team served over 330 households in our city in 2023. We delivered furniture & household items to 161 families & individuals and picked up donated furniture from 171 homes. (So neat how God balances the needs & provisions each year!) This year we became very aware of how this Ministry benefits not only those in need but also those who are downsizing or cleaning out a loved one’s home. Many times, they have good quality items, and it can be overwhelming to know how to dispose of them responsibly and many do not have the means to move the furniture on their own. They were so grateful to know that the items were being used to help those in our community who are in need.
In the fall we had many bare shelves and put out a call to our Church family and the community. The response was wonderful, and the shelves were quickly filled. Because of the constant and ongoing needs in our community, it doesn’t take long for them to become empty again. We are so thankful for the generous folks in our community who dropped off kitchen and small household items to the office throughout the year. Many contribute on a regular basis by collecting items from their friends & community tables in their condos, and some purchase items from thrift stores and watch for sales. Thank you!
We are also thankful that the cost of beds appears to have stabilized after 2 years of constant increases. In 2023 we delivered 73 Double beds and 54 single beds which was inline with the previous year. In 2022 we came up with the Trinkets and Treasures sale idea to help offset the rising costs. Throughout the year we set aside interesting & non-necessity items that were donated along with the usual household goods and offered them for sale for 1 week. The market was set up in the front office and people could pay whatever they felt led to for the items. In 2023 we held our 2nd annual Trinket & Treasure sale and raised $1453 to go towards purchasing beds for the Ministry. We opened the sale up on the same day as the Easter Egg Hunt which had many participants from the community and who may not be familiar with the Ministry. It was a great opportunity to share about this outreach.
The Furniture Ministry team values the relationship we have with other community organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul Society, The Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter, Medicine Hat Housing, McMan youth, Family & Community Services and Addictions & Mental Health which are who we receive our referrals from. Our teams of volunteers have received cards and praise thanking them for their professional & caring service from some of these groups. We also heard from many recipients as well as family members throughout the year who appreciated the assistance to their loved ones as it eased the burden to them as well.
It is such a joy to witness the willingness and dedication to serve the Lord through the
Furniture team volunteers. We have a group who cleans donated items on Monday, another group comes in to sort and pack orders on Tuesday and the delivery team goes out every Wednesday rain or shine! The fellowship and friendships that have formed are so uplifting!
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
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