Janet Powers, CAN Volunteer Extraordinaire

In honor of National Volunteer Month, we want to highlight Janet Powers, the Site Coordinator for Cornerstone Christian Women’s Job Corps (CCWJC). She is a full-time volunteer and is making a huge difference in the lives of many women. Read her thoughts about her journey with Cornerstone below.

My original thought was to fill some time in my week through volunteerism. I had volunteered many times over the last 40 years but it was hit and miss with no real commitment. When I came to Cornerstone, I thought volunteering would just take up some of my time in a very slow commercial real estate market. What I immediately felt was a calling to do more- and I was willing. What I did not expect was a direct call from God asking me to turn toward Him and follow the path He was laying out for me. I began to read to gain further understanding about the clients we serve. I knew instinctively this calling was real and I felt so comfortable changing my entire life to fit His design. I brought with me lots of skills- none of which I saw a need for within CCWJC, and the skills I thought I needed to lead CCWJC, I did not think I had. But as I learned, God equips those he calls. So I trust my voice to reflect His direction, and while I have struggled with how to do this exactly right, I have been open to the changes and ideas He lays on my heart. It truly is an evolving process to be a committed volunteer. There is an ethic to volunteerism; the same as a work ethic. The best volunteers are those who recognize it’s not about filling their time; it is about taking their time and committing it to being a disciple for Christ- the reason we exist.

-Janet Powers