Fifteen Years of Valet Parking
Northside’s Valet Parking ministry began on November 22, 2009, so this week we are celebrating 15 years of service to Northside’s members and guests!
Our ministry volunteers park cars for those who need it at the south (covered) entrance before every Sunday morning service. They also help anyone take in packages or food, and they’re happy to get wheelchairs or walkers out of the trunk. And by the way, they don’t just help those with physical limitations; they also help mothers with young children or anyone who needs a helping hand, especially in rain or snow.
Those who take advantage of this ministry often mention how much they appreciate the help. In fact, some say they wouldn’t be able to attend without the assistance provided.
During our 15 years of service, our ministry volunteers have parked well over 5,000 cars and carried in hundreds of dishes for Northside’s Guest Lunch. Every year on Harvest Sunday, our volunteers carry donations to the stage for the girls of Carpenter Place. And every year before Halloween, our volunteers direct traffic for Trunk-or-Treat to help find places to park over 500 vehicles.
When this ministry began, we used plastic signs to advertise our free service and used orange parking cones to mark off the reserved parking spaces. In 2017 we repainted those spaces to indicate they are reserved and in 2019 we replaced the plastic signs with permanent metal ones that display the times the service is offered. In 2020 we started 3D-printed key tags.
If you would like to have someone park your car, just pull under the covered drive and leave it running. The valet parking crew will give you a claim number and park the car in the valet parking area on the west side of the building. During the service they’ll keep the keys in a secure, locked box. When you’re ready to go, bring them your number and they’ll pull your car around. If you need to leave early or stay for Guest Lunch, let the volunteers know and they’ll be happy to accommodate you.
This ministry is a great way to show God’s love to members and guests. Being at the front doors gives volunteers the opportunity to greet a lot of people and get to know members they would not otherwise have met. And serving in this ministry is a good way to get involved without having to get up in front of the congregation (not everyone’s cup of tea).
We can always use more help. Volunteers serve for a month at a time parking cars before and after one or two services per week, depending on their availability.