Knock and it shall be opened, ask and ye shall receive
One side of this is a neighbour asking for help. The other is a neighbour offering it. Here is exactly what happens on both.
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.”
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” — Matthew 25:35-36
Asking is free and it stays private
Fill in the request form
It takes about five minutes. Tell us what is wrong in your own words - you do not have to know the right names for things. If the form is hard to use, call us and we will fill it in with you.
We read it and decide
A person on our team reads every request, usually the same day. Nothing is posted anywhere until they approve it. If we need to understand something better, we will phone you first.
It goes on the mission board
Our volunteers see what you need and which town you are in. They do not see your address, your phone number or your last name.
A volunteer offers, and we approve them
We check every match before anybody is sent to your door. Only then do they get your address and your number, and they will phone you to agree a time that suits you.
The work gets done
You can follow the whole thing with your tracking code, right up to the day it is finished.
Say yes to one mission at a time
Set up a volunteer account
Name, email, town, and what you are good at. It takes two minutes.
We approve you
We read every application by hand, because we are sending people to strangers' homes and most of them are elderly and alone. You will get an email as soon as your account is active.
Claim a mission
Browse the board, pick something you have the tools and the time for, and offer to take it. Say how many of you are coming and roughly when.
The match is approved
An admin looks at the match. Once it is approved, the mission is yours and you get the address, the phone number and the notes about getting in. Call the family before you go.
Do the work and post an update
Mark it started, mark it finished, and leave a note on the timeline so the team and the family can follow along.
Straight answers
Do I have to be a church member?
No. We are a Christian project and we do not hide it, but we help anybody in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee who needs it, and we will never make you sit through anything to earn it.
Does it cost anything?
No. The help is free and we will never ask you for money. Our volunteers give their labour. If parts have to be bought, that is a separate conversation and we will have it with you honestly.
Who are the volunteers?
Neighbours from churches around the Tri-Cities, Tennessee. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, mechanics, retired nurses, people with a truck, people with a free Saturday. Every one of them is approved by our team before they can claim a mission, and approved again for each specific match.
What about materials?
Say so on the form and tell us roughly what is needed. We rely on the promise given in Matthew 6 that God will provide for the need.
How long does it take?
Your request is usually read the same day. After that it depends on what you need and who is free. Urgent things - no heat, no water, something unsafe - go to the top of the board. A ramp or a roof can take a few weeks to line up the right people.
What if I need to cancel?
Just call us on (423) 292-1922 or email help@projectomm.org with your tracking code and we will take it down. Nobody will think anything of it. If your situation changes halfway through, tell us that too.
What we ask of our volunteers
We send people into the homes of the elderly and the vulnerable. That privilege comes with conditions, and they are not negotiable.
- A background check. Every applicant is checked, for the safety of the people we serve. It is not personal and nobody is exempt.
- An orientation class. Once you are accepted you attend an orientation before you are paired with a need. It is short, and it covers how we conduct ourselves in somebody else's home.
- A release of liability, signed by the volunteer and by the person receiving the help. Both sides know where they stand before any work starts.
- Licensure where the trade requires it. Electrical work, gas, plumbing and anything structural go to somebody licensed for it. If you are not licensed you can still carry, clear, drive, cook and sit with people — and that is most of what comes in.
- You telephone before you go. Nobody comes unannounced, ever.
None of this is meant to put you off. It is what lets a widow open her door to a stranger with any peace of mind at all.