Volunteer opportunities help participants ‘feel good inside’
Babies have away of tugging ather heart, so for Cindy, a participant in the Adult Services program of Elim Christian Services, volunteering to help soon-to-be-moms was an easy choice.
“It just puts a smile on my face that I can help them out,” said Cindy, who lives in Oak Forest. “I like to come to PASS (network for life) to help the moms.”
Cindy, 47, was indeed smiling as she carefully folded information sheets about the pregnancy care center with requests for donations and placed them into plastic baby bottles. The bottles will then be distributed at church and school fundraisers.
“I like being a Christ-like example to other people’s lives, doing good for others and just feeling good inside,” said Cindy, who also volunteers at a New Lenox church taking care of babies and has started her own greeting card business.
Elim encourages that sentiment in its participants, who face various challenges, such as mild mental disabilities, Down syndrome and autism.
The volunteers attend Elim’s Adult Services program in Orland Park, which offers vocational and life skills training, aswell as continuing education and work opportunities.
The Adult Services program began in 1969 and has set volunteers into the community for at least a decade. But in the last three to four years, volunteering has picked up because participants enjoyed it so much, according to an Elim representative.
The volunteers also help at Elim assembling HOPE Packs with school and food supplies for people in need in the U.S. and around theworld.
Elim’s main campus is in an unincorporated area near Palos Heights and offers education and therapy for 3- to 21-year-olds with developmental disabilities and 5- to 21-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder, aswell as other programs.
“It gives them a sense of pride and it helps them to feel good about themselves because they know they’re being a help in their community,” said La’Toya Tyrone, manager of community engagement at Elim, as she sat gently offering instructions and words of praised to the volunteers at PASS.
Volunteering sites include churches, thrift stores, a nature preserve, retirement home and several non-profits.
Krissy D., 25, of South Holland, who sat at a table with other volunteers collating papers, said she “likes doing projects.”
Across from Krissy, Bob, 61, of South Holland, said he found the work interesting and didn’t even get bored doing it.
Delbert Denny, interim executive director of PASS, said he appreciated the volunteer efforts.
“Volunteers help tremendously,” said Denny, who also is pastor of South Suburban Evangelical Free Church in Homewood. “They’re faithful, they come, they help us.
“We have a wonderful partnership,” Denny said.