Nomads - another way to volunteer

The Nomads are an RV volunteer group much like the RV Care-A-Vanners of Habitat for Humanity. NOMADS is a mission outreach ministry of the United Methodist Church. The NOMADS program is specific to individuals and couples with RVs wishing to be involved in Christian service. They can have projects in churchs, camps, outreach facilities, and retirementhomes.

Larry and Lucille recently participated in a NOMAD project where Lucille's parents live: Magnolia Manor, an independent living facility near Savanah, GA, a ministry of the United Methodist Church.

According to the NOMADs Web site, each project lasts three weeks, working four days a week - Monday through Thursday. Each workday begins with devotions followed by a quick meeting to plan the day’s tasks. Host agencies provide all materials for the projects, as well as parking space with water and electrical hookups and a sewage connection or dump nearby. NOMADS furnish their own tools and meals. Some host agencies offer housing for those who don’t own an RV. NOMADS do whatever the agency requests, including maintenance, repair, office work, sewing, painting and gardening. Construction skills are helpful, but all that is really required is a willing heart. Evening and weekend fun are team highlights.

Larry and Lucille worked with three other couples and parked their RV at Fort McAllister, a GA State Historical Park. Besides the two of them, the team included Jim and Mary Jo, from Marietta, Georgia, their leaders; Bonnie and Darwin from Rockford, Illinois, and John and Eileen, fulltime RVers who had just come from leading their own NOMADS project in Jacksonville, Florida.

According to Lucille, "The primary project Rich, the Manor's director, had us doing was painting most of the common areas on all three floors. And boy, did we paint – by the end of the three weeks, we had used at least 50 gallons of paint among the eight of us, most of which ended up on the walls."

It was a huge undertaking, particularly the 3rd floor common areas. There was more wall space and they couldn't work in the dining rooms at mealtimes. They also did a number of repairs and odd jobs. Prior teams had only gotten the first two floors painted. But Larry and Lucille's team were not only younger, but worked well together even though they had never met.

Said Lucille, "The staff and residents were so friendly and so appreciative of our work there. When we first arrived there, each couple received a huge gift bag of goodies (snacks, drinks, personal items) – we raided the bags during our breaks. One resident made us homemade butterscotch cookies; another invited us to her apartment for our morning break – Miss Teeny laid out a selection of warm coffeecake, cheese, crackers and other munchies as well as several juices; Mona, head of housekeeping, twice brought us desserts. The Manor’s director, Rich, invited us to his home for dinner one evening; every Wednesday evening we were guests of Richmond Hill United Methodist Church for their weekly supper and program; and the day before we finished our work, the Manor hosted a thank you reception for us in their parlor with over 50 residents and staff members attending.It is hard to describe the outpouring of gratitude and appreciativeness we experienced every day there."

Being appreciated is certainly one reward of volunteering. Knowing you are helping those who could not do it themselves is another. Lucille and Larry also made good friends here. Though they hadn't met before, those friendships will continue. Perhaps they'll even meet up on another NOMADs project again. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

For more information on volunteering see Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

Photos provided by Bonnie Bearrows.Top left: Larry & Lu, Darwin & Bonnie, Eileen & John, Mary Jo & Jim (leaders). Right top: Jim taping baseboards. Lower left: Larry and Lucille. Lower right: Mary Jo.