common ground montgomery news and updates

volunteers at onawa

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We’ve been blown away by all the help coming up to Onawa lately.

We appreciate all The Montgomery Academy staff that came up of their staff work day to help with some demo and wood projects!

The Air Force First Sergeant Academy at Maxwell came up several times over the course of a week to volunteer with some demo work and setting up beds in finished cabins.

getting groups to onawa

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While renovations are still ongoing (and will be ongoing for the next couple of years), that doesn’t mean we aren’t utilizing the space we have available.

MAP/ Mercy House sent their summer campers up for a visit, and our volunteer group from Florida helped out tremendously!

first large volunteer groups at camp onawa

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We recently had two large groups come and do some work.

Our first group came from Maxwell, and we had a lot of officer training candidates just getting work done.

Over the years, we’ve also had repeat volunteers. Our first overnight group at Onawa came to us from Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church in Lecanto, Florida.

We had a blast with them, and they even got to experience many of the sites of Montgomery including catching a Biscuits baseball game, visiting the Civil Rights Memorial, and more.

On their last day, campers from MAP’s Youth Navigation Program came up for the day, and we had a lot of fun!

thankful for our volunteers

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BY AVA CONLEY

I just wanted to take some time to talk about our volunteers and how they impact me.

Our volunteers are special - I say this a lot but I truly mean it. We have so many volunteers who truly teach me about sacrificial love. There are many different areas where we need volunteers on a daily basis at CGM, but I see so many going above and beyond what is asked of them. Our volunteers spend their time, resources, and sometimes their own money investing in the lives of the student in our program.

I see God empowering individuals to lead, to make things happen, and to step out in faith to trust the Lord. Let's face it, our kids aren’t always easy to work with; in fact, most days around here are really hard. Our kids are dealing with a lot, coupled with living in a system where many others are not always fighting for them.  Bryan Stevenson is the director of Equal Justice Initiative here in Montgomery. He fights for justice for the poor, and for people whose voices aren't always heard in our country simply because of the shade of their skin. I love this quote from him: “I believe that you are more than the worst mistake that you’ve ever made”.  The volunteers that serve with us truly look past the brokenness that we all have and our kids as “more than the worst mistake that they’ve ever made”.

Our volunteers teach me that we all have a lot more in common than we realize and they teach me more and more about love. They come in without an agenda, but a willing heart to serve and see what God is going to do. I think when it really comes down to it, they can really see the beauty of the Lord in this place and the power that God has to bring us close to him through a deep and impactful relationship with each other - and this truly inspires me.

So, thank you volunteers! To me, you are more than a volunteer; you are one of our team members and a vital part of our ministry. You give us strength on days that are hard, help us fill the gaps, and are even at times a shoulder to cry on. You encourage us! Thank you for all that you do!