New Volunteer Center at GraceWorks to welcome more volunteers as GraceWorks serves more Neighbors
Ribbon Cutting July 25
Volunteers are the heart of GraceWorks, and they will soon have their own space in the heart of GraceWorks’ community resource center building.
Come celebrate with GraceWorks from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 25, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 at the facility, 104 Southeast Parkway, Franklin.
After 28 years of coming in the back door and struggling through a small, crowded space, volunteers will come in the front door directly into the former conference room refurbished with new paint, flooring and furniture.
There they will find a sign-in desk with a new computer system for registration, tables and chairs for breaks, a coffee station and a refrigerator full of drinks, as well as lockers for their personal belongings. Additionally, the volunteer center will have a TV for training videos that help groups more quickly train before going to their volunteer post.
And Erin Saurers, volunteer recruitment manager, will emerge from her office with a big smile to greet them.
“The new Volunteer Center is going to be very beneficial,” Saurers said. “Right now, volunteers have to enter the building through the back door where donations are accepted. It is very busy back there and volunteers can get lost in the busyness.”
While GraceWorks is still searching for a permanent home, leaders believed it was critical to provide more space and increased training for the essential volunteer force that keeps GraceWorks operational, Saurers said. Thankfully, much of the labor and materials for this renovated space were donated by Lewis Roofing & Construction.
GraceWorks runs on volunteers. GraceWorks has 53 staff members and over 270 regular weekly volunteers plus many volunteer groups each week.
Volunteers save GraceWorks $1 million annually through their service, she said. They work in the GraceWorks Thrift Store by receiving and sorting donations, adding price tags and stocking the store floor. They sort food donations and fill shopping carts for hungry families. A group called GraceWorkers talk compassionately with neighbors seeking help and, working with staff, determine how best GraceWorks can meet their needs.
Outnumbering staff 5 to 1, volunteers make it possible for GraceWorks to save money to use for its core services of Food, Shelter and Support. Their service enabled GraceWorks to serve 13,517 people last year.
The average 270 volunteers serving each week help GraceWorks fulfill its mission of “Neighbor serving Neighbor,” a statement that encompasses the mutual benefit of service.
“I started volunteering because I believed I had something to give,” a longtime volunteer said. “Then when I got started, I found that I was getting something back.”
Interested in becoming a regular volunteer or booking a one-time volunteer experience? Reach out to Erin Sauers, Volunteer Recruitment Manager, at esaurers@graceworkstn.org or call 615.503.0055.
