Serving with a Heart Full of Faith: A Volunteer’s Journey of Love and Purpose
Meet veteran Joni and Friends volunteer Cindy Wang!
Cindy first heard about Joni and Friends while serving as a home health and hospice volunteer. Walking alongside a family whose two sons had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Cindy heard all about the joy they experienced at Family Retreat. Both sons have since gone home to heaven, but not before stirring a passion in Cindy to be part of the kingdom work of Joni and Friends.
In 2007, Cindy went to experience Family Retreat for the first time, serving as a volunteer… and she has served at multiple retreats every year since—37 in total!
After seven years of serving as a one-on-one volunteer with Family Retreat participants, Cindy moved into a volunteer coordinator role where her gifts for seeing people well, making fruitful connections, and paying attention to details shone (and continue to shine!) brightly. As our New England team says:
“Not only has Cindy served as a volunteer coordinator for over a decade, she has created our Family Retreat directory, organized welcome bags, set up at Family Retreat and so much more…
Cindy has dedicated hundreds of hours throughout the years interviewing new and existing volunteers, pouring into them so that they feel excited, comfortable, and prepared for Family Retreat practically, emotionally, and spiritually. She has the gift of helping new volunteers feel at ease and so welcome before and during family retreat.
Cindy acts as a spiritual mentor, prayer warrior, and encourager at Family Retreat and always reaches out to anyone God has put on her heart to encourage them after. Her heart is to make everyone, no matter their ability, feel part of the body of Christ.”
A Word from Cindy: “Why I continue to serve…”
As Cindy says:
“How do I narrow down to the one most meaningful reason for continuing to serve with Joni and Friends? I never tire of seeing the sheer joy on participants’ faces, the unconditional love and care each one has for their friends, and for their new volunteer friend. I love to see the parental relationships that develop and the exhales that happen when settling in because all is accepted and understood.
I love seeing participants grasp that God truly loves them because the Gospel is presented in multiple ways and at levels that allows each person to understand.
I love that the one week of retreat energizes parents and caregivers to face the next 51 weeks. And we as volunteers who come to “serve” return home with overflowing buckets of blessings, receiving so much more than we could ever expect to give. I wait with anticipation each year to be reunited with a growing “extended family” and to welcome more ‘family’ to experience ‘a slice of heaven on earth.’”
Preparation for a Season of Caregiving
God brought Cindy to Joni and Friends long before she became the primary caregiver for her mother, walking the road of dementia before going home to be with Jesus. Along that challenging road, Cindy found that her heart had been prepared. Joni and Friends also helped Cindy realize God’s calling in her life as a primary caregiver for her brother who lives with autism and was recently diagnosed with dementia. In addition to lovingly caring for him, Cindy continues to serve in home hospice and—of course—volunteer with Joni and Friends!
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10
Volunteer with Joni and Friends
Join us as a volunteer to bring hands-on help and Gospel hope to people with disabilities, at home and across the globe. Learn more about Joni and Friends.
