“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” – Matthew 13:31-32
Each summer, Life’s Choices launches a mid-year giving campaign to maintain funding and support for our free community services. Sometimes, we will have a fun theme for this campaign and this year, we have named it, “Seeds of Hope.” This concept is that Life’s Choices persistently gives away small acts of love in hopes that they will sprout and grow to make a large impact in our clients’ lives. While a conversation, a pack of baby wipes, or a short Zoom class may seem as small as a mustard seed, we know sometimes those interactions can have an effect as influential as an oak tree.
This “Seeds of Hope” attitude is shared among our staff, board members, amazing supporters, and especially by our lovely volunteers! These are the kind-hearted individuals who tirelessly donate their time and efforts to Life’s Choices. To capture the spirit behind our “Seeds of Hope” campaign, you should hear from a few of our volunteers:
JoAnne
“At my age, I have a lot of free time; I wanted to give back to the community. Here, I do a lot of clerical work, which I really do enjoy: office work, mailings, filings, printing, and phone work. I love all the ladies here, I love the atmosphere. It’s just a lovely place to come and feel like I am contributing to a cause I support.”
“I prayed for some clients who were leaving here the other day; they needed prayer for their health this summer. I asked if they would like prayer right there. The girl had tears in her eyes.”
JoAnne has been volunteering at our Hamburg location for a little over a year. Like in this example, JoAnne sows seeds of hope at our office through her kind and thoughtful personality. Even if it’s just giving someone a smile, she uses every opportunity to lighten someone’s heart.
Whitney
Whitney is one of our Kutztown volunteers, a lovely young woman who also attends Kutztown University during the school year.
“I first heard of Life’s Choice through The Bridge Church in Hamburg. I typically do whatever is needed. I am open to whatever needs to be done at the office in order to lighten the load of work for my colleagues. I love their determination to help anyone who walks through that door.”
We love to see how Whitney uses her time to sow seeds of hope in the lives of people here. Even when she is away from our office, Whitney lives with an attitude of hope and encouragement:
“I made sure I bring a big smile and my warm personality to brighten anyone’s day even if it is my colleagues. I have been able to inform my college friends about Life Choices and the services they provide. I also am capable of coming to this location one day myself for parenting classes and preparing for my own children one day.”
Life’s Choices has been immensely blessed by the energy, positivity, and hard work that Whitney always displays. Showing hospitality and creating friendly spaces is a beautiful way that Whitney sows seeds of hope at our office!
Heather
Finally, Life’s Choices would like to highlight Heather, our newest volunteer. Heather is a young woman with such a strong work ethic and an infectious smile. We asked if she can think of any “seeds of hope” she has sown while helping at the Hamburg office. Heather said she couldn’t think of any. But all of the staff who have interacted with Heather would soundly disagree! Heather’s brightness and warmth of spirit has sown seeds of hope into our lives. As with all of our volunteers, the fact that she is dedicating her time towards helping us is a blessing.
Currently Heather’s volunteer work has included those odd jobs that us staff members just can’t find the time to do. We’ll give her random things like vacuuming the office, or cleaning/organizing children’s toys in our parenting room, and she accomplishes these tasks with enthusiasm and a smile.
One can easily see Heather’s generous and loving attitude in these words of hers:
“I want to be a part of that group of people who do good things in a world where people face difficult and bad things daily. Life’s Choices makes people’s lives better, and it’s an honor to be a part of that.”
The hearts of these beautiful workers match perfectly with the heart of Life’s Choices. They know that no amount of kindness is wasted. Each interaction, every appointment, all hours of prayer and effort are opportunities to sow seeds of hope.
These women are hopeful that the seeds they plant at Life’s Choices will one day grow into beautiful testaments of love and care. This is why we encourage giving during our “Seeds of Hope” campaign. Your donation (be it the small size of a mustard seed) can have an impact that no one can predict.
If financial support is not what you can provide for Life’s Choices, maybe you would like to volunteer with us! If your schedule only allows for limited visits, every volunteer is valued and appreciated! Your skills and passion can be used for spreading goodness to your community. Join JoAnne, Whitney, and Heather in helping out! If you are interested, please contact us today and start sowing seeds of hope with Life’s Choices!
