[The following is the first excerpt from our ‘Choices Community: Serving Within 2010’ info packet – we’ll be posting excerpts over the next few weeks, so remember to check back. Frankly, we’re in need of others willing to hang out with us one afternoon a week. If we gather enough interest, we’d love to resume morning hours as well. How about a cup of coffee?]

Greetings! We would be delighted if you would consider serving with Choices. Serving in our community mission can be a beautiful and meaningful way to demonstrate care and concern for those in need of compassion, kindness and shelter from sexuality, pregnancy and/or parenting related difficulties.]

Our hope is that each person discovers that serving is mutually beneficial. As we encounter human need in our community, we have the opportunity to sit with, listen to, and respond lovingly to those experiencing challenges, and are seeking someone to trust and journey with them. Being present to people assists in the most basic needs we all have: to love and be loved. Words from a poem by Carlo Carretto remind us:

You say you are sad?
Love — and joy will come.
You say you are alone?
Love — and you will break out of your solitude.

At Choices, we place a high value on relationships, as that is where personal transformation toward healthy life decisions, consideration of matters of faith, and good outcomes for the fabric of our community are best made possible.

Our volunteer process is primarily designed to determine whether each of us feels this is a good fit. We’ll have a friendly conversation that will help you to understand our “personality”, and you are invited to ask questions, and express your thoughts.

Our desire is that each person who interacts with Choices experience an (emotionally) safe time with us that preserves their respect and dignity, thus we are continually refining our environment and approach to enable good experiences for our volunteer staff and clients/friends.

One more thought – we’ve heard that there are those who think if they’ve experienced abortion or other life challenges this disqualifies them from serving with us – we’re here to say that we will embrace you, just as we embrace anyone who comes seeking help, hope and healing. Many of us have been there.

A last minute ‘find’ from a friend’s Facebook update speaks directly to my heart for this mission God has given us at Choices: