Service begins at home

A few days ago in a meeting at the SPFB, someone challenged us to remember why we work and/or volunteer at the food bank. I think this is a great exercise for multiple reasons. Mainly, I think we get caught up in the job and forget why we are doing the job. It's easy to look at numbers and forget the faces of the clients we serve. 

I saw the above quote, "Service begins at home", and remembered exactly why I work at the food bank. It all started at home. My mom taught me a lot of things and in all those things she taught how to achieve a life well lived. She didn't simply talk about it -- she did it. I remember her telling me how important it was to treat everyone the same -- from the cleaning crew to the CEO -- and did just that. She served. She served her community, her family and her church. More importantly, she brought my brother and I along to serve. It's one thing to give your time and money to give others a hand up but it's quite another to pass that on to the next generation. By handing down those same values, we ensure that the legacy of service is continued long after we are gone. 

I was blessed to not worry about my next meal or if I was going to have a place to sleep at night. It is because I was blessed and given so many opportunities that I am passionate about helping others have those same opportunities. And because I was shown, firsthand, to believe that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed.