Local Volunteer Group Makes BIG Difference at Free Store
When the Free Store reopened in November of 2020, we were grateful to see a group of enthusiastic young adults show up to lend a hand. Local missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints have been volunteering at the Free Store every Tuesday since we reopened on November 10th. Elders Makade Bradley and Nick Jones are the current leaders of the Durham missionary crew, which is made up of young adults serving as community volunteers for two years in North Carolina. The Durham group has been volunteering with us since the summer of 2019 and has been introducing new volunteers to us and our mission ever since! The current Durham leaders know it’s a favorite spot to volunteer because, “our other missionaries are always asking when they can come back again to volunteer.”
This group started volunteering with Open Table because they wanted to get involved in the Durham community and work with an organization that built relationships with their neighbors. They keep coming back to volunteer because of the joy it brings them and the people they serve. When asked what their favorite jobs were, both Nick and Makade quickly decided that check-in was their favorite job because it let them get to know our guests. Elder Makade Bradley reflected on the best parts of volunteering at Open Table Ministry and said, “being able to show love to people and be a part of bringing someone joy who is have a rough time is a gift.” The missionaries go out of their way to befriend our Free Store guests and are grateful to get to know people and offer them hope in difficult circumstances. The leaders agreed that “the love and joy at the Free Store can be felt by everyone.”
Their favorite Free Store stories include a time when a man receiving a bag of clothes from the Free Store teared up because he was so grateful to have new warm clothes to change into and enjoy. They reflected on that moment and said that “the impact we can have just one day a week on our neighbors without homes is incredible.” For our missionary leaders, the opportunity to holistically support people physically, spiritually, and otherwise is a gift. We are deeply grateful for this group of young adults who serve at Open Table Ministry with such enthusiasm!
