Hope College students play a vital role in the Holland community, and Time to Serve connects them to service opportunities in their new “hometown.” From working in community gardens to restocking food pantries and caring for animals, students participate in meaningful projects. This year, the Hope Forward freshman cohort served at three Gateway locations: the Thrift Store, Men’s Mission and Women’s Mission. At the Thrift Store, they organized donations and sorted merchandise; at the Men’s Mission, they helped with outdoor cleaning and meal prep; and at the Women’s Mission, they maintained a clean, welcoming environment. These efforts align with Gateway’s mission to support those struggling with hunger, homelessness and addiction.
Last year, Hope Forward sophomore Natalie Ginestre participated in Time to Serve with the 2027 cohort, and this year she served as one of the volunteer coordinators for the campus-wide event. Her perspective is shared below:
One year ago, three weeks into my brand new life as a freshman at Hope College, I volunteered on a Saturday morning with my Hope Forward cohort at Gateway Mission’s Men’s Center Kitchen. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined leading Volunteer Services, Hope’s servant leadership committee, a year later. I never thought I would be working to plan the same service event or imagined that the strangers who I served alongside that day would become some of my closest friends.
Hope College has changed my life in countless ways, most especially through blessing me with opportunities to spread hope and love to the world through volunteerism, as well as inspiring others to serve the world likewise. Hope Forward and its tremendous virtues of gratitude and generosity have continuously inspired me to give more of my time toward my God-given passion of serving others, while being surrounded by a community of future world-changers striving to do the same.
The biggest role models in my life have always taught me to believe in the power of giving your time and talents toward serving God through serving others. This is the truest and purest way to experience overwhelming joy. I firmly believe that the smallest acts of kindness hold the power to make the largest impact on our world. Taking a moment of your time to brighten someone’s day, show compassion, share a smile or lend a servant’s hand is taking one small step toward spreading God’s light and hope to the world.
For me, volunteering is one of the most fulfilling ways we can show our love for one another through the gift of time and care, while simultaneously filling our hearts with grace and gratitude.
Reflecting further, my Hope Forward interview process gave me the opportunity to make a presentation on an area of hopelessness I have seen in the world and how I would bring it hope. While my presentation contained echoes of showing love for one another through service, I am continuously learning that spreading hope to hopelessness rests in the power of community, access and generosity — the three pillars of Hope Forward’s mission. Through my role as one of the volunteer services directors, I desire to form a community of passionate student volunteers at Hope College who work to make the world more accessible, while continuously and generously giving back to community areas in need. Looking further, my future passion lies in the area of medicine, where I wish to serve others and the world in a similar way by spreading hope and shedding light in a healthcare setting to those experiencing some of their darkest days.
One of my favorite quotes is: “The happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others.” (Gordon B. Hinckley) This could not prove more to be true. During my time in college, I wish to inspire other students to find the same joy and passion that I hold for volunteering so that we can collectively shed light to areas of darkness in the world. The smiles shared at Time to Serve were so bright, contagious and genuine, paving the way for friendship-building centered around a common love for making a positive difference in the lives of those in need: an innate value bestowed on us by God. Hope College and its vibrantly faithful and loving community have overwhelmingly taught me that love exists in every space, in every person and in every blessing from God. For that, I am eternally grateful. My greatest ambition is to provide opportunities for fellow college students to experience the transforming power of making a positive impact in the world. Through this, may they be inspired to serve God by serving others with their unique passions and gifts and spread Hope to areas of hopelessness in our world.