A Love Your Neighbor Volunteer is an individual who recognizes the importance of investing in the people around him or herself as a way of truly loving others as Christ taught us to. These volunteers know the value of listening, loving, and sharing what they have learned in life but do so in a no-judgment environment, where people can grow without shame or humiliation. Grounded in their own faith, volunteers serve as mentors/coaches who provide guidance through structured learning modules the group does together.

Love Your Neighbor Circle Volunteers:

Circle volunteers participate in training before the Circle begins meeting and commit to being present for most all the Circle meetings with the Friend. Meetings are one hour in length and are weekly or bi-weekly for 6-12 months, as determined by the Circle and the needs of the Friend. Community Hope provides 8 different Modules on a variety of topics for the Circle to use together. Circles choose which modules they want to complete, based on the Friend’s desired outcomes, and move through them at their own rate of speed.

By sharing him/herself and their life experiences, a Love Your Neighbor Circle Volunteer can help a Friend reach their goals, apply the wisdom of others in their life, and open new doors of opportunity ahead.

After being referred, applicants will need to complete a Love Your Neighbor Circles application, which includes an explanation of their motivation for joining a Circle and their desired outcomes. Community Hope staff will conduct interviews with potential “Friends” as part of the screening process to evaluate their readiness, eligibility, commitment to the learning process, and to identify any existing barriers that may necessitate more professional support than a Circle can offer. Additionally, the interview will assist in identifying the goals the “Friend” aims to achieve through their participation in the Circle.

Love Your Neighbor Circles meet weekly or bi-weekly over a period of 6 to 12 months, based on the collective decision of the Circle and the specific needs of the “Friend.” Each meeting lasts one hour and includes a check-in period followed by a structured time focused on learning and application.

A referring organization is a church, school, business or other community partner who has identified an individual who has shown a desire to make a change in his/her life situation and may benefit from the relationships and learning provided by a Circle. Before submitting a referral to Community Hope, the referring organization will complete a pre-screening process with the potential Friend.