July 13th, 2021
There have been so many times during this past year that I have thought to myself, “How did we get here?” How did the world appear to change?”
The one constant for me, was and is, volunteering at the House. It’s funny, I help with the Lunch-2-Go program on Tuesdays. It’s amazing to me because if you would have told me I would be “cooking” at the House, I would say – “no, that isn’t me.” In the light of the pandemic and knowing how we are there to help our families in any way, I volunteered to do just that.
As in all the other tasks and duties I have had at the House, I always come to find out why I was meant to be there. It is because when we see our families go into the Lunch-2-Go refrigerator or browse the counter looking for something to eat…something they don’t have to buy…their faces – not always words – say ….thank you so much! It’s when we make cookies or something that gives a wonderful scent throughout the House, that it feels like a home…built on love.
There is an aura in the House that feels so peaceful. The feeling for me is that I am meant to be there for as little or as long as I am needed. And it often is in the moments we least expect, that someone will come up and share something that they are going through. I have found throughout the years that being there for them was a gift.
If I was to sum up the main job of a volunteer it is to be there with an open heart willing to help with whatever needs to be done. This experience for me has truly been God’s blessing. I am grateful for the opportunity.
-Nettie, Hospitality Volunteer