Help Your Neighbor DayS
Photo by Alvin Engler on Unsplash
We’ve just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, spring is here in full effect, and we are all … sheltering in place? In many ways, the past several months have upset our expectations, be they personal, professional, social, or religious. One event that our staff was so looking forward to that will now look different in light of COVID-19 is Help Your Neighbor Day, our annual day of service in which we mobilize volunteers all across Richardson to embody the love of Christ to those around us. As Christ made God known to the world, so we hope the church makes Christ known to the world, and HYND was one of those occasions where we could clearly see that.
But how exactly do we make Christ known while we can’t gather? As I’ve considered this question, I’ve begun to think not of Help Your Neighbor Day, but of Help Your Neighbor DayS. The truth is, we don’t need a day to serve our neighbors as Christ served us (although, sometimes it does help to set aside a day on the calendar!). What the past several months have shown us is that Richardson is not immune to need and suffering. Many in our body and our neighborhoods have been directly impacted by COVID and it has been a joy to watch members step up and serve needs.
To be clear, we will still have a HYND 2020, likely in the fall, a day that we can set aside for service and celebration. But in the meantime, will you join me in thinking of the current season as Help Your Neighbor DayS? To that end, I’ve included a list of 25 things you can do on 5/2, the date originally proposed for HYND, and that you can continue doing to serve or encourage those around you with your family or roommates. Many of you have already been engaging in these very practices; thank you for how you have served! As you serve, I hope you will consider how this service might be joined to your broader life of worship--what scripture might you reflect on as you serve? Who might you pray for? How can you teach your kids about your reason for giving?
We love you, Mosaic family. One of the greatest joys of the past few months has been seeing your creativity and generosity meet to address the unique needs around you. We hope to continue to fan the flame of this culture. I pray that God will continue to provide you with opportunity and favor as you seek to bless your neighbors in the days ahead.
Helping
1. Mow a neighbor’s lawn
2. Repair a neighbor’s fence
3. Repair a neighbor’s gutter
4. Plant some flowers in a neighbor’s beds
5. Grocery shop for them and buy their groceries
6. Drop off some shelter in place supplies (cleaning materials, hand sanitizer, etc.)
7. Shop for a local food pantry
8. Deliver some goods to the homeless
9. Pick up trash at a local park
10. Bring donation supplies to Prestonwood Pregnancy Center
11. Bring donation supplies to YoungLives
12. Post to your Neighborhood Association or NextDoor page offering to help
13. Check out the Richardson VAP to see if anyone in your area is in need
14. Donate blood
Encouraging
15. Write a card for a neighbor (maybe elderly, far from family, etc.)
16. Make a gift basket and drop it off
17. Invite your neighbor into a Mosaic Zoom call
18. Write a card to an assisted living facility
19. Write encouragements for fire station staff
20. Write encouragements for police officers
21. Write encouragements for medical staff
22. Write encouragements for teachers
23. Write encouragements to a single or overworked parent
24. Sidewalk chalk encouraging messages
25. Call someone in need of encouragement