Barnabas Stories - Jim Turner
I volunteer for Barnabas Network by answering the phone calls there from people who are looking for furniture and people who are willing to donate. I had a good time the first time I went and then was invited to come down once a week. So I now work every Thursday from eight to twelve. The phone rings pretty much all morning. There are a lot of inquiries. The people who come to get furniture are referred by various charity organizations and others. It’s a free referral and they all come in by fax. We then process and check those and verify those who have a need. Sometimes I can help by talking with those who have called in to check the status of their referral and let them know they will soon get an appointment and how to find us on the day and what to do if they cannot find a truck. People who come to shop are required to have a truck with them. The ministry can pick up but there’s a charge for that. Otherwise there’s no charge at all. The people who are referred have needs and we try to fill those needs.
The major part of my job has been to take donations in because the donation receipt process is fairly complicated and what we have to do is find all of the contact information for the donor and then to list what they have got and to prepare a tax receipt for that furniture so they can claim the benefit on their income taxes. We always enclose an envelope with an invitation for them to make a cash donation in addition to the furniture they’ve donated. Then I need to get them an appointment and write down directions for our truck to pick up from them. The Barnabas truck always has a driver and a helper. There are limits on how far our truck can go. The donations vary from a single entertainment center up to two or three roomfuls of furniture.
Volunteering gives me something to do on Thursday morning which I very much enjoy and it’s also the basis of a lot of relationships. I know all of the ten people involved at the warehouse by name and I think about them a lot and pray for them. It means I’m part of something and I very much look forward to it.