The great abolitionist, author, and orator of the 19th Century, Frederick Douglass, once said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
From 1999 to 2007, I remember repeating this quote thousands of times during very low points in my life when I didn’t know if I would survive.
There were moments during these years when I couldn’t afford to pay my rent, utilities, transportation, or groceries.
There were moments when I only had $5 to my name. I needed that $5 to get me through the next four weeks because after starting a new job in two weeks, I would still need to wait another two weeks to receive my first paycheck.
During that period of my life, I would wake up at 3 a.m. just to get to work on time at 8 a.m. I would bring my iron, ironing board, and clothes to the laundry room in another building in my apartment complex to iron my clothes for work because the electricity was turned off in my apartment due to being unable to pay my electric bill. Then, I would head to work, traveling 19 miles by foot or bike because I did not have transportation to get to work.
And then there were moments when I couldn’t go home after working the second shift because I worked the first shift again in the morning, and it would take me six hours to ride my bike home in the cold weather and back to work the next day. So, I slept under the conference table at work in order to get some rest before working again in the morning.
At one of the lowest times in my life, someone told me about the food pantry in my community. It was a resource that I could access to help me fill in the gap so I would have something to eat until I received my paycheck. Going there changed my life. The food I was able to get there — all donated, sorted and delivered by volunteers — helped me survive during that period of my life.
If it weren’t for those volunteers in my community, I would not have survived that tumultuous period.
At a time when food insecurity and homelessness are unfortunately increasing, both across the nation and here in Connecticut, the countless individuals dedicated to volunteering across our state continue to provide access to basic needs for thousands of people and families.
The Rev. Charles Jacobs has served for 23 years as the priest of the Holy Trinity Mission Church in Hartford. As a selfless, dedicated faith leader, he considers it a calling for himself and others to help the people around him.
“We need to acknowledge the needs of people, that each one of us go beyond ourselves,” he told me. “Whatever blessings we have, whatever gifts we have, whatever resources we have that we don’t afford them only to ourselves. If we share with others we’re going to find that the greatest recipient of joy might not just be the people we serve, but ourselves.”
He said volunteering and giving back to the community has helped him become even more grateful for all that he has and not take anything in his life for granted.
Phillipia Fletcher-Denovellis believes that volunteering is a divine assignment and a calling on her life from God.
After she started losing her vision, Fletcher-Denovellis made the difficult decision to retire from her professional career. After praying, she felt called by God to volunteer at the food pantry at St. Joseph Cathedral in Hartford. This led her to set up the clothing closet at the food pantry, where she spends hours serving the community and meeting the needs of their clients. In describing her commitment to service, she said, “This is my life’s work at the end.”
Volunteering has allowed her to see things in this world that she would have previously overlooked or not noticed. She said when volunteering, she understands the real, raw challenges that people are facing in the world. These experiences have taught her how to have true kindness for others and to look beyond herself.
Each person I interviewed continued to stress the same message: in volunteering, you get even more than you give. They each mentioned that their experience has allowed them to understand the human experience at a deeper level, be more open to listening to others and meeting their needs, and experience fulfillment in following a greater purpose in their lives to help others.
Even with the numerous volunteers in our state, there is an increased need for more support at food pantries and in other volunteer capacities. Maybe you have an hour of time to give each month, maybe you can give financially or donate food? Or maybe you can do what Maryann Martinez, the executive director of the New London Community Meal Center in New London, suggests by “friend-raising.”
“You may not have the means, whether financial or physical, to be a volunteer. But you have friends, you have grandchildren, you have other people [in your life], so just spread the word among others and introduce someone else to volunteering and giving to organizations that are helping others,” she said. “I call it friend-raising, and I think the most important thing you can do is not just what you give, but spreading the word and talking about how important it is to you, so others in your circle give as well.”
There are many ways you can support others in your community and there are people just waiting for someone like you to encourage and motivate them to keep pushing forward.
When asked what words of advice he has for others, Father Jacobs shared, “By working together, we can accomplish great things, and at the very least, respond to the needs around us.”
In response to the needs around us, what will you do? How will you share the gifts you have been blessed with to serve and bless others? Who in your community is the next leader in need of your assistance, support, and encouragement to continue moving forward through the obstacles they are currently facing?
In the next couple of weeks, I encourage you to seek out an opportunity to volunteer in your community at a food pantry, soup kitchen, shelter, or other organization that is in need of your assistance. In giving of your time, talents, and gifts to others, you just might find yourself truly transformed.
Kevin L. Booker Jr. is a member of the Connecticut Mirror’s Community Editorial Board.