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"Serve one another in love."

Galatians 5:13b

June 2024

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Our Mission

To empower Christians to join Christ's work in their community.


Why?

To witness Christ's love and build the Kingdom of God.

(John 13:35 and Matthew 6:33)


What We Do

*Connect volunteers from Christian churches and schools with

opportunities to serve in the community. (Galatians 5:13)

*Train, mentor, and coach church leaders as they equip their people

for works of service. (Ephesians 4:11-12)



"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,

if you love one another." John 13:35


"Thank you for sending a volunteer to visit my grandfather. Bill has been a God send. He has raised my grandpa's spirits. I am forever grateful."

-Katelin, granddaughter of a VIS Friend


"Please be sure to thank Dave and Tim and the other volunteers who helped my husband and I get back and forth to dialysis until he could drive again. I'm not sure what we would have done without them!"

-Janet, spouse of a VIS Friend

Transportation Volunteers Needed

Did you know that 80% of requests VIS receives are from individuals who need transportation to medical appointments or for food related needs such as a ride to the grocery store or a food pantry?  Currently, we are not accepting most new referrals for transportation because volunteers are serving at capacity. We need your help! Each transportation request is a 1x only commitment based on your availability, desired frequency, and preferred geographic area. Contact Cori at cscholtens@visgr.org if you are interested in learning more.

Your Generosity Equips God's People for Works of Service


While under house arrest, the Apostle Paul urged the church in Ephesus to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Eph 4:1) He said, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (vs. 2). Then he instructed the apostles, evangelists, the pastors and teachers of the church to "equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." (vs 12) Through your financial support, church leaders across Kent County are mobilizing the people of God for works of service, in the process building the Kingdom of God!


Kari was in a bad motorcycle accident at the beginning of June. She spent 12 days in the ICU with blood in her lungs, two broken arms, and fractures in all of her fingers. The day after being discharged home with both arms in slings, the surgeon called wanting to conduct emergency surgery on her thumbs. Kari was not in a position to drive herself to surgery and had no one to serve as a patient sitter and stay at the hospital throughout the procedure. VIS put out an SOS to the transportation volunteers in her community. Immediately, two different volunteers offered to rearrange their schedules and walk with Kari through the surgery! These volunteers were humble, patient, and gentle. They served Kari in love.



Your support equipped these volunteers for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. We just want to say THANK YOU!

Donate Today!

Looking for ways to SERVE this summer?

Every day, Volunteers In Service receives phone calls from social service agencies, health care organizations and VIS friends letting us know of opportunities to serve in the local community. Most of the opportunities involve simple tasks: mowing a lawn, making a friendly visit, weeding a flower bed, walking a dog, organizing possessions, cleaning a car, providing a ride to the grocery store. But to a neighbor who can no longer do it on their own, these acts of kindness are life-giving. Serving with an open mind and a ready heart shares the love of Jesus in tangible ways! To learn more about any of the opportunities below, contact Cori at cscholtens@visgr.org or 616-459-7500.


Church, let's witness Christ's love to our neighbors this summer!


North East Kent County


Friendly Visitor: Catherine is 69 years old and disabled. She gets pretty lonely and would appreciate a friendly visitor stopping in 2-4x/month to increase her quality of life. (Plymouth Ave NE & I-196)


Friendly Visitor: Linda is 82 years old with dementia. A friendly visitor would be welcome to enhance her quality of life. Linda is a retired special education teacher and is wheelchair bound. (Plainfield Ave NE & Lamberton Lake Dr NE)


Yardwork: Mary is 86 years old and is battling breast cancer. She needs help cleaning up her yard which is overgrown with brush and weeds. She also has tree limbs down in the back yard. The retaining wall needs small trees and brush removed. Her fence is broken and she is saving money to repair it. (Fuller Ave NE & Knapp St NE)


