Happy National Volunteer Appreciation Month!
Every April, we commemorate all of our wonderful volunteers who help serve our community with joy and love. We would not be able to make the impact we are making today without your help and for that we are extremely grateful.
The theme for this year’s volunteer appreciation month is: Celebrate Service. Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers up at Fort Collins! Your impact does not go unnoticed by the Mission and its guests.
“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
1 Peter 4:10-11
Meet Some of Our Wonderful Volunteers!
Diane volunteers at Fort Collins Rescue Mission twice a week on Sundays and Tuesdays.
Diane Ducett
Favorite Thing About Volunteering:
“My favorite thing is working with the people, serving and interacting with the guests. I love interacting with the guys. That population especially needs kindness, respect and even humor. I always say ‘good morning’ to all of them and with some of them we joke back and forth, and I just love it. I think they cherish those interactions a lot too.”
One Piece of Advice You’d Share with Someone Interested in Volunteering:
“Just that they would probably feel heart warmed. You just get that satisfaction of knowing that you are really making a difference by helping people, showing up and being a part of a really cool community that is doing a great service. Being a part of that is very rewarding.”
What Inspired You to Volunteer at Fort Collins Rescue Mission:
“I’ve worked with low-income and homeless people in a job my whole life. I retired back in April 2023, and I thought, ‘Well I wanna find a volunteer position that could use me and that has a need.’ I saw that the Mission here in Fort Collins seemed like they had a need. So, I tried it out and I thought, ‘Wow this is a really good fit.’ I go twice a week and I help in the afternoon for meal prep and then on Tuesday mornings to serve. Everything and everybody is just so nice and I love interacting with the staff and the residents. It was just such a perfect fit, I feel really useful and I like to work hard. It’s working out and I think I am making a difference.”
Don has mentored at Harvest Farm for several years and recently started teaching LEC classes as well.
Don Thomas
Favorite Thing About Volunteering:
“I enjoy meeting and talking one-on-one with individuals who I did mentoring with and helping them transition from life on the inside to life on the outside. I’ve been able to coach them, teach, mentor, and give advice. I’ve also been teaching a finance class with two different sessions to two different guys on finances and helping them understand the nuances of financing to help with their future lives, budgeting and investing.”
Advice You’d Share with Someone Interested in Volunteering:
“To not be afraid. To step in boldly and just be vulnerable. Be yourself, be honest with people, especially the people you are talking with and meeting with. None of us are better than anyone else. Start with that basis and it makes it easier to have those honest conversations. Be truthful with people, don’t be shy about holding up accountability with things and calling things out that need to be called out. It just makes the individual you are talking with or working with aware to make better choices and encourages them going forward. I wouldn’t necessarily say be their friend, but don’t be aloof from them either. Be available to answer questions, be a resource.
The individuals there want to have a different life than what they’ve had. They may relapse in the future but at the moment where they are at right now, they want to do things differently. So be open to helping them find that different way.”
How Will YOU Help Change Lives?
Thank you to all our many volunteers throughout the year who make our life-changing work possible. Please join us to help change lives by serving meals, mentoring people in recovery, and more.
