Service Leaders Needed
Each week, the Forum lists all the active
outreach-service projects happening at St. Francis. Homeless shelters, food drives, Habitat for
Humanity work, vehicle donation requests, car and home repair, St. Vincent DePaul efforts, … there are
always opportunities for St. Francis parishioners to help out in our
community. Happily, there are also many
eager volunteers in our parish, ready to fill these important roles.
Keeping a steady stream of volunteer
opportunities available for our parishioners and schoolchildren doesn’t happen
on its own. Our parish is blessed to
have many coordinators who give their time to keep these important ministries
going. These volunteers go the extra
mile beyond filling a finite hourly shift.
They accept accountability for a given project’s success: keeping a
shift schedule, reserving workspace, coordinating with outside non-profits and
businesses, directly overseeing work; all to make sure that the work of our
parish is fulfilling for both our volunteers and those being helped. This is difficult work, but without it, none
of the ministries you see in the Forum from week to week would be possible.
In addition to project coordinators,
St. Francis’s direct service efforts are nurtured by our St. Vincent / Christian Service Committee. This committee endeavors to keep our ministry
offerings fresh, and ensures that ongoing projects have adequate
coordination. Members consider proposals
for new ministries and shepherd the worthiest ideas into practical execution.
Both these groups, individual
project coordinators and St.
Vincent / Christian Service Committee members, are in need of
new volunteers. Many projects have been
led by the same people for several years, and would benefit from the fresh
perspective and renewed enthusiasm supplied by new leadership. Some important ministries are in danger of
disappearing from our parish due to lack of coordination.
While
the need for fresh leaders is urgent, new people will enter roles where they
can expect support to be successful. Most coordinator responsibilities are
thoroughly documented, so new leadership knows what milestones must be reached
in a project and when each is expected.
We have a great wealth of institutional knowledge regarding these
projects, including past coordinators available for consultation with new
leaders.
If you already volunteer on these,
thank you. If you are able, please
consider taking on a leadership role, either as coordinator of an individual
project, or as a member of the St. Vincent / Christian
Service Committee. Let’s find new
leadership and keep these growing projects available for others.
For more information, contact Scott Wright,
parish Director of Service & Justice (swright@stfrancisa2.org,
734-821-2121) or St.
Vincent / Christian
Service Committee chairperson Chris Kempton (chris@kempton.com,
734-623-9845).
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Leadership
opportunity: IHN Alpha House
Volunteer
Coordinator Needed
Over the last ten years, hundreds
of St. Francis parishioners have offered warm St. Francis hospitality for the
families who temporarily call IHN Alpha House home a shelter for homeless
families on Jackson Road Ann Arbor
As you might imagine, Alpha House
week requires strong coordination skills.
Leaders must keep the volunteer schedule, making sure all shifts are
filled; oversee the menu for the week, to make sure not all our meal preparers
bring the same dishes; and provide onsite coverage during the week to keep
everything running smoothly. Alpha House
has a staff liaison to help with coordination, however, and past coordinators
have documented the role to aid new leaders.
We desperately need to fill this
position. If a new coordinator is not
found soon, St. Francis will be forced to scale back our commitment to a single
week a year, from the current two weeks.
Please consider coordinating our next St.
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