A Call To Serve (ACTS) Ministries of Iowa is merging with The Well.

The boards of these two nonprofit service organizations based in Pella have unanimously approved joining forces to improve the way they serve the area.

ACTS matches volunteers who want to help in their community with people who need a hand with home-related projects and sponsors an annual Service Surge. The Well provides encouragement and support, training, referrals, and other assistance as its staff and volunteers assist people with mental, emotional, and physical issues that often result in needs.

As part of The Well, ACTS will retain its name, and its current interfaces with the community will continue—its warehouse, the availability of tools and equipment for volunteers, and project opportunities for service groups. After a hiatus in 2017, the ACTS Service Surge will resume in 2018.

Combining forces enables The Well to add a new service: Well Works, which will provide short-term employment and job training for Well clients as well. The Well plans to add a staff person to coordinate and manage the Well Works program, according to Jayson Henry, executive director of The Well.

“One of The Well’s challenges as we walk alongside people in need is helping them with employment needs,” said Henry. “Now we will be better-equipped to do that.” Henry explained, “A lot of the people we serve don’t enjoy the dignity that comes from working. Experiences such as camaraderie, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment are missing from their daily lives. They have skills, and they want to improve their lives, but often need help in doing so.”

Since 2006, ACTS has coordinated the work of nearly 6200 volunteers who have served 680+ families in over 1,120 different projects. The part-time staff position necessary to coordinate this volunteer service will continue as part of the staffing for The Well. ACTS Board President Joel Bennett commented, “Under The Well’s umbrella, the work of ACTS will continue and grow, and being part of a larger organization will create economies of scale. We each bring strengths to the table that can be leveraged to serve our communities and volunteers better.”

Henry is enthused that bringing ACTS on board will enable the Well to better serve its clients with Well Works. “By working more actively on employment and employment skills for our clients, we can walk alongside them in a more significant way,” he said. Client data shows that around 70 percent of the clients seen by the Well could use an improvement in their current work situation.”