Volunteering at Vive is a beautiful experience! I’ve seen it both as a volunteer and now as the Volunteer Coordinator. My name is Laurie and before becoming the Volunteer Coordinator, I was a Vive volunteer myself.
When I accepted the new position, Vive had around 20 active volunteers. I thought the hardest part of the position was going to be figuring out ways to recruit new people. But it turned out to be the easiest part because the Buffalo community came forward in a big way. After the election and following the Inauguration, applications came pouring in. A frequent phrase I heard was, “I just have to do something to help.” Some people have been well acquainted with Jericho Road for years, for others it was new but they wanted to be a part of a caring community especially in a quickly changing environment. We now have over 70 active volunteers that come each week and a pool of about 200 that we can pull from if we need help in and around the shelter. And the best part of our volunteer base is the variety of people we see! Our volunteers mirror the diversity of our Jericho Road staff, clients and residents. There are college and medical students, professionals, retired folk, and people from all walks of life seeking to make a difference and make connections. Each one sharing their unique talents, time and caring heart.
One of my favorite things to do is to ask residents if they know what a volunteer is. When I explain to them that volunteers are people who come here to help and don’t get paid, that helps the residents understand their value and worth. They feel seen and special.
In a climate where there is so much negativity around immigrants and asylum seekers, our volunteers really remind them that they do matter and that they deserve to be here just like anyone else. Through close proximity with the residents, volunteers begin to better understand people from other cultures. Their insight is deepened and mindsets are even changed. They take great delight in the differences as well as similarities. That’s really what it’s all about here at Vive–the relationships made between residents, volunteers and staff. It is the lived-out realization that all humans want the same thing: connection, love, and safety.
One interesting story is about Christina, a former ESL staff member at Vive. Though there had to be some staff changes, Christina stayed on as a volunteer. She helped two other volunteers continue to develop their skills so ESL classes could continue. We have so many amazing and wonderful volunteers with connections throughout the WNY community. We have volunteers that serve with our Spiritual Care Team and at the Hope Refugee Drop-in Center for Citizenship classes and more.
During these exceptionally challenging times, volunteers in all given areas have been a bridge in helping to advance our wonderful mission. Being at Vive reminds me of the good in the world, and seeing people genuinely supporting each other is a beautiful thing!
-Laurie Fatica-Tice, Volunteer Coordinator at Vive
