New Life at The Ruth Sheets Center
My name is Sharon Lakins, and I have been a part of this Church going on 25 years. My husband and I have raised our 3 children here with many of you and experienced so many blessings of God’s love and the perfect support when we needed it the most. This Eastertide, in the days before Pentecost, I was blessed to be invited to speak as an Easter witness. What is the risen Savior doing in my life? I could share witness from my own life, but I’d like to share about others, and how volunteering has changed me forever.
There’s a very special place, located right here on the 1st floor of our beautiful church that shares our risen Christ, straight from the heart of Raleigh to some of the most amazing, yet vulnerable seniors in our church family as well an in the community. If you don’t know yet, let me share…..The Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center.
As a board member of the Ruth Sheets Adult Care Center, I see the meaning of Easter unfold in some of the most tender and unexpected ways. In a place where many of our participants are living with dementia, new life doesn’t always look big or dramatic—it often shows up in a smile that breaks through confusion, a moment of recognition, or a sense of peace that settles in, even if just for a little while.
Just a few minutes in this place, and you will see the hands and feet of Jesus at work! Oh,I knew about it for years and I volunteered, and my family even painted the walls of the first location years ago to help give it an update. But over the years, and more recently it has filled my heart with joy to watch the hands and feet of Jesus through the unbelievable caretakers as the give new life to these individuals and the respite their families and caregivers need, for a few hours a day. It truly is a place of purpose, care, compassion, dignity, respect and nurturing during some of the most challenging times in these families lives. But once they get in the center, you wouldn’t believe some of the transformations that take place. Some special moments happen, like when the preschoolers come to the see special “grandmas and grandpas.” It's God’s work at it’s best!
Before making my plans to share this, I sat with Matt Frazier, the longtime director and asked, what would you like to convey to the church congregation and beyond? After a brief pause, his first words were, “Come and See”. This, I knew was God speaking new life into this place. See one Easter message from the risen Savior was “Come and See”. The women at the tomb to the disciples, and then to Thomas…. Come and See. And there are some of the most precious moments to come and see in the Sheets Center. We invite you to Come and See, to get involved to support to help us bring more families in need to this place, our place. You may know a family or friend in our community that could benefit, have them come and see.
What truly stands apart from any other mission or community partnership, is the longevity of the committed and compassionate staff. Matt, Sarah, Joe, Shelia, and others…and so many of you volunteering your time. This staff, these people, their experience but more importantly their compassion for what they do and whom they do it for…it’s unbelievable.
On April 15th the Ruth Sheets Center celebrated 35 years!!! What an accomplishment. What started out as social community for seniors in 1991 with gift from Mrs. Ruth Sheets, has flourished with our blessings into a fully accredited social and healthcare model that Ruth Sheets and those that did the work would be proud of. Let’s share it and support it!
Want to learn more? Check out the Ruth Sheets Center’s webpage.