Serving others is close to the heart of God and the life that Jesus lived. How do you build an environment in your home that values serving other people?

The reality is your family is busy! Between work, school, sports, and other commitments, getting the time to go serve somewhere probably feels close to impossible.

Even though serving as a family can feel logistically complicated, we believe that it is worth it. Serving other people helps expose us to those who have different experiences than we do, it shows us that our life and efforts can make a difference in the world, and it reiterates the fact that our loving God has called us to partner with Him in bringing His Kingdom to Earth.

Simply put: Serving together can change your entire family.

We want to help you take the first step in serving together as a family by giving you some contacts of organizations that we know and love. Send the email, make the call, take the first step, and see how God can use serving experiences to change your family forever.

• Degage Ministries Dégagé’s goal is to assure that every man and woman who we serve knows that he/she is not alone. Many hardships exist in life and none of us are exempt from them. For those we serve at Dégagé, many of whom are homeless and low-income, the hardships can be overwhelming—loss of shelter, loss of employment, loss of a loved one, loss of control and loss of opportunity. And with these hardships, they lose much more. Many feel unworthy and hopeless, especially after society has looked down upon them or they have been rejected after repeatedly trying to move forward on their own.
  
  Serving Opportunities: Spending time with community members, cleaning, sorting donations, leading bingo, helping serve food. Contact: www.degageministries.org
  

• Alpha Grand Rapids Alpha Grand Rapids (AGR) promotes abundant life by providing holistic services to women and men affected by unplanned pregnancy. We believe that all people deserve the opportunity to live life abundantly.
  
  Serving Opportunities: Cleaning, organizing donations for the store, childcare center, or one on one mentorships. Contact www.alphagrandrapids.org/get-involved
  

• In The Image provides hope, dignity, and respect through a great shopping experience. They create a space where everyone in need of clothing and household necessities can shops for free in a welcoming environment.
  
  Serving Opportunities: Cleaning, sorting donations, talking with shoppers, or welcoming community members to give them a great shopping experience. Contact: www.intheimage.org/volunteer
  

• Urban Family Ministries exists to strengthen families and change lives by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the urban core of Grand Rapids through relational, spiritual and economic empowerment.

  
  Serving Opportunities: Community clean up, promotion of UFM events, spending time with students in the community, or serving lunch. Contact: www.urbanfamilyministries.org/contact-us
  

• Kids Food Basket empowers communities to attack childhood hunger so that young people can learn and live well. They provide sack suppers to students at school so they have something to eat when they go home!
  
  Serving Opportunities: Sorting donations, working on the farm, or packing food. Contact: www.kidsfoodbasket.org
  

• Hand2Hand delivers nutritious food to students over the weekends and on extended school breaks by mobilizing churches, schools, individuals, and businesses to join together, providing hope and opportunity to thrive.

  
  Serving Opportunities: Sorting donations, or packing food. Contact: www.h2hkids.org/individual/
  

• Woodfield Community Center strives to build relationships with children and families by providing Christ-centered activities to promote community.

  
  Serving Opportunities: Spending time with children and teenagers during the summer, cleaning, or passing along invites to Woodfield Community Center events. Contact:
  www.woodfieldcc.org/volunteer/
  

• David’s House exists to extend God’s love and foster a community of care to adults with special needs.

  
  Serving Opportunities: Spending time with community members, baking, putting on events, or cleaning Contact: www.dhmin.org/