Impacting God's World

Amanda* was first referred to Volunteers In Service in January of 2023 by a local food pantry.  She was a young mom with an 18 month old at home.  She used a walker and had limited vision.  Amanda had no transportation and no food in the home.  VIS was asked to find a volunteer from a church to bring her an emergency box of food from the pantry.  

Over the next 2 yrs the same small group of ladies from a local church regularly provided rides for Amanda and her daughter to the grocery store and the diaper pantry and to medical appointments.  They built a beautiful relationship with Amanda.  They invited Amanda to worship with them at church and participate in their Cradles of Grace program.  

This spring, when Amanda went into labor way too early with her second baby, God made sure it was the volunteer who was a retired labor and delivery nurse who took her to the hospital and walked with Amanda.  

These ladies have been the literal hands and feet of Jesus.  They are witnessing God’s love in practical ways to Amanda and are loving her just like Jesus does!  That is BEING the church in this world. Church volunteers have joined Christ already at work in their community and are building God’s kingdom one life at a time!  Well done, good and faithful servants! 

*Name changed

Natalie* had no food in her apartment and no transportation.  Natalie was referred to VIS in January of 2023 by North Kent Connect.  The request was for a volunteer to pick up food at a pantry in Sparta and deliver it to Natalie and her two children, one being a 20 year old son with a mental disability.  Pretty regularly for two years, volunteers served Natalie by providing transportation to the grocery store or food pantry. In the spring of 2025, VIS realized we hadn’t heard from Natalie in a few months so we called to check in.  Natalie’s bubbly, smiling voice came on the line and she gushed, “You all are such an answer to prayer.  We had been all by ourselves up here in Rockford with no one and you made us feel so loved and valued.”  

VIS learned that the father of Natalie’s children was physically abusive, leading them to flee to a homeless shelter.  The waiting list for housing in Grand Rapids was 18 months so she was encouraged to put her name on the list for housing in the outlying communities and ended up in Rockford with no support system, no job, no car, and in a community with no public transportation.  Two months after moving to Rockford, Natalie had a stroke and spent a month in the hospital.  But, Natalie continued to be thankful every time VIS spoke to her because, she said, “we aren’t in a homeless shelter.  We have an apartment, even though we can hardly pay for it.”  

Near the end of their first year in Rockford, Natalie met a woman who invited her to church and offered to drive her! The woman gathered her friends to walk with Natalie and her kids.  Now, those friends take turns driving Natalie to church every Saturday evening.  She shops at their food pantry after worship.  She attends a Bible study at the church and volunteers with them two days a week.  Natalie shared, “Through the love of VIS and my new church family, I know I am a child of God.  I now know why God brought my family up to Rockford.  Up here we are SAFE and LOVED.  Thank you!”

The people of God looked for where God was already at work, recognized Natalie’s need for hope, love, grace, and compassion and chose to SERVE! Christ’s love was witnessed and the kingdom of God was built through one more sister in Christ!

*Name changed