Three Cheers for Volunteers

Today's Wonder of the World is...Volunteering!

Flickr photo by ssoosay
You folks do so many good things for the communities in which you live--and beyond!
Let's celebrate that volunteer spirit today, okey doke?

A couple weeks ago I mentioned my Meals on Wheels Wednesdays, and a few friends asked me to share more about that. So I thought I'd take you with me and show you around, WITH ONE CONDITION: I'll tell you about Meals on Wheels if you'll share the cool things you do where you live.
No fair keeping quiet! Tell me about the work you do volunteering in schools, in your neighborhood, in faith communities, in the world of politics, on mission trips, et cetera. Pretty please? Otherwise I'll feel like I'm tooting my own horn. We all need inspiration, not to mention ideas of new things to try!

So here's where I go every other Wednesday morning.

It's the Meals on Wheels office for Greenville County. This organization provides hot meals daily for over 1500 homebound neighbors, free of charge.
It takes over 2500 volunteers to participate.
Some work in the kitchen, preparing and packing the meals.

Not me! I just show up and deliver the fruit of everyone else's labor. I get to play Santa Claus, giving away food for free! And I get a chance to get to know some amazing people. I've had the same route for several years now and love my clients dearly.

Anyway, back to my day...
We load up my cooler


And I get their milk and juice. (Forgive my blurry photos. I must start laying off the coffee in the morning!)


And I pick up the donated bread and treats. Notice the sign: Bread is for Clients Only. It looks really good!


Then I head off for the west side of town. My route is in one of Greenville's old textile mill villages. Our town used to be known as The Textile Jewel of the South, but most of the mills closed their doors at least twenty years ago, leaving the villages to slowly decompose.
I want to protect my clients' privacy so I won't share their sweet faces, but I'd love to show you around the neighborhood.

These are typical mill houses. There's so much history here!
There are a couple of trailer parks too.

And lots and lots of cats.

See them waiting for me? We deliver donated pet food along with the people food. The kitties see me and come running!
By the way, a local spay and neuter program is beginning to work in the community as well, offering their services for free.

I wish you could meet my clients. They're funny and sweet and very tough people. They need the food Meals on Wheels provides, but they also need the human interaction, the hugs, and the conversation. Several of them have no family left and spend their days completely alone. They break my heart and lift my spirit, all at the same time.

Plus, they're just so interesting!
Look what one of my clients carries around in his pocket!

A family of monkeys his daddy carved out of peach pits years ago!

I love their sense of humor.
See?

In case you can't read it, that unreachable mailbox is labeled Bills.

So there it is, my Meals on Wheels route.
Now it's your turn. What volunteer jobs do you enjoy most? What would you like to try? I'd love to hear about it!

Have a super weekend, everyone! I'll be taking a little blogging break next week, but hopefully I'll have a chance to drop by your place and say hi!
Love, Becky