Lindsey: Building Community Through Books
For Lindsey and her family, serving at Gospel Village began with something small: books.
“My family and I have been serving here since 2022,” she says. “Books are an unobtrusive way to build relationships.”
They started a Little Free Library and began sponsoring the community dinner once a month. “We’ve connected with local authors and friends—people who had never been to Gospel Village. We bring them with us, we all share a meal, and friendships start to grow.”
The meals have become a highlight for everyone involved. “One resident is great at baking,” Lindsey says. “I’m not! So we bring her ingredients for whatever dessert she requests. Today she made beautiful cupcakes.”
Another resident even volunteered for Lindsey’s nonprofit. “We love how the connections go both ways—inside and outside Gospel Village,” she says.
For their family, volunteering isn’t a one-way act of charity. It’s mutual transformation. “Coming to Gospel Village is not a charity,” Lindsey says. “We’re poured into just as much as we pour out.”
She’s seen her sons grow through it too. “Part of it is teaching our boys work ethic, but also volunteerism,” she says. “They look forward to it every month—‘When are we going to Gospel Village? What are we cooking?’”
Her boys, both with special needs, have found community here. “It’s helped them socialize and helped others see that our boys are just like the person sitting next to them,” she says. “It’s gone both ways for all of us.”
Want to bring your family into the story?
📚 Volunteer together—cook, read, or serve at a Village Dinner. Find your place ›
