This week all around the UK we are celebrating volunteers.
We, at Oasis, have the most wonderful volunteers. Some have been with us for years and others come for a short season while they have the time to serve. To every single one of our incredible servant hearted volunteers THANK YOU, we SALUTE YOU, and we THANK GOD FOR YOU!!
Volunteers are literally the backbone of our country! It’s a well-known fact that without the support of local charities the government could not cope with the need in our country. It is also true that without volunteers, charities would crumble. From small grassroots organisations to large house-hold names, all charities start with a few dedicated people who give up their time to commit to a cause greater than ourselves. How beautiful is that!
Our story is no different. Oasis started with a girl in her 20's alongside two incredible retired ladies who were passionate about showing God's unconditional love, reaching out to the hurting, forgotten and vulnerable. Since then, we have had hundreds of passionate and dedicated volunteers join our Oasis family. Each one bringing with them special gifts and qualities we desperately needed, and I am sure each one leaving with the knowledge they have been changed and have helped change other people's lives too. Incredible!
" We are all in need of love and support" one volunteer told me, "we are all in need of Oasis". It is so true! From the founder to the newest volunteer, we are all learning what it really means to love our neighbour well, to put each other first and to serve unconditionally. Its such an adventure!, it's such a joy!
We are always looking for new volunteers to come in with fresh energy, understanding and a servant heart... could it be you?
Here's how we recruit at Oasis. We are not an organisation that hands over an application form to someone we don't know. We are a family, always looking to welcome new people in. So, for anyone who is interested in joining our team we ALWAYS ask people to come in and get to know us first. We aren't in a rush! We want the Oasis volunteer experience to be a wonderful adventure, a beautiful story! We usually ask people who are interested in volunteering to pop into Oasis 2 or 3 times to get to know us...the centre, our programs of support, the people we serve and our Oasis team. People are introduced to Dushy, our centre manager, who first came into Oasis for support, became a volunteer and now manages the centre. Dushy has experienced every part of Oasis, so you are in good hands! Some people, after visiting a few times, realise Oasis isn't for them (and that's totally ok!) others are excited to carry on the volunteer process and at this point we give them an application form.
The foundations of Oasis are unconditional love and a servant heart. This is how we started and endeavour to continue one day at a time. We are passionate about always putting the person in front of us first and going the extra mile to see what real community can look like. Is this your heart too? Do you, like us, want to learn to grow stronger in these qualities and see people around you thrive?! If so, please get in touch and we would love to get to know you better!!
Our greatest need now is help in our kitchen. It’s a fantastic place to volunteer – could this be for you or someone you know?
To get in touch about volunteering please email Dushy: dushy.caldera@oasisgorton.org
Some photos of our wonderful volunteers!
