Archive for category: Volunteer Spotlight

A FROM Church Involvement Story

Meet Forest Hills Presbyterian Church.

Located at the corner of Cascade and 36^th street, Forest Hills Presbyterian may be just outside the Lowell area but their impact here at FROM has been influential. It was the interruption of the church’s food program, A.C.C.E.S.S.6 that led them to FROM. Once the church had become involved with FROM and its programs, they were so impressed and intrigued that they added it to their Mission Committee. Now, 30 parishioners volunteer for FROM helping in our food programs and among other positions.

With its current 300+ members working to fulfill the church’s mission, ‘Christ-Centered, People Focused, Mission Driven’, the church has been involved in many FROM programs. From our Food programs to the Thrift store, From Christmas projects to Backpack distribution and all the in-betweens, Forest Hills Presbyterian has continued to show up and share their time, energy, and efforts with us.

When asked what motivates the church to stay involved with FROM, it was just one sentence from their pastor that keeps them going. “We need to be Christ in other peoples’ lives.” With that, the church hasn’t stopped seeking ways to show up and serve. Forest Hills Presbyterian shared their experiences with FROM. “We see the impact of FROM every time we go, every time we get the newsletter, every time we man a truck or pack a commodities box. We are so grateful to FROM for allowing us to be a part of this amazing organization.” We’re glad Forest Hills Presbyterian has partnered with us in such an impactful, empowered way. Gratitude certainly goes both ways!

Thank you, Forest Hills Presbyterian.

 

For George Watson, Monday morning is one of the most enjoyable parts of the week. George has volunteered at 

FROM (Flat River Outreach Ministries) for nearly a decade. His time is spent sorting books and preparing the book section of Treasures Thrift Store. George has also enjoyed creating friendships with volunteers who work in the same time slot as him over the years.  

 

George began volunteering with FROM after searching in the thrift store for a book about woodworking.  He developed a love for the section and decided he wanted to be involved.  

 

“I still haven’t found that book,” he laughed.  

 

Since then, George has sorted and sold many kinds of books but highlights the faith section as one of his favorites.   

 

“I think it is important to provide the community with religious material,” he said. George has enjoyed working with many volunteers over the years, including Donna Jean Ford, who passed away in 2020. You can read her story here. He and his fellow book department volunteers are all incredibly passionate about their positions. 

 

 “We are all very detail oriented,” he said. “Empty shelves don’t sell books.”  

 

Outside of FROM, George loves to spend time in his hobbies, which include Woodworking, farming, and tractors. Working in the book department has also given George a chance to expand his knowledge on these hobbies through books he purchased and read.  

 

“I love seeing all the different texts,” he said. “I am one of my own best customers.”  

 

“As an avid reader myself, I so appreciate what George and everyone in the book department does,” Arianne Hall, Development Director said. “I always find such fun books at FROM. You can tell the passion George has for books through the displays! I’m so thankful for his passion about FROM and his hard work!” 

Thank you, George, we appreciate everything you do and for the more than 1,600 hours you’ve given to your community through volunteering!   

 

 

Whether it’s FROM (Flat River Outreach ministries) or the Lowell Wildlife Center, Sjana spends many hours a week volunteering her time to help the Lowell community.  

 

She started volunteering at FROM in 2009 and has worked in a variety of the Thrift Store’s departments. She now spends most of her time in the donation room sorting through items to help prepare them to be sold in the Thrift store.  

 

“FROM does a lot for this community,” she said. “I couldn’t find this type of place in Grand Rapids.” 

 

In the past, Sjana utilized services at FROM with her family, and saw volunteering at FROM a way to give back to the community that had helped her. Her reason for volunteering is simple: she wants to help others. 

 

 “I do what I do and that’s all there is to it,” she said.  

 

When she’s not at FROM, Sjana is likely taking care of animals at the Animal Wildlife Center in Lowell, which she runs. The center takes injured or abandoned animals and nurses them back to health. She takes care of all sorts of animals – including baby squirrels that she feeds around the clock when they’re first born.  

