Start of small then work from there. Today is my start day of 10 days of giving. Yesterday I comprised a list of what I will do each day. Since today is the first I wanted to start off with something small but still helpful. I figured since Thursday is thanksgiving, a day where we indulge in more food then needed, I would do something food related. Today I visited the Open Door Ministry not too far from my home. The Open Door Ministry is a food bank where depending on what time of the day you go, you pack canned goods, veggies&fruits, and other food items in boxes to be distributed to people who cannot afford to feed themselves. I also dragged my best friend along with me so I wouldn’t be alone.
I stayed for a few hours, packing boxes on an assembly line type of thing with numerous other volunteers from around the area. I got the opportunity to talk with one of the lovely elderly ladies volunteering at the food bank that day. She told me she tries to come to Open Door Ministry at least once a week because throughout her life she learned that its not what you have, its what you give. This sweet old lady dedicates time every to help people, what an inspiring lady! What I love about volunteering, is you get the opportunity to meet people you don’t converse with in everyday life. You get to meet people from every age group, every background and every social status.
I used to visit Open Door Ministry a few years ago, when I needed volunteer hours for school. But since then I haven’t taken the time to come here without a specific reason and help. From being at open door ministry I learned how kind people can be and how easy it is to be wrong about people. Its so easy to judge on the streets, but at Open Door Ministry I met so many amazing wonderful people that live their lives to help people, and Ill admit some of these people are people i would judge from afar if i ran into them on the streets. Its great to see how many people there are out there that have a genuine care for others and their community.
If you’ve never gone to a local food bank, I defiantly suggest doing it! You’ll not only feel great for helping others, but maybe you’ll discover a few things about yourself. You can find one in your area here: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
