I am a parishioner at Our Lady of the Assumption in Brookhaven where there is a very active, vibrant SVDP ministry so I was aware of some of the work they were doing. The mission of SVDP really resonated with me as well. At the beginning of 2020, our pastor challenged each person to create "20 in 20" where we would do 20 acts of our choosing that bettered ourselves and our community. I decided to make SVDP my vehicle and to donate my time and effort to it. I started with the sorting and creating of the food packages but then decided to try delivering the food to residences and really liked it. I am still doing that. My husband does it with me as well. My favorite part about volunteering is that the pick-up is so fast and easy - everything is sorted and organized so we can just load the boxes in the car, get our sheet of deliveries (already in the correct driving order) and go! I also like seeing the folks SVDP is helping and saying hello and wishing them well. They are so happy to see us too! I keep coming back to volunteer because there is such a great need for food in our community - families, children, young adults, seniors - people all across the spectrum. Creating longer-term solutions is complex and will take time but in the meanwhile, we can help people with their immediate needs. After one of our deliveries, as we were leaving, the recipient said "You don't know how much this means to me - today I will eat." After a different delivery, the recipient created a rose for us out of aluminum foil as a thank you - I kept it as a reminder that everyone has talents, is worthy of respect, and makes contributions to the world. It is a blessing to be of help to others.
(Source: St. Vincent de Paul Georgian Changing Lives e-publication.)
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