Once a year, we replace our regular worship services with a powerful movement aimed at healing the broken places in our community through acts of service and love. This event is about sending people into our community to reflect the HOPE of Jesus to our neighbors through hands-on service projects. Last weekend, we witnessed an incredible outpouring of compassion aimed at healing the broken place of injustice, with more than 850 volunteers dedicating their time and effort to make a meaningful impact on 45 different projects over the course of three days.
The collective effort of 670 Grace attenders and 180 individuals from our wider community resulted in a series of remarkable achievements that embodied the spirit of love and service. Here are some of the highlights from the 2023 Weekend of Service:
1. A Beacon of Hope at the Grace Care Center:
Volunteers came together to collect and process 22,000 items, all of which were donated to the Grace Care Center by thousands of homes in the surrounding community. These generous contributions will be enough to sustain the Choice Pantry for roughly six weeks, providing support to those in need within our community.
Food insecurity is a form of systemic injustice that disproportionately affects marginalized communities. By collecting these essential items, we’re not just feeding people; we’re giving them the dignity of choice and stability, even if it's just for a meal. That's a big deal.
2. Transforming Homes with Heart and Grit:
Elsewhere in Indianapolis, volunteers moved 500 pounds of rock and concrete, filled a 20-foot dumpster with yard work debris, and even gutted a home. These efforts were carried out in partnership with Heart Change and Grit Into
Grace, two organizations that provide support to women on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis, working to transform lives and homes.
Housing is another area where injustice often lurks, especially for women who are vulnerable. Partnering with Heart Change and Grit Into Grace to renovate homes is more than a facelift; it's a life
change. Thank you, volunteers, for creating safe, dignified spaces where women can rebuild their lives.
3. Tending to Gardens of Hope:
Our green-thumbed volunteers weeded and cleaned up gardens at the Edna Martin Christian Center in Indianapolis and Teter Organic Farm in Noblesville. These two organizations play a crucial role in giving away fresh, organic produce to families in need, and our volunteers helped ensure that their gardens continue to flourish.
Access to fresh, organic produce is often a luxury in food deserts, areas where affordable and nutritious food is hard to obtain. By tending to these gardens, our teams contributed to a more equitable food system.
4. Compassion in a Kit:
Volunteers packed over 500 hygiene and diabetes kits. These kits will be distributed to unhoused and at-risk individuals through Gennesaret Free Clinic in Indianapolis and City Relief in New York City. It's a testament to the compassion and care that our community embodies.
Health disparities are a glaring form of injustice. Packing hygiene and diabetes kits addresses immediate needs but also speaks to larger issues of healthcare accessibility. Our team provided a lifeline, a moment of care that can be rare for unhoused and at-risk individuals.
5. Painting a Brighter Future for Prevail:
Last but certainly not least, our volunteers painted three offices for Prevail in Noblesville. Prevail is an organization that provides essential support to survivors of crime and abuse, and our volunteers brightened their workspace to make a positive impact.
The environment in which survivors of crime and abuse receive support can significantly impact their healing journey. By painting Prevail's offices, we were able to contribute to a space that says, "You're valued, and you deserve to heal in a place that reflects that."
As we continue to reflect on the incredible accomplishments of our Weekend of Service, we can't help but be filled with gratitude for the dedicated people of Grace, volunteers, who selflessly gave their time and energy to make a difference in our community. Weekend of Service is a reminder of the power of unity and unwavering hope in Jesus that can be found in serving others and moments like these that remind us of the power of unity and the unwavering hope that can be found in the act of service.