A Family’s Legacy of Rebuilding Hope
A Family’s Legacy of Rebuilding Hope
Family legacies are extremely special. Perhaps you can look back on past generations in your family that have handed down meaningful traditions, or you have family members who have created generational impact through their work or a hobby. And as Christians, perhaps some of us have ministry connections throughout our families to serve God’s kingdom.
For Jessica and Ron Grassmid, their family legacy involves volunteering to bring hope to many, together. In 2011, Ron began a journey of volunteering with World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS). Ron spent nine years offering his chainsaw, siding, drywall, and other skills to repairing homes in disaster-impacted communities. He traveled to New Jersey, Alabama, and even to Puerto Rico with his granddaughter, Jessica. By his mid-seventies, when COVID-19 put a pause on DRS volunteer programs, Ron’s volunteering came to a halt.
But even during and after COVID restrictions on our volunteer stints, disaster survivors needed help to rise above the devastating storms that impact millions of people each year in North America. More than four years after the pandemic, the challenges from facing an EF-2 tornado were felt very near to DRS’ Michigan headquarters in Cass County, Michigan.
When she saw the damage her neighboring community was facing in Cass County, Jessica thought back to her DRS experience helping Hurricane Maria survivors in Puerto Rico with her grandfather. She realized this was the time to get involved in the ministry again. “It’s important to be a light in the world and help people when their lives are abruptly turned upside down by a disaster,” Jessica said.
Jessica decided to join our clean-up team going to Cass County. But she knew she needed to recruit Ron to join her again! Ron, Jessica, and other volunteers spent several days cutting down trees and removing debris from homeowners’ yards. A couple of months later, Ron went on to volunteer with a clean-up team in Iowa after devastating floods. The team spent two weeks being the hands and feet of Jesus in Hawarden, Iowa, mucking out basements and ministering hope to the community.
One survivor in Iowa, Mike, shared with Ron and others about the flood’s challenges. “Mike first approached us for advice on mold treatment. But, as we discussed more about other circumstances in his life, Mike explained that this hard experience of his home being flooded left him weary. In this state, he knew he needed to draw closer to God. We were able to pray together for Mike’s recovery and for God’s plans for his future.”
Recently, the grandfather-and-granddaughter duo were back on the ground together in West Virginia, making a difference for those affected by damage from Hurricane Helene. Ron, Jessica, and the volunteer team helped clean up some of the estimated 1,000 downed trees in the area due to Helene’s winds.
These experiences are not only meaningful to Ron and Jessica because of the opportunity to volunteer together, but also for the opportunity to strengthen their relationship. “Through strenuous clean-up work like this, I’ve seen my grandfather’s heart for others during these rich volunteer experiences with DRS. What a fantastic legacy to try to live up to,” Jessica said. For Ron, he sees these volunteer trips together have provided amazing quality time to spend with Jessica. “I don’t know what better time there could be than to volunteer together with my granddaughter to help others.”
World Renew DRS’ mission to rebuild homes and hope would not be possible without the efforts of our compassionate volunteers. If your family is interested in volunteering together with DRS, and perhaps starting a family legacy, let us know by clicking the button below and filling out our inquiry form!
Family legacies are extremely special. Perhaps you can look back on past generations in your family that have handed down meaningful traditions, or you have family members who have created generational impact through their work or a hobby. And as Christians, perhaps some of us have ministry connections throughout our families to serve God’s kingdom.
For Jessica and Ron Grassmid, their family legacy involves volunteering to bring hope to many, together. In 2011, Ron began a journey of volunteering with World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS). Ron spent nine years offering his chainsaw, siding, drywall, and other skills to repairing homes in disaster-impacted communities. He traveled to New Jersey, Alabama, and even to Puerto Rico with his granddaughter, Jessica. By his mid-seventies, when COVID-19 put a pause on DRS volunteer programs, Ron’s volunteering came to a halt.
But even during and after COVID restrictions on our volunteer stints, disaster survivors needed help to rise above the devastating storms that impact millions of people each year in North America. More than four years after the pandemic, the challenges from facing an EF-2 tornado were felt very near to DRS’ Michigan headquarters in Cass County, Michigan.
When she saw the damage her neighboring community was facing in Cass County, Jessica thought back to her DRS experience helping Hurricane Maria survivors in Puerto Rico with her grandfather. She realized this was the time to get involved in the ministry again. “It’s important to be a light in the world and help people when their lives are abruptly turned upside down by a disaster,” Jessica said.
Jessica decided to join our clean-up team going to Cass County. But she knew she needed to recruit Ron to join her again! Ron, Jessica, and other volunteers spent several days cutting down trees and removing debris from homeowners’ yards. A couple of months later, Ron went on to volunteer with a clean-up team in Iowa after devastating floods. The team spent two weeks being the hands and feet of Jesus in Hawarden, Iowa, mucking out basements and ministering hope to the community.
One survivor in Iowa, Mike, shared with Ron and others about the flood’s challenges. “Mike first approached us for advice on mold treatment. But, as we discussed more about other circumstances in his life, Mike explained that this hard experience of his home being flooded left him weary. In this state, he knew he needed to draw closer to God. We were able to pray together for Mike’s recovery and for God’s plans for his future.”
Recently, the grandfather-and-granddaughter duo were back on the ground together in West Virginia, making a difference for those affected by damage from Hurricane Helene. Ron, Jessica, and the volunteer team helped clean up some of the estimated 1,000 downed trees in the area due to Helene’s winds.
These experiences are not only meaningful to Ron and Jessica because of the opportunity to volunteer together, but also for the opportunity to strengthen their relationship. “Through strenuous clean-up work like this, I’ve seen my grandfather’s heart for others during these rich volunteer experiences with DRS. What a fantastic legacy to try to live up to,” Jessica said. For Ron, he sees these volunteer trips together have provided amazing quality time to spend with Jessica. “I don’t know what better time there could be than to volunteer together with my granddaughter to help others.”
World Renew DRS’ mission to rebuild homes and hope would not be possible without the efforts of our compassionate volunteers. If your family is interested in volunteering together with DRS, and perhaps starting a family legacy, let us know by clicking the button below and filling out our inquiry form!
