To celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week, we sat down with our Community Engagement Manager, Kelley Heelan, and discussed the importance of volunteering.
Kelley shared her thoughts on how volunteering makes a big impact in people’s lives — both for those who give their time and those who receive help.
Here’s what she had to say:
Q: Why is Volunteering Important?
Every hour you volunteer helps ship $2,773 worth of aid to people in need!
A: As Christians, we’re called to love and serve others.
When you volunteer to provide help and hope around the world, you do so much more than address a temporary need. You make an impact that will last forever because you’re demonstrating God’s love to someone living in poverty.
If more people volunteered, Kelley said, “[The world] would look more like heaven.”
Q: How Does Volunteering at World Help Make a Global Impact?
Volunteering is a great way to help our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world
A: There’s a common misconception that making a global impact means you have to travel overseas.
But the truth is that God can use you to change the world wherever your feet are planted!
If you’re in the Lynchburg area, you can start making a difference by volunteering at World Help’s Humanitarian Aid Distribution Center. In our warehouse, you’ll help sort and pack lifesaving supplies that will be shipped to people in need around the globe.
“Even though [volunteers] aren’t necessarily on the frontlines,” Kelley said, “their impact when they’re serving translates to the frontlines.”
Q: What is a Recent Example of World Help Volunteers Transforming Lives?
Our volunteers were the hands and feet of Jesus during a crisis
A: While we primarily ship lifesaving supplies overseas, we also respond to urgent needs closer to home — especially in the wake of natural disasters.
When Hurricane Helene tore through North Carolina last fall, a team of World Help volunteers traveled to Asheville to lend a hand.
They partnered with a local church to organize relief supplies and load them into cars as families came through the drive-thru distribution line.
But these volunteers did more than just meet physical needs … they showed Christ-like love and compassion to people during their darkest hour.
“That was really cool for volunteers to actually get to be on the front line and see the changes that were being made by the ways they were serving,” Kelley said.
Q: What Should Someone Expect When Volunteering at World Help?
Come volunteer at World Help to meet other people who are passionate about saving lives
A: “Something you definitely experience is community. That’s something we’ve been very proactive about,” Kelley said.
When you volunteer at World Help, you’ll be working alongside other like-minded people at various stations. It’s a great opportunity to build relationships and be part of a community of world changers right here in Lynchburg!
And it’s not just fellow volunteers you’ll connect with — you’ll also get to work closely with the World Help staff! Our team loves welcoming new volunteers and getting to know the hearts behind the hands that make help and hope possible.
When you step into our warehouse, you’ll find a place where you are known, valued, and free to be yourself.
Q: What Advice Would You Give to Someone Volunteering for the First Time?
Thank you to our incredible volunteers who provide help and hope worldwide
A: Kelley recommends, “Find what you’re passionate about and then go do something with it.”
Volunteering should never feel like a chore. It’s something you should enjoy and look forward to. This is an opportunity to use the gifts that God gave you to help others!
When our volunteers come in, we love to see how passionate they are about making a difference around the world.
If you’re interested in volunteering at World Help — whether it’s for the first time or as a returning volunteer — you can visit our volunteer page to find a time that works for you!
As we head into the summer, we’ll need more help than ever before. Our warehouse is full of lifesaving supplies that need to be processed before they can be shipped around the world to help save lives.
We hope to see you soon!