One of the benefits of being an older college student is a deeper appreciation you get from the new experiences that you may have taken for granted as a fresh-faced teenager. Having taken time off from school before my second-go-round, I was in the workforce for several years and dealt with the hardships of making ends meet as I began work at an entry-level position with little experience and no degree. So, as I entered my final semester of school at Eastern Michigan University, my Communication Capstone class offered all of us the chance to volunteer at a non-profit organization in our community and assist in a communication-related role. I had previously heard about Friends In Deed through my professor and remembered a friend telling me how he had dropped a couch off at FID and what a cool mission they were serving in the community.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first showed up at FID, but I soon learned that they do far more than just accept donated furniture. I was told all about the Circles program, and I could tell from everybody’s voices just how proud they were of the work they had been doing. Circles is a really neat program that goes above and beyond the typical charitable work of donating money or a few hours here and there. The fact that real, genuine time is being spent by people from all walks of life to help neighbors and fellow community members was really inspiring. And then I started talking to volunteers to profile them and that opened my eyes even more.
The quality of people involved with FID is second to none. In the roughly ten weeks or so that I’ve been profiling FID volunteers, I have been so impressed with how dedicated the people are and how truly thrilled they are to be doing the work they’re doing. I could see it in people’s eyes, hear it in their voices, and even in an exchange over e-mail I could sense the passion in reading their typed words. All the people I spoke with truly believed in the work they were doing and the difference it was making. From an eighteen-month commitment for Circles allies to the weekly dinners at St. Luke’s, this was so much more than writing a check every few months. These people put forth their time and energy to help less fortunate members of their community. They sat with them and talked, mentored, cried, hugged, and, most importantly, listened. Every person I talked to stressed that they learned so much about poverty, about their community and themselves by hearing the stories of those less fortunate.
As I wrap up my college career and re-enter myself into the workforce, I consider myself lucky to have met the people I have met through FID and Circles the last few weeks. I’ve talked with my wife about the two of us spending more time volunteering, as her company has excellent partnerships with organizations in the community. While I just got a small look at the work FID and Circles do, I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to speak candidly with so many fantastic people. In a time when people in our country seem pitted against each other at every turn, it’s been really refreshing to witness such kindness and compassion from people right here in my own community.