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How Group Volunteers from Southern Adventist University Touched the Home and the Hearts of One Local Family
 Lonnie and Joyce Jackson rarely get out. Unfortunately, this seclusion in their Harrison home is not by choice.
“Joyce has severe diabetes that has plagued her since the 1980s,” her husband Lonnie explains, “causing her to have a pacemaker implant, a stroke that made her lose the use of the right side of her body, and a hard time getting around the house even with the aid of a walker or a wheelchair.”
Ever since a car accident in Lonnie’s youth that messed up his knees and broke his back, Lonnie’s health hasn’t been the pinnacle of perfection either. Although the Jacksons are grateful to receive disability checks from the government, their meager monthly income sometimes makes it difficult to eek by—much less to hire someone to do the yardwork and housework that their physical conditions prohibit.
That’s why they were so relieved when they discovered that the Leadership Team from Southern Adventist University had offered to do just that by volunteering through the Samaritan Center.
“The school chaplain from Southern called me up one day and said that his team was looking for a project,” explains Michelle Hayes, Volunteer Coordinator at the Samaritan Center. “I went and asked our social worker which of our clients would be the best match for this volunteer group, and right away she said, ‘The Jacksons.’"
When the students arrived at the Jackson home, they found plenty that needed to be done.
“Because of my back problems, I can’t bend over, get on my knees, or even turn my upper body from side to side,” explains Lonnie. “As a result, things had sort of piled up. But even though there was a lot of work, the volunteers from Southern did it quickly, and they did it cheerfully—then they even prayed with me and Joyce when they were through.”
“That was one of my favorite parts,” Lonnie confides. “I used to have an ego and was unwilling to ask for help. But by now I’ve learned that sometimes you have to just let go of your pride. If you just ask, the Lord will see to all of your needs. And that’s what he did for us through this volunteer group.”
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