By Christine Galeone, Contributing Writer
Hudson – Since 2007, some wonderful things have happened in Hudson, Marlborough and the surrounding area. Wheelchair ramps have been built, homes have been cleaned, gardens have been grown and seeds of compassion have been sown. All of these things have been done by Grace Baptist Church’s Second Saturday ministry. On the second Saturday of every month, volunteers gather at the Hudson church to spend a few hours making a difference in their community. In December, the ministry will celebrate its 100th Second Saturday.
In 2007, Lynn Faust, who had been organizing Grace Baptist Church volunteers since 1999, wanted to find a way to make it easier for people to volunteer. She said that even though “many people want to do community service,” most don’t have the time to research nonprofits and find opportunities that match their skill sets. With this is mind, Faust and others created the Second Saturday ministry – as part of the church’s Love in Action ministry – in August of that year. Faust, who has been the ministry’s director since its 2007 inception, said “we created Second Saturday so people could put the event on their calendars.”
And to Faust’s delight, many people did just that. Although the number of volunteers who show up fluctuates, 30-60 church and community volunteers have been working on 10-12
projects at each Second Saturday in recent months. The projects include military care packages, yard work, household repairs, cleaning, painting, demolition work, furniture moving and 250-300 meals for local shelters, soup kitchens, families and groups in need.
Although Faust admits it’s challenging to find people to manage project teams, the ministry has grown over the years. The group now partners with about 50 different nonprofits and town organizations, including the Salvation Army, American Red Cross and the Marlborough Community Development Authority. When an organization needs volunteers, it contacts Faust.
On occasion, nonprofits, like a furniture bank, have formed because of a Second Saturday project. When volunteers also leave to work directly with a nonprofit, Faust is happy for them.
“Our objective is to promote people helping people,” she said. “We do it in Jesus’ name at Grace Baptist.”
Many of the people who are helped by the ministry are elderly, impoverished or physically challenged. Faust noted that several of them are isolated and “have no source of hope and help in the community.” She indicated that one of the greatest achievements of Second Saturday is that it helps them to live independently.
“We’ve helped deliver hope more than anything,” she said.
And delivering that hope and making this little corner of the world a better place through Second Saturday is the reason that Faust and the ministry’s volunteers can truly celebrate the upcoming 100th Saturday.
“I’m probably the most blessed person in this whole thing,” revealed Faust. “It’s really a blessing to be able to watch how God works in this community.”
Second Saturday volunteers meet at Grace Baptist Church, 353 River Road, Hudson, at 8:30 a.m. the second Saturday of each month. From there, they go out into the community to work on various projects. They return by noon. For more information, contact [email protected].