Serving God Joyfully: Jackie and Royce Rogers’ Volunteer Journey

The differences that divide us can also transform us. Jackie and Royce Rogers have learned this to be true throughout their time volunteering and serving the Lord. Married for 56 years, the pair have three children, one grandchild and a multitude of friends whom they’ve formed connections with through their service.  

Jackie and Royce are members of Perinton Community Church, where they served on the mission team for a combined total of 60 years. In their life of service, they have taken mission trips to Bolivia, Romania and Malawi. Since their retirement from their church’s mission team, they have devoted their time volunteering at World Relief.

The two began their involvement in refugee volunteerism when their church helped to resettle a family from Vietnam. Years later, their son, Eric Rogers, served on the board of Refuge Rochester and connected them with World Relief. Since that time, the Rogers have volunteered as Conversation Partners, with the Transportation Team and assisted with apartment set-ups at World Relief. 

The Lessons of Lending a Hand 

The first driving assignment Royce took on was with a family who had just started school in the Rochester area. There were 3 children whom he drove to and from school, two being elementary aged kids and one attending East High School. The dismissal times for each school were a bit different, and Royce recalls that he, the father, and the two younger children would play at a park at Cobbs Hill until East High got out. 

Throughout their time volunteering, Jackie and Royce have admired the resilience of the refugees they’ve welcomed. Royce has expressed his appreciation and understanding for the difficulty refugees have while learning English and finding employment. The pair note that the refugees they’ve assisted have been through traumatic experiences; however, they push on, they learn English, and they are driven to be productive residents of their new community. 

From Hosting to Heartfelt Connections 

Throughout their volunteering, Jackie and Royce have drawn on their spiritual gift of hospitality to serve refugees. As routine volunteers in the ESL class hosted at the World Relief WNY office, they have formed friendships with some of the class participants. In an effort to get to know the families better, Jackie invited several of the women to a barbeque at their home on the 4th of July. Two families attended and Jackie and Royce were delighted to meet the women’s husbands and children.  

On another occasion, Jackie and Royce had invited a few Ukrainian women they had become close with on a camping trip. They packed enough food to feed an army and backed up their campsite to a playground, so the children could play. The two were later asked to attend an Easter service at a Ukrainian church, after which they were invited to lunch by the parents of one of the ESL students. As they prepared to leave, the father gifted them a full-size Ukrainian flag which now hangs from the Rogers’ flagpole. 

Jackie feels that being hospitable is one thing she and Royce can do to support the refugees they meet. They regularly throw birthday and holiday parties during the ESL classes, as a way of celebrating the refugees and helping them to feel a sense of belonging. 

Being a Friend 

While Royce and Jackie have taken it upon themselves to welcome refugees into their community, their involvement started through the simple act of volunteering. They recall the pressure and nerves regarding language difficulties; however, they advise being patient with yourself. Jackie reminds us that Jesus was a refugee, and that we are to take them in and love them. You won’t do everything perfectly, but all it takes is trying to be a friend.