North West Kent County


Organizing: Leah is 58 years old and disabled. Her apartment complex is renovating all units in September. Leah needs help this summer sorting and laundering her clothes and packing up her craft room to be ready to move. She also needs her walls, windows, and oven cleaned. (Alpine Ave NW & 4 Mile Rd NW)


Yardwork: Colleen is 64 years old. She has lots of weeds in her back yard that need pulling. Volunteers need to bring their own tools. (Walker Ave NW & Leonard St NW)


South East Kent County


Car Detailing: Teri is 78 years old and drives a Chevy Cruze. She drives it through the car wash but is no longer physically able to vacuum and clean out the inside of her car. She does not have a shop vac for the task. (Caledonia)


Exterior Home Project: Magalene is 79 years old. She pulled the vines off the outside of her home but they left a mess on her siding. She is hoping someone can clean her siding. Her outdoor faucet does not work. (Fulton St E & Diamond Ave SE)


Exterior/Interior Home Projects: Kathi is 73 years old. She would like her double wide home and attached shed power washed. Volunteer would need to bring a power washer. She also has molding that needs to be put back up in the bedroom. It is on the top and the bottom of all four walls. If she has money to buy a new fan for the bathroom, she would like that put up too. (Division St & 76th St SE)


Yardwork: Derrick is 59 years old and disabled. He needs someone to cut his grass one time and edge the sidewalk. The volunteer needs to bring their own mower and tools. (Division St & 36th St SE)


Yardwork: Helen and her husband are in their 90's. They have requested help pulling weeds and trimming some small bushes. Please bring your own tools. They have a yard waste bin for the refuse. (Woodlawn Ave SE & Lake Dr SE)


Yardwork: Eunice is 67 years old in stage four kidney failure. She has 3-4 bushes in front of her bedroom window that need to be trimmed. They are currently 5-6 ft tall and need to be trimmed to waist height. Volunteer needs to bring their own clippers or electric trimmer. (Caledonia)


South West Kent County


Dog Walker: Kathy is 77 years old and disabled. She is looking for someone to walk her small Yorkie dog named Max 1x/week. (Grandville: Canal Ave SW & 44th St SW)


Exterior Home Projects: Luann is 65 years old. Two 5 ft sections of her wooden fence blew down. They need to be screwed back together. She needs her front doorbell replaced. Also, her garage door no longer rolls up and down. She would like someone to look at it. (Lee St SW & Burton St SW)


Light Housekeeping (short-term): Linda is 71 years old and very weak as she battles cancer. Help with light housekeeping (vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes, changing sheets) and laundry is needed for 1-2 months while she waits for assistance through the Medicaid Waiver program. (Grandville: Canal Ave SW & 44th St SW)


Organizing/Moving: Jeri is 70 years old and can no longer afford to keep her 10' x 20' storage unit. She needs help sorting through the contents to donate, throw away or keep. Most of the items will disposed of or donated. The storage unit contains mostly boxes and some small furniture pieces. (The storage unit is in Grandville: Canal Ave SW. Her apartment is near Kalamazoo Ave SE & 36th St.)


Organizing: Sandy is 72 years old and just lost her husband. She would like to get rid of some items and small furniture pieces in her home. She needs help transporting them to a donation center or a dumpster. (Wyoming: Byron Center Ave SW & 52nd St SW)


Yardwork & Project: Rachel is 66 years old. She has some brush growing out of the ground that needs to be cut down along the fence. She has clippers and a mini chain saw. She also has a new garage door opener that needs to be installed. (Wyoming: Burton St SW & Burlingame Ave SW)


Yardwork: Frenchetta is 60 years old battling lymphedema. She needs help cutting her grass (1x), trimming a bush, and pruning the low branches on a small tree. She also needs the exterior windows washed and the gutters and siding power washed. (Hall St SW & Godfrey Ave SW)


Yardwork: Devona needs someone to mow the lawn around her mobile home one time. She does not have a lawn mower. (Wyoming: 44th St SW & Clyde Park Ave)

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