By Deb Crosby, ICCS Volunteer Writer
Our volunteer of the month, Jeremy arrived in Nanaimo five years ago and has served on the ICCS Board of Directors for about a year. He grew up in a minister’s home and with his vocation in ministry these past twenty-seven years, was drawn to volunteer. Jeremy knew he had skills and gifts he could use to help share Christ’s love. He was also experiencing a little of the homeless challenge first- hand. “Some were camping in the churchyard and sometimes using drugs in the playground.” He wondered “How do I walk the line between offering the love of Christ while protecting others and finding ways to direct the homeless to organizations that can help.” First, he participated in one of the Coldest Night of the Year campaigns. Then, one of his congregants, Barbara, started volunteering as a cook at Orca Place. She has just recently finished a term with the board. “Barbara spoke so highly of the organization, we had Violet (ICCS executive director) come to the church to talk about ICCS.”
Jeremy was drawn to the organization because it is a “good place, doing good work and making a practical difference in the lives of people who are suffering.” It has impacted his life too. He explained “It is easy to get disconnected from the pain in the world or flee into my Christian bubble. Volunteering at I.C.C.S. keeps me connected with the world. It encourages me to face the pain of the world and to grapple with what Christians call ‘the Gospel’ and what it means in relationship to the pain of the world.” Jeremy would “encourage people to find their place and how they can make a difference in their community. I.C.C.S. is a great way to do that!”