Why We Volunteer
Izabella Santiago
“Purpose and meaning, not success, lead to true contentment. When we understand this, we see the value of being motivated by duty and/or love. When you act out of duty and love, you know that you are providing value.” - Jay Shetty, Think Like a Monk
I had the pleasure of doing the same volunteer work at Seward Park Extension. Although I was tasked with some of the same jobs, because I had already been there before, I was able to look at the experience from a different perspective. What I was interested in looking at this time was the people that were volunteering right next to me.
The night before I went into the food pantry on Monday, I decided to look into the question “Why should people volunteer and why do we all do it?” . Among my findings, something really stood out to me about the physical and mental advantages of volunteering. Western Connecticut State University found that volunteering allows you to focus on someone other than yourself which interrupts usual tension-producing patterns and reduces stress. When I read this, I looked back at my first time at the Seward Park Extension food pantry and thought if I felt this way. And sure enough, I did. My hands were going numb, the wind was, ironically, burning my face because of how cold it was, and I was beginning to see my breath everytime I greeted the person in front of me. Despite the physical discomfort I was in, my mind was more focused on getting these people checked into the pantry quick enough to get them out of the cold. I could see these little old ladies shivering under layers and layers of clothes and I just wanted to grab them and put them inside. Slowly, I was able to forget about how cold I was because I was so focused on helping others get what they needed and get comfort. Thinking back on this while reading the article, it made last time so much better.
Moving on from last time and with the article in mind, I got on the subway again to the Lower East Side to see the same line I did two weeks before wrapping around the outside of Seward Park Extension. While we were unpacking the boxes of food and getting ready to let people in, I decided this was a good time to get to know the people putting all of this together. One man, who unfortunately I did not get his name, was wearing shoes with everything Puerto Rico on them and a pin with the Puerto Rican flag. After seeing this, of course I asked if he was from there and unsurprisingly, he said yes. We bonded over the fact that we are both from the tiny little island and I finally asked him “why are you doing all of this?”. His response was that he had no one to do it for him. He told me stories about how he and his siblings always wondered where their next meal came from or where he would sleep that night. He said that if he could give these families one more night of food, he would do everything in his power to do just that. He felt that the food pantry was just one way he could give back to others and his younger self. Another man who I spoke to had the most engaging and vibrant aura that I had seen that morning. His name was Luis. He had a smile from ear to ear, was offering everyone help, greeting people left and right, and most importantly, he was just being himself.
Luis and I began to talk about why volunteering is important to him. He told me the story about how he was never really into it and when he met his boyfriend 5 years ago, that's when he became passionate about it. His boyfriend, now fiance, was an avid volunteer. He used to drag Luis along to everything and he eventually began taking a liking to it. I asked what it was exactly that made him like it so much. One thing was obviously that it brought him and his fiance closer together. And the other thing was that he, unlike the other sweet old man, grew up with a lot of support, financial security, and a roof over his head. He says that since he has always had so much love and security he wants to give that to others who don't in any way that he can. He also mentioned that before meeting his fiance, he would always be active in politics and voting, and being an informed citizen. He told me that he was always under the impression that the way to change the societal disparities in the country was by going to the government. Unfortunately, like many people today, Luis felt that he was wasting his time and resources going this route. In Natalie Paquin’s article, Trust and Respect: The World’s Greatest Currency, she says that “Now, people are starting to think locally, trust locally, and invest in their local networks. The currency of trust is moving to local communities.” After Luis realized that he could help his community directly by going to the root of the problem, he became more passionate about volunteering. He trusted in his passion and it brought him exactly where he needed to be. Meeting Luis at the food pantry this past Monday taught me a very important lesson. Going to volunteer is one thing and showing up is another. Luis could have a million things going on in his life right now and no one would know because his energy alone was bringing smiles to the faces of the people waiting in line. As everybody should be while volunteering, helping others, or doing anything in life, Luis was present, and it made a huge difference in my experience and the experience of others.
References
Community Service: Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer. Community Engagement. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2022
Paquin, N. (2019, May 28). Trust & Respect: The World's greatest currency. Points of Light. Retrieved November 30, 2022
Shetty, J. (2020). Think like a monk: How to train your mind for peace & purpose everyday. Thorsons.