Hope volleyball player Jillian Sommerville appreciates the wisdom she has gained volunteering at Warm Friend independent senior community in Holland.

The junior from Plymouth (Salem HS) was thrilled she and her teammates to partner up with residents there this fall to help fill Operation Christmas Child boxes for needy children across the country.

Sommerville, who plays middle hitter for the top-ranked Flying Dutch, helped organize the project with Warm Friend volunteer coordinator Gayla Hoekwater.

"Together, the residents and the volleyball players, are building hope with such joy throughout the entire process," Sommerville said. "The Warm Friends are so full of optimism, care, smiles, and love, and they do not waste a moment to share it with us when we are together. We are growing closer with every gathering we have due to the love we are putting forth to make ten children around the world have a joyful Christmas and inspire hope."

Sommerville has been volunteering at Warm Friend for two years.

"I have so much respect for the older generations of our society, they have amazing stories that are truly inspiring and have so much wisdom to share," Sommerville said. "This summer I was thinking of ways to get the team more involved in the Holland community, and Gayla informed me that the residents had been requesting to get involved in the community and do a service project. We brainstormed together and came up with the idea to do the Operation Christmas Child project by pairing up residents and team members to fill shoe boxes together."

Hope volleyball coach Becky Schmidt is proud to see her players giving back, even though their schedules are packed with matches, practices, classes and studying. 

"Over the past few years, the volleyball team has become very involved in multiple community service projects," Schmidt said. "It provides them the opportunity to give back to a community that supports them so well, but to also focus on the needs of others and become more others-oriented, which helps to develop a positive and encouraging team culture."