April 18-24 was National Volunteer Appreciation Week. Volunteers are so vital to the mission of Young Life and we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate them and show them our deep gratitude and appreciation! Young Life is able to make a difference in the lives of kids because of the commitment and passion of adults who care and want them to know Jesus.
There are many ways adults are involved in the mission—as volunteer Young Life or WyldLife leaders, YoungLives mentors, Capernaum buddies, committee members, prayer warriors, parent helpers serving meals or hosting events in their home—the list goes on. We are shining the spotlight on a few of our amazing volunteers and how they are serving.
JESSICA ROBINSON is a senior at Hope College studying nursing and a Young Life Leader at West Ottawa High School. Jess faithfully shows up in the lives of kids, walks alongside them in friendship, and points them to Jesus. She brings energy, a listening ear, and compassion into every encounter with kids. Here’s why Jess became a Young Life leader:
“I lead Young Life because of my love for Christ and passion to serve Him. I was so grateful for Young Life in high school and wanted to continue on in this amazing ministry in college. I could not be more thankful for the AMAZING team I lead with at West Ottawa and for my fun, goofy, and amazing girls that I have the privilege to lead. The kids that I have become friends with and have walked through their high school experience with are what make me love being a Young Life leader. They never fail to put a smile on my face and they are some of the sweetest people and friends I know. God does awesome things in life and allowing me to be a Young Life leader was definitely one of them!”
JAKE AND JESSICA HOOGSTRATE stepped up to help start Young Life at The Potter’s House High School in 2018 and have served as team leaders ever since. Jake is the Director of Student Life and a teacher at The Potter’s House and Jessica works as a Speech and Language Pathologist at Grand Rapids Public Schools. As educators, they work to build relationships with students and show them the love of Jesus both inside and outside the classroom. Here’s why they lead Young Life:
“We lead Young Life because we love walking with high school students during their most formative years. We have developed such great relationships with so many students who have taught us a great deal about how Christ loves us. They keep showing up week after week so we keep doing the same!”
DOUG BOUWENSE serves as the committee chair and a WyldLife leader for Little Traverse Bay Young Life, reaching kids in Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs. Doug is a retired construction equipment salesperson who now spends his time investing in the next generation, building relationships with kids in his community, and sharing his faith with them. Here’s why Doug is involved with Young Life:
“My wife Sue and I had our first connection with Young Life in 2015 when we volunteered for four months with Young Life of the Former Soviet Union, overseeing volunteers at a newly acquired property in Armenia that is now known as Pioneer Camp. When we returned we became involved with the local committee. As the current committee chair, I wanted to be aware of what staff and volunteers do on a regular basis, so I became a volunteer leader in WyldLife. I love being around the kids, and make a point of reaching out to the shy ones. My wife and I also volunteer with the middle school youth group at our church. Young Life provides a way for me to live out my faith and share it with the next generation. I’ve volunteered with youth since the 80s, and I’m blessed to still be able to do this in retirement!”
EBONY MATLOCK has been volunteering as a YoungLives mentor in the Grand Rapids area for three years. As a mentor, Ebony is a consistent presence in the lives of pregnant and parenting teens who often find themselves on the margins; she listens with empathy and shares encouragement and wisdom from her own life story. The challenges of the Covid pandemic left teen moms feeling even more isolated and alone this year, which is why YoungLives and the support of mentors like Ebony became a lifeline. Here’s why Ebony became a mentor:
“I was led to become a mentor with YoungLives and teenage mothers because I too had been a teenage mother. I understood what it was like to be a teenager with very little responsibility and 9 months later be responsible for another person with the expectations of ‘thinking and acting’ like an adult. I wanted to share with these moms the very thing that helped me: knowing that no matter what others thought of me, I knew I was loved because the Bible told me so, we all have sinned but we have the gift of grace and mercy. I have worked with girls in both Central Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids City YoungLives. My goal for both groups is to share God’s love and be an ambassador for Christ, reminding these young ladies that they are not alone and with Jesus all things are possible!”
KEEGAN JOHNSON has been a volunteer with Northeast Grand Rapids Young Life Capernaum for three years. He loves the time he spends with his Capernaum friends, going to their Special Olympic basketball games and having the opportunity to take them to Timber Wolf Lake. Despite the challenges of this year and not being able to gather in person, Keegan has been a consistent leader, facilitating two separate Campaigner small groups that met over Zoom. When he’s not volunteering with Capernaum, Keegan works as a behavior technician alongside kids with autism.
When asked why he leads Capernaum, Keegan responded: “The joy of it all. Feeling so welcomed and loved by our community. Getting to see the kingdom expanded through my friends and getting to be my truest self when I’m around them and other leaders.”
KENYATA J MCGILL, ESQ. is a practicing attorney pursuing justice for underserved adults and also serves as a Young Life and WyldLife leader with Grand Rapids City Young Life. She shows up in the lives of kids, doesn’t shy away from sharing her story, and offers a vision of the future to young people who don’t meet women like her every day. Here’s what Kenyata had to say about why she is involved with Young Life:
“I first got involved with Young Life while I was in Law School. My passion is being able to build relationships with the younger population. I’m honored to be in a position to get to know each child and who they are! I’m grateful God has allowed Young Life to be impactful in young peoples’ lives! Currently, I am a criminal defense attorney. I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I believe my career will focus on building up my community and also helping to improve community and police relationships. I want to be bold and courageous in all that God has purposed me to complete while here. I want everyone to be able to receive the truth and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially those who stand condemned!”
DAVE BURKARD is an emergency medicine physician at Spectrum Health and a Young Life leader at Sparta High School. He’s been leading Young Life since 2011 (shout out to his previous team at Saline High School), with a brief break during medical school. Dave goes all out for kids in Sparta, from organizing spikeball tournaments, to coaching, to planning ski trips and a mini-retreat for the guys he leads. Dave does it all! Here’s what Dave had to say about why he leads Young Life:
“I lead Young Life because I love having the opportunity to impact lives for Christ. Building relationships with high schoolers and making them feel known, appreciated, and valued is such an incredible opportunity. Getting to play even the smallest role in a kid’s life is the biggest privilege. Outside of volunteering for Young Life, I am an emergency medicine physician at Spectrum Health, I run a youth camp in South Haven, I’m one of the sideline docs for Sparta’s football team, and I coach men’s volleyball there. I’m beyond blessed that I get to show up to Sparta High School and meet kids where they are every day. There is seriously no bigger blessing.”
Young Life volunteers are everyday people from all ages and stages of life who have a heart for the kids in their community and want them to know the transformative love of Jesus. Some serve behind the scenes on committees and others are out in the world of kids at basketball games and lunchrooms. They are making a world of difference, not just in the here and now, but also for eternity! Their passion for and partnership in reaching kids for Christ is a gift we continually thank God for (Philippians 1:3). If you’ve been inspired by these stories and want to get involved with Young Life in your local area, contact us to learn more.
