First Look Into Volunteering At KARM: EBED Edition

As I created my EBED cards, I made sure to invite the Lord into the process. I wanted to work alongside him to encourage his people. He was faithful to remind me of bible verses that most aligned with the truth our guests most need to hear. But what I loved most was creating them alongside my friends.

One day, I ran into volunteers from Cedar Springs Church after they finished volunteering with EBED. They shared how much they love KARM and EBED and how they regularly bring overflowing bags of handmade cards. As one volunteer put it, “the bag never grows empty.”

I loved how invested Cedar Springs is with EBED. Because they not only make the cards, but they also come to KARM to place and pray on the beds themselves.

Step 2: Place and Pray

Think of it: there are 330 beds at KARM, meaning there are at least 330 guests occupying those beds. Some are on day one, unsure of what to do: seeking shelter, food, and stability. Others are more acclimated, taking strides toward restoration through job training and foundational classes, and are on their way to housing. All are on a journey, one that we as a community should stand beside.

At its core, EBED was created for our guests, but it was it also serves as an open door for the community to experience KARM’s mission and to step into the narrative. Mark expressed how “it’s a devotional time for individuals to come in, see the mission for themselves, and put scripture and prayer to it.”

While volunteering, I found myself excited to be serving. After all, I had poured heartfelt prayers and biblical truths into each card. Some were words of encouragement and bible verses I found solace in during my own difficult seasons. I was expectant that God was going to move: like what I was doing carried more weight than I could see.

I really love how Mark described how prayer is utilized within EBED:

“God tells us to love others, and while individuals will come into KARM and never be face-to-face with the men and women, this is a great way for them to bless and love guests: through prayer. Our volunteers come in and lay their hands on the bed, pray over every individual person that is sleeping here so that their stay is the most fulfilling it can be.”

What I find important to highlight, and what Mark alluded to. We don’t see the faces of those who receive our EBED card or our prayer. We don’t know whose hands will find these cards, but God does. And He has a wonderful way of orchestrating everything for guests to get the exact card they need for whatever situation they are facing. How amazing it is that by volunteering with EBED, we get to be a part of that!

Step 3: Guests’ Reactions

Now, I could end the story here because our First Look experience ends after EBED cards are made, placed, and prayed over. Most of EBED is planting seeds and trusting God to bring the harvest, even if we don’t see it.

However, I wanted to give you a sneak peek into what our guests’ experience with EBED can look like so you can get the full First Look experience!

Maddie, a Volunteer Coordinator, expressed how the volunteer department takes time to volunteer to better get involved in the ministry and the lives of our guests here at KARM. “We like to experience all the volunteer opportunities we have here at KARM firsthand, and so we see it as an awesome way to connect with that, a way to pray for our guests, a way to be involved with them, not just from the volunteer side. That allows us to step into the shoes of our volunteers and walk them here as well.”

She described a time when she paused from placing EBED cards to talk to one of the guests in the women’s dorms. During this conversation, Maddie learned this guest “desperately loved butterflies” because they reminded her of her daughter. It just so happened that Maddie was placing butterfly cards on beds early that morning, but had run out. The guest expressed her desire for one next time, so the next morning, Maddie got her bed number, brought a butterfly EBED, and wrote a personal note to the woman.

Maddie explained, “I didn’t expect to have that conversation, but I got to learn more about how she ended up here at KARM, how long she’s been here, and how much these encouraging words really meant to her.” Sometimes, it’s the little things God uses to show his kindness. Like through a volunteer who designed a butterfly card without knowing who might receive it, that later on, through Maddie’s aid, became especially meaningful to a guest who loved butterflies because they reminded her of her daughter. That is what EBED is all about!

EBED Matters

Our guests just need to know that someone cares. Seeking help is just the first step, but a lot of times, our guests have a lot of hardships and learning curves they have to face. As they step towards hope, healing, and restoration, these EBED cards remind them to keep going even when it’s hard.

“Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Proverbs 16:24

Encouragement goes a long way. It builds someone up for the day ahead, reminding them they aren’t alone. I’ve heard so many guests say that they keep every single EBED they’ve received. Why? Because in the midst of their uncertainty, someone cared. To our homeless neighbors, that’s everything.

Want to encourage our guests? We would love for you to be a part of our mission! If you are interested in volunteering at KARM, you can go to karm.org/volunteer, or you can email Mark Roberts, mroberts@karm.org, for a tour to learn more.

Highlights

1. When I was making EBED cards, I felt like the Lord told me to make one with the verse “kind words are like honey” and felt the Lord wanted me to write a specific encouragement about letting our speech be kind on the back. As I was handing out EBED cards, I laid one on a blue pillow, but a yellow one caught my eye. With one look, I felt compelled to put the card on that pillow instead. I don’t know who needed that card, but I knew in that moment God did. To me, I think this moment speaks to how intimately God knows whose hands these cards will find. That fact can build our trust to know that God will use this seemingly small thing to create a big impact on someone’s life. All we have to do is be faithful to do our part!

Did You Know

KARM is powered by prayer!

“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

Take some time today to pray for our guests who are coming into KARM. Here is a list of prayer points you can pray over. If you’d like a list of what you can pray for daily, you can go here.

Pray for:

• That chains would be broken, and God would bring hope, healing, and restoration in people’s lives.
• Guests who are struggling with addiction and substance abuse.
• The relationships our guests have with family and friends.
• Those who have yet to seek help and aid from KARM.
• Our guests in Guest Development and KARM Works classes.
• That the Lord will use our staff and volunteers at KARM to be a light!

By: Laura Lee Cochran; Copywriter

This post is a part of our First Look article series. Its goal is to give you a first look experience into volunteering at KARM while highlighting our many programs