Giving Back

Maybe it's the fact that I am African American, or maybe I was just raised this way, but I feel that giving back is a major part of who we all should be. No matter how much you have, you must remember that someone will always have less than you.
In my life, both of my parents grew up with siblings and not much money. Sure, they were taken care of, but some days were a struggle. Everything they have today comes from things they have done themselves and people who have helped them along the way. Whether it was a teacher who believed in them, or a coach who saw their potential, someone new that they could make it and decided to help.
So, today when I look around and see people who are less fortunate, I feel compelled to help them. I know that just because you have a  house doesn't make you safe. Just because you ate yesterday doesn't mean you aren't malnourished. I think about the people who go to shelters and soup kitchens and know that, had the tables turned, that man or woman could have been my mother or father.
Sometimes, I even think back far enough to the Middle Passage and know that, had it not been for the strength of an African whose name I will never know, I would not be here today.

Yesterday, I went to the community food bank. I worked three hours, standing, shucking corn. It may not sound like a lot of time, but it was enough time for me to really understand that every ear I shucked and packaged was destined to be a blessing for someone else. And that really stuck with me.



My goal is to attain 100 volunteer hours at the food bank before applying to college. In those hundred hours, I do believe I will be able to feel the difference I make, passing through my hands and into the hands of others.

Everything you touch while you are here will be a blessing and a benefit to someone else ~Sheila Burks