(20, Michigan, USA) Madison - One Small Act
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” - Howard Zinn.
I recently contributed time to my local food bank.Their generous volunteers and their warm-hearted visitors instantly welcomed me. After everyone was given their meal, I always went and spent some time with the guests. Because of that decision I heard remarkable stories. One lady named Doris told me about her travels and the impact they left on her. She told me about the diverse cultures she was able to experience. Another individual told me about his life growing up; he was one of the kindest individuals I had ever met. These connections leave behind immense impacts. Hearing Doris’s stories from time in diverse cultures influenced me to explore countries I would have never thought about exploring. The impact of the individual's kindness reminded me why I was doing this. The other volunteers there were all a lot older than me; they explained to me that they have been taking part in this program for several years. I was impacted by how welcoming and wise they were. As we set up, me and the other volunteers always exchanged stories. Out of all the other volunteers a woman named Cathy left the biggest impact. She told me about how she was a teacher. Knowing how busy her schedule is and knowing she still made the time to volunteer left me stunned. She inspired me to always make time out of a busy schedule to volunteer. She showed me that when you make time to volunteer you are introducing yourself to the potential of creating beautiful friendships and leaving huge impacts. I never realized that by signing up to help out a food bank my entire perspective would be re-written. Before volunteering, I was afraid at the thought of having to engage with those I didn’t know. After only three weeks of volunteering, I am able to engage in conversation without any fear. From now on, I will consider myself an advocate for volunteering. I will donate goods, share stories, and offer a helping hand. None of this would be possible if it wasn’t for my time at the food bank.
