All Are Welcome: The Salt & Light SERVE Spotlight Presents S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach (April 2023)
By April, spring has sprung at It’s Only Homeschooling. Warmer temperatures surface and everything is a lovely shade of yellow (mostly from pollen but at least the sun hangs around a few extra hours to give us longer days). We are in the home stretch for our lessons, are winding down for the academic year, and have begun making plans for the fun summer days ahead.
We also celebrate. This April we not only celebrate Holy Week (April 2-8), but also Occupational Therapy Month, Autism Acceptance Month, National Counseling Awareness Month, Stress Awareness Month, and National Volunteer Week (April 16-22).
As a testament to National Volunteer Week, we are honored to showcase a unique organization that has been shepherding young hearts to answer the call of service in the New Orleans area for over two years, S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach.
Labors of Love Languages
Whether it is words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, or giving/receiving gifts, we all have a love language or two.
S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach embodies all of these.
Lifting up its community, this nonprofit blesses benefactors and beneficiaries alike. By spending quality time together in acts of service, speaking life over one another through words of affirmation, and helping the often overlooked, discarded, and forgotten soul feel seen and loved, S.E.R.V.E. is as much a gift to its patrons who are acting as the hands and feet of Christ as it is to the recipients of its good works.
More simply put, S.E.R.V.E. is a gift to all.
And all are welcome.
All Are Welcome
We all want to find our place in this world. To be able to come just as we are, flaws and all in the midst of our imperfect progress, and rest in the comfort that we will be accepted and loved.
Founder and President Jodie Ellis embodies a salt-of-the-earth mindset. From humble beginnings, and having experienced tragedy, trauma, and tests of her own, she is no stranger to trials and tribulation. She has wrestled with her faith and was returned to it through the kindness of a Believer willing to meet her where she was.
A Believer that not only returned this Daughter of the King to her first love in Christ but also inspired her to pay it forward to others facing similar crises of faith.
Jodie recognizes that families vary not only in seasons of faith but also in tenets. Reserving judgment, she esteems that we are all human. Flawed in our humanness, yet created equally, fearfully, and wonderfully made, in the image of our Divine Creator.
While there is a code of conduct, there is no formal statement of faith. Working with the shared goal of embodying a servant’s heart, and laying all differences aside, its mission is simple but certainly not simplistic.
S.E.R.V.E. is about helping shepherd the hearts of our children to become selfless in a selfish material world! Our organization is designed to encourage homeschoolers to reach out, volunteer, and gain education from experiences along the way. We want to empower others to be a light to all communities.
Our Mission, S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach
We all need human connection.
S.E.R.V.E. provides that sense of community.
What better way to win new souls for Christ than through the gentle modeling of leading by example? To witness a leader extending unconditional love to someone they have just met. Someone who may have never experienced love or kindness in his or her life before. Call it what you will, offering an olive branch, or building a bridge. I call it living out the Fruit of the Spirit.
S.E.R.V.E. meets people where they are and says come as you are. Journey with us. We will walk beside you, love you, and guide you as we grow together.
S.E.R.V.E. greets new Believers, life-long Believers, and those who may be questioning faith in general with grace, kindness, and unconditional love. Shining the light of its heart, seasoning its words and deeds with the right amount of flavorful salt to make others thirst for the knowledge of Christ.
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:13-16
A Little Something Special
la·gniappe
(lăn′yəp, lăn-yăp′)
n. Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi
1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer’s purchase.
2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit.
Lagniappe – definition of lagniappe by The Free Dictionary
Lagniappe.
A beautiful word that rolls off the tongue has become even more special to me now after meeting Jodie. It is the chosen descriptor she uses to characterize her passion project.
With its P.E. classes, career exploration/service combo shadow days, family activities, and student activities, it is for all intents and purposes a homeschool co-op, but with one major caveat. Its primary focus is volunteerism.
One thing is certain.
It is definitely a little something extra special. An unexpected gift bestowed upon both its beneficiaries and its benefactors.
In preparation for writing this article, I did a little online research. While many co-ops incorporate community service projects as part of their activities or as a component of character education, S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach was the only homeschool co-op I could find where the spotlight was on service FIRST and not academics, electives, or traditional extracurriculars.
To create unity with one another in serving our community while leading our children to have a heart that focuses on the needs of others, strengthening relationships and gaining education along the way
Vision, S.E.R.V.E. Outreach
I am not disputing the importance of academics, electives, or traditional extracurriculars. There are as many different ways to homeschool children as there are, well, children. I am certainly not advocating for a “one-size-fits-all” approach. To each his or her own.
But there is something truly magical about an organization that starts with “shepherding the heart of children” first, as Jodie would say, then allowing all other components to flow from that point of origin. It is as beautiful as it is original.
