Oxford Bible Fellowship will host a four-day service program this week to help seniors in the community with chores around their homes.
The program runs from Feb. 20-23 across the Oxford area. Various service works will occur in three-hour time slots. This includes travel time according to Sam Perry, who is leading the program for the church.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the program’s three-hour time slots run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Sunday, the program will have two time slots, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. according to the volunteer registration form.
The series of projects is undertaken by men’s ministry volunteers of the Oxford Bible Fellowship. Over a dozen men are expected to participate throughout the week, based on Perry’s estimate.
Perry said multiple goals are at the center of its activities. The first is to provide service to Oxford seniors who have difficulty with work on their homes.
Many services are offered to seniors, which Perry says ranges from installing small items inside homes to cleaning gutters. The services are not limited to one specific area, so volunteers will cover multiple small projects.
Though the heart of the program’s mission lies in completing household activities, Perry said the visit itself is an important part of the program. He described the project’s goal as a means to bring a sense of community to Oxford’s senior population.
“We wanted to serve people in our church and the community that are lonely and would like a visit,” said Perry.
While the men’s ministry volunteers will contribute physical assistance to seniors, it has an emphasis on community-building. Perry sees the point of the work as reaching out to another age demographic, not only to give needed relief, but to build relationships in the process.
“It’s a way to do some multigenerational fellowship and do something positive for people,” said Perry.
Outside of the program’s service projects, a men’s ministry service dinner is planned for 6 p.m. Feb. 22. Perry said it is open to all men involved in the church, though the volunteers were specifically invited.
“We’re planning to have a dinner just for all the men in the church on Saturday evening whether you did the service work or not,” said Perry.
Ivan Carver, a volunteer for the program, said he plans to work time slots on both Thursday and Friday. He expressed support for the community aspect of the projects, echoing Perry’s sentiments about building up Oxford’s senior population.
“The important piece is the fellowship with our seniors,” said Carver.
Carver also described the activities as following the core tenets of teachings throughout the Bible. He said the combination of service and community elements provides a medium for following those teachings while assisting a population in need.
“The program is really about serving and uplifting our seniors,” said Carver.
Perry said while this series of volunteer work is not new to the Oxford Bible Fellowship, the specific planned four-day period is a recent development.
“This is something new we’ve never done before,” said Perry. “The concept is not new, but the way we’re delivering it is new.”
