Do you ever wonder if you really make a difference?  Those volunteer hours that you put in or that money that you donate to help support New Beginnings, does it really matter?  How can that help possibly make a difference? 

​​It Does!

A resident has graduated from the New Beginnings Program!  It is all because of God's love working through your help and support!  Here is Letisha's story and letter to all of you who have helped her along the way:

3. We have a wide range of opportunities available.  Mentor.  Tutor.  Home Assistant.  And so much more!  The opportunities are endless and we have special projects all the time.  And you know what?  If you have a talent or interest you’d be willing to share with us that you don’t see covered in our current available opportunities, I bet we could use it!  All you have to do is reach out to us and we will find a place for you!

4. Our moms are awesome!  They are hard-working and hilarious and pretty fun to be around.  We get to help them through some tough things and we get to celebrate their successes with them.  Volunteering is always more fun when you get to spend time with great people!

5. You may get to hang out with some babies!  I’ll let these pictures do the talking for this one:

7. You might learn something!  Whether you’re forced to learn something in order complete a project or you learn something while helping a mom, chances are you’ll find out something you didn’t know before volunteering with us.  I interned at New Beginnings prior to working here in the capacity that I do now and I deepened my knowledge in so many areas from interacting with and helping others to the day-to-day operations of a non-profit.  Most importantly, I gained experience in a Christian environment and therefore strengthened my faith.  As staff members, we are learning and growing in faith every day and you will too!

8. It’s great experience to add to a resume.  No matter what you’re doing to help us, you’re gaining great experience that you could add to your resume!  Want to practice a new skill?  What better place is there to put that skill to use?  

10. WE NEED YOU!  Without the support of our donors and volunteers, New Beginnings could not continue to run and help moms here in Milwaukee.  With the help of volunteers, we’re able to help more moms and do more to help the moms we already have here.  The bottom line is that volunteers are vital to the success of our moms and our program as a whole.  Your talents and time are needed here!

I hope I didn't scare you away. Are you still there?  If so, stay with me. I promise this quiz is easy – all you have to do is make a mental check next to the statements that apply to you. 

​You might be wondering why I am so curious to learn whether you know how to get a library card. The purpose of this quiz is to illustrate a point. If you are falling more into the purple box, odds are you grew up in generational poverty. If you are falling into the green box, more than likely you grew up middle class. Some of us might assume everyone knows how to get a library card – seems easy enough. The reality is that if you don’t know how to do some of the things in the purple box, you cannot possibly expect others to know the hidden rules of middle class.  As you may have guessed, there is even a different set of “hidden rules” for wealth - all of which I did not know (but we won’t get into that)! 

​As Christians, we aim to meet people where they are at, and build our relationship with that person both interpersonally and emotionally. More importantly, we take that relationship a step further by sharing the saving message of God’s grace. Life isn’t always about understanding one another fully, but rather about forming relationships and meeting people where they are at. We don’t have to understand all of the hidden rules, but we should aim to acknowledge them. Let’s not always expect everyone to be like us, let’s not jump to conclusions about who they are, and let’s not judge on the basis of having little or having lots. When we do those things, we lose out on unique opportunities to help others grow (and probably grow ourselves too).