Volunteers Make the Difference

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month.

For the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, volunteers make a big difference in the community. More than 200 volunteers help in almost every Sisters of Providence ministry from one-time events like the Earth Day Festival, Phonathon, Used Book Sales and Christmas Fun at the Woods, to ongoing efforts like helping at White Violet Farm, Administrative Office, Mission Advancement, Providence Teen Ministry, Providence Healthcare, or the I.T. Department.

Rely on Volunteers

Nonprofit organizations, like the Sisters, rely on volunteers to continue their ministries and assist in fundraising efforts that provide vital resources.

You may ask yourself, “What difference can one volunteer make?”

It makes a big difference when a resident in health care thanks a volunteer many times over for taking them on a special golf cart trip. This particular resident still mentions the trip and their appreciation of this volunteer.

Many other Providence Healthcare residents enjoy visiting with volunteers throughout the course of the day or interacting with them during activities.

A ‘Warm Welcome’

A difference is made when administrative volunteers can provide a warm welcome to guests, help them find their way around campus or meet a particular staff person. We all know what it is like to get lost on a big campus!

The White Violet Farm greatly benefits from year-round and one-time volunteers who can help knock out big projects like painting a barn, transitioning plants, skirting fiber and getting the fields ready for planting, or, in the fall, getting the fields ready for winter. White Violet’s regular volunteers add support to weekly harvesting, weeding, getting animal chores done quickly and running the Farm Store.

Many of the Sister staff departments are quite small – like the I.T. Office. Volunteers make a big difference when they can assist a Sister with a tech question or issue, while staff are running around doing other tasks.

These are just a handful of examples to show the difference that our volunteers make in our community.

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin would say, “What a sweet Providence it is to find friends thus willing to assist us.”

Thank You!

Thank you to all of our volunteers! Know that the Sisters of Providence truly appreciate your time, energy, enthusiasm, selfless attitude, and the wonderful person that you are!

There are many one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities at the Woods, including:

• Providence Food Pantry,
• White Violet Center for Eco-Justice Farm,
• White Violet Farm Store,
• Providence Teen Ministry,
• Visiting with the Sisters of Providence in long-term care,
• Office Assistance,
• Linden Leaf Gifts sales associate,
• The Connecting Link Resource Center,
• Earth Day Festival,
• Summer Used Book Sale, and
• Christmas Fun at the Woods.

Are you interested in learning about volunteer opportunities? Contact Volunteer Services for more information.

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