 

FROM has found a way to support the wildlife center by donating much of the expired food from the food panty to the animals. Kelly Glas, Healthy Foods Program Coordinator, is passionate about limiting the amount of food that is wasted at FROM and is thankful for the partnership with Animal Wildlife Center in Lowell.  

 

“At FROMs Food Pantry, we greatly focus on doing the right thing with the resources we have been blessed with. Sjana, and the Wildlife Center, has been a pivotal part of making this a reality. Occasionally there will be fresh items that we don’t go through quick enough. Instead of these items ending up in the landfill, we give them to the wildlife center to be used as feed for the animals.” Said Kelly.  

 

Sjana is very thankful for the support FROM has given both her and the Wildlife Center.  

 

In the more than a decade since Sjana has been volunteering, she has volunteered nearly 9,000 hours!  

 

 “Sjana is often here at 6:30 am ready to work in the donation room. We appreciate her faithfulness and dedication to FROM,” said Wendi Priess, the Executive Director. 

 

Thank you, Sjana, for your passion to serve the Lowell community! FROM is thankful for you. 

 

“I give from my heart because I love this place and I love Lowell,” Carol Guyer said.

Carol has been a faithful volunteer for FROM since 2009, when she and her husband began working in the donation room.

 

Other volunteers fondly remember Carol and her husband, John, laughing and calling after each other as they joyfully buzzed around the building getting things ready to be sold in Treasures Thrift Store.

John passed away in 2018, after 41 years of marriage. “I continue volunteering because this is my home and happy place,” Carol says. “If I didn’t, I’d be sitting at home crying.”
Carol and John Guyer have become such

pillars in the FROM family and community. Carol currently holds the record for the most volunteer hours, with 17,000 hours! Carol currently spends most of her time in the new donation room, which is named after her and her husband, and at the cash register, helping things to run smoothly.

FROM isn’t just a place to spend your time, it’s also somewhere you can take part in a new community and build new friendships all while making an impact on the greater Lowell
community. If you spend any time with Carol, you’ll also receive an overflowing dose of laughter.
Carol says, “if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t do it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Sable Choals found herself volunteering in 2016, she was in a dark place.

 

Her mom had recently passed away, as well as her best friend. Around the same time, a traffic stop led to losing her license, which took away her ability to care for her ailing step-father and needing to complete community service.

 

She started coming in at 7:30 AM, after getting off work as a chemist, to clean and vacuum – and anything else she could help with.

 

“I was welcomed, I never felt judged,” Sable said.

 

Along the way, she met and befriended other volunteers who offered listening ears and encouragement to her – without judgement.

 

“If it had not been for Marcia [Kapolka] and me having that outlet to listen and not judge me, I really don’t know where I would have went,” Sable said. “She just lifted me up and told me everything was going to be OK.”

Sable finished her community service early, and continued volunteering at FROM. More than 5 years and nearly 2,100 volunteer hours later, Sable now helps out creating displays on her days off.

 

“I really did come out on the other side here,” she said. “I met a lot of other great people”

 

She said the reasons she continues to volunteer is because of friendships, giving back, the customers and the stories. “At some point I was like, ‘I am never leaving FROM again,’” she said.

 

She loves putting together displays so regular customers can see something different and loves chatting with customers about their purchases because you learn so much about them.

 

“To hear stories of the customers, it’s so enlightening,” she shared and continued on to say she constantly tries to remind herself what FROM is here for, and why she volunteers – to help other families and neighbors in need in the Greater Lowell Community.

 

Reflecting back on the last 5 years of volunteering and the growth she’s seen in herself as a person, Sable said, “I don’t think anyone should think a mistake should define you.”

 

“I want everyone to feel welcome and accepted,” Sable said. “I want to be able to help.”

 

Sable is one of more than 460 active volunteers at FROM. Volunteers touch every aspect of our organization – from setting our vision on the Board of Directors to serving in our programs and everywhere in between.