Volunteer Spotlight: Julian Farris

Julian Farris grew up visiting his uncle in one of InCommunity’s residential group homes. As a kid Julian would do small tasks around the house, enjoy music with the guys, and talk cars. In Julian’s mind, the work he does isn’t volunteering – it's his way of getting closer to his uncle and his friends. We have his grandma, long time InCommunity supporter Peggy Farris to thank for bringing Julian around. At the beginning, Julian said he felt nervous to meet the guys, but they quickly became extended family.  

In addition to doing home and garden work, Julian took on the monumental task of organizing a food donation drive to collect the food for ALL 44 residential homes for the 2021 Thanksgiving Boxes. It was a tough project as Julian worked behind the scenes to make source the most cost-effective food and to make sure that the houses that had special dietary needs received foods that they could enjoy too. Even through the challenge, Julian was pleased with how it turned out and the joy the residents expressed for the boxes after Thanksgiving made it worth it. 

To other folks who may be thinking of volunteering, but a little unsure, Julian would encourage them to not make it a chore - don’t think of it as volunteering. Even the simple things like having a conversation with the guys can make a friend for life. 

From InCommunity, and in honor of National Volunteer week, we extend a huge THANK YOU to Julian Farris.