Thanks for Giving: a volunteer’s experience

Thanks for Giving: a volunteer’s experience

Thanks for Giving: a volunteer’s experience

Good Shepherd is blessed with wonderful volunteers — and volunteering can also be a blessing, as Catherine Jung’s story of volunteering at Good Shepherd shows. 

My volunteering experience at Good Shepherd Ministries began in high school. I went to volunteer during the school year and had no idea what to expect.

I found that I loved the experience. It made me think. It can be easy to believe that one person can’t make a difference. Volunteering at Good Shepherd made me realize that a single person can have a greater impact than they think. After my first year of university finished and summer began, I wanted to volunteer again.

While volunteering this summer, there were two things that stood out to me. First, I was glad that I got to meet great people while volunteering. Everyone I met was passionate about helping others and passion inspires passion. I found my passion was further kindled by others who shared similar thoughts about giving back to the community.

Second, volunteering at Good Shepherd was a rewarding experience. Getting to see things done firsthand makes everything very real. For example, when you donate canned food it can seem like the cans disappear into a void. When I volunteered I was able to see where the cans went to and who they help. You see who works behind the scenes and how much care and effort goes into making goals a reality.

This Thanksgiving, I hope that we can take a moment to be thankful for what we have. We can think about how we can use what we have today to give back and help others in need. It can be easy to be swept up in one’s daily life. If we broaden our scope of thinking beyond our own circle, we will realize that we can make an impact.

Guests wait for the Thanksgiving meal at Good Shepherd Centre.