Profile of a Volunteer

My husband and I’s philosophy in life is that God has created us to be of help to people around us in one way or the other and this is also what we are telling our children. This is part of what have been pushing me to see how I can have positive impact in the lives of the people around me. What came to my mind for this assignment was the time my husband and I volunteered other members in our church to sleep in a parking lot of a mall inside cardboard boxes, to raise money for a particular member’s family that are in a refugee camp in order to come to Canada. Sleeping on the street overnight made us to appreciate the grace of God in our lives by providing house for us to live. I later understood that it was a privilege not a right for us to have somewhere to sleep.  We were biting by mosquito, beaten by rain, exposed to cold and also the noise of the vehicle passing was something else. It was a great experience to know what the homeless people are passing through. Our aim is to inspire and motivate all those around us so that together we can generate positive change in the thoughts and actions of others. This actually encouraged others because they didn’t believe we could sleep on the street for the cause. They came around to join us to pain a building also to raise money which was as a result of the step we first took.

I was able to understand that if we don’t make a move to advocate for a cause, it would be very difficult for us to make changes in the lives others. When other people see what we are doing and the effort we are putting to make changes, I believe they would be motivated to join us. I really appreciate it at the end of the day to experience what it is for somebody to be sleeping on the street. As an advocate we have to be passionate about making changes in the lives of others in order to have effective advocacy. It’s what drives us to do what we are expected to do.

Not everyone today believes in the possibility of changing the world. Many people are beaten down by life and its injustices. We as young people live in the present but think of the future. We do not feel weighed down by the past or pre-occupied by the uncertainties of the future. We believe in building a more just, responsible and equal society as we feel it is the responsibility of each and every person.