Volunteers of the month: Christian Public Service

Rebuilding Together Seattle is happy to recognize the volunteers from Christian Public Service (CPS) as our Volunteers of the Month for May! This group is stationed in Federal Way, WA as part of the larger Christian Public Service organization throughout the US.  Christian Public Service is committed to providing places for voluntary service for Christian Youth of the Church of God in Christ Mennonite. The group that volunteers with us is comprised of 4 boys ages 18-20 and their house parents, Wallace and Shelly Johnson. They complete an average of 2 projects a month as part of our Safe at Home program. We are always blown away by the quality of work that they do, their timeliness, and their kindness to our homeowners. Below, you can read what  Wallace had to say about their experience volunteering with Rebuilding Together Seattle.

Tell us about Christian Public Service and the Seattle area group. What other groups do you volunteer with?

Christian Public Service is committed to provide places for voluntary service for Christian Youth of the Church of God in Christ Mennonite. Opportunities include: providing care for neglected children in our emergency child care shelters, providing services needed in large hospitals, providing labor to rebuild after natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, providing services of caring and sharing God's love with hurting people.

This unit moved to Federal Way in January 2013 from Vernonia, Oregon, once the flood relief work was finished. Our work consists of volunteering at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, renovating homes for low income applicants for Habitat for Humanity, and also sorting donated canned goods and groceries or distributing the groceries in the food line for Multi-Service-Center. We serve supper twice a month at Tacoma Rescue Mission. We sing at three different assisted living homes as well as Hope Place Women’s Shelter in Seattle throughout the month.

How did your group get involved with Rebuilding Together Seattle?

 In other states we have and are working with “Rebuilding Together” So when we arrived in Seattle WA we had already made arrangements to meet them to see if they would have any opportunities for us as Christian Public Service to volunteer our time through their programs.

What is your team’s favorite part about volunteering with RTS?

It seems the favorite part of RTS jobs is getting out into the homes of the people in the area to do small projects or fix-it jobs that they possibly can’t afford or are not capable of doing, and when possible going past their expectations. We aren’t looking for publicity but to humbly do a little for the Lord and live our convictions in our everyday lives.

Thank you, CPS, for your continued support of our programs here in Seattle and for different affiliates across the country. You help make our mission possible!