For I Know The Plans I Have For You
This 501 (c) 3 nonprofit may only be in its toddler stage of development, but its potential is limitless.
Walking in obedience with a willing heart, Jodie is not one for complacency. S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach may have only celebrated its second birthday this past January, but its founder envisions great things in the years to come.
Looking ahead, Jodie envisions S.E.R.V.E. expanding across the country and maybe even across the globe. S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach in Metairie, Louisiana (greater New Orleans area) would remain as headquarters with the option for chapters to be established in other regions. Families would pay dues and receive a membership that would allow them to volunteer at any chapter location, stateside or abroad.
A beautiful gumbo of sorts: roadschooling, missionary work, and family travels all rolled into one. Outreach-style volunteer vacations meet Life Skills 101 stirred into a broader community of extended family with a heaping helping of faith.
Who wouldn’t want to sample that dish?
The concept is as innovative as it is imaginative. Watching Jodie’s smile reach her eyes as she excitedly shares the endless possibilities of how this expansion compliments the lifestyle of homeschoolers almost effortlessly is captivating. Families traveling cross country or abroad and honoring God by being his hands and feet the whole way. A magnificent ministry indeed.
Her zeal is infectious. Her purpose, her calling, and her heart are all on full display with nothing hidden and all the glory given to God.
Jodie shared she has had a few nibbles from interested parties from as far west as California and several inland states in between. Interest is growing, but no one has been willing to take the leap and move forward with the expansion into new territories.
Not yet, that is. But I believe it is coming.
Answering the Call
Imagine, just for a moment, if each of us could have just a tenth of Jodie’s surrendering spirit and see the world through her eyes.
Her firm foundation in faith, humble heart, and edifying enthusiasm coupled with her commitment to “just saying yes when the Lord puts something on my heart,” is more than just inspirational, it’s contagious.
Perhaps yours is the family ready to pick up the torch and lead the charge to set up a chapter of S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach in your area?
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10
How to Join
S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach offers a variety of activities, events, and experiences for its members to participate in. Learning, serving, and growing together for God’s glory, members can enjoy P.E. classes, outreach opportunities, social events, coding classes (partnership through a local Code Ninjas franchise for an additional fee), and Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) discounts.
Membership is required to participate in most activities and events. S.E.R.V.E. does sponsor some activities and events that are open to all regardless of membership status. (For more information click here.) Membership starts on August 1st and runs until July 31st. Annual dues are $35.
Interested in becoming a member? Visit the S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach website to submit an application.
Live outside the greater New Orleans area and feel called to organize a chapter of S.E.R.V.E. in your area? Reach out to Jodie at www.serve-outreach.com.
Ways to Support S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach
Maybe you’re like me and not quite ready to take the plunge of applying for a chapter, but you love what S.E.R.V.E. stands for and you want to see it grow and thrive.
Here are some other ways you can be supportive:
Donate items. Your gently used resources or curricula can be a blessing to someone with a need. S.E.R.V.E. hosts an annual curriculum giveaway. Local families come together to support one another by pooling together gently used curricula to pass along to other families free of charge. Have other items to donate? Contact them! You never know, one person’s discards may be another person’s gain. Check out the chat box available in the bottom right-hand corner of their website or email them at SERVEhomeschool@gmail.com to learn more.
Financial contributions. If you would like to make a financial contribution to support S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach, visit their website and click on the blue “Donate” button at the top of the page. Monetary donations in varying amounts of either one-time or monthly increments are greatly appreciated.
Give shout-outs on social media. Use your social media to spread the good news about this organization’s good works. Getting the word out helps makes others aware and encourages support. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Like their videos, subscribe to their channel, or share with others the great work they are doing.
Offer your professional knowledge. S.E.R.V.E. is always looking for professionals in various job fields who are open and willing to share their experiences with their students and answer questions. The desire is to help better equip students to have a clearer understanding of the direction they are trying to go career-wise. If you live in the New Orleans area and are interested in providing real-world information about your career or job to help students expand their knowledge of the world of work and careers, give them a call! To learn more about how you can partner with S.E.R.V.E. to make a difference in a young person’s life, click here.
Want to know more?
Be sure to tune in to our next podcast episodes to learn more about S.E.R.V.E. Homeschool Outreach. In these Salt & Light SERVE Spotlight Episodes, we will speak to Jodie Ellis, Founder and President of S.E.R.V.E. Listen in as Jodie shares her personal story of how God led her to found this one-of-a-kind homeschool outreach program.
You can listen right here on our website, on our YouTube channel, at Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Samsung.
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Blessings,
Kimberly
IOH Mom
This website is not a professional counseling website and nothing here should be construed as professional counseling advice. Although Kimberly Bennett, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is not your counselor, and no counselor-client relationship is established unless she has signed an agreement with you. All information provided through this website is for informational and educational purposes only.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement. Thanks for visiting!
