I was fortunate enough to spend the last few days participating in a volunteer service project in northeast Philadelphia (tagging along with members of the Valley Grace Brethren Church of Hagerstown, MD).  This was my second “tour” with the men of Valley Grace, and we were again assisting the Urban Hope Training Center and Community Church, which is located in one of the poorest and crime-ridden sections of Philly (you can read about my first adventure with Valley Grace here).

To say that life is hard for the folks who live and work in these neighborhoods is an understatement.  We were told that the average annual income for families in the surrounding neighborhood was just $14,000 (for a family of four).  That’s less than $270 dollars a week.  Think for a moment of how your own family requirements of housing, utilities, food, and transportation would handle that as a budget. 

These city blocks are barren of community services.  There are no supermarkets.  There are no shopping centers.  There are no emergency clinics.  Heck, there isn’t even grass or trees, for that matter.  It is a harsh and unforgiving urban landscape, where commerce is done from the back of parked vehicles or tiny, corner convenience stores – on streets where potholes large enough to fall into and disappear from street view (literally) are commonplace.

It’s a tough place to grow up.  The Urban Hope Center offers a refuge for local families – especially the kids of the neighborhood.  A place where these young people can safely gather to play ball, share laughs with friends, or do something completely new, like going roller skating (a trip they got to experience on one of the nights we were there).  It takes a dedicated staff with big hearts to minister to the members of these communities, and the less-than-perfect facilities they inherit, buy, or acquire need lots of TLC in maintenance, remodeling, and upkeep.

That’s where volunteers (like the team from Valley Grace) come in.  They provide manpower, time, and plain, old-fashioned elbow grease, working to repair and maintain these facilities so that Urban Hope can continue to service their community.  Our focus for the weekend was drywall.  We replaced sections of ceilings in apartments that had been damaged by water, worked on converted bathroom spaces in an annex building, and even replaced a wall in their gym/community center.  Our team picked up from where the previous team (from a previous weekend) had left off, and another team (on a future weekend) will pick up where we finished when we departed.  Over the course of many weekends, progress is steadily made.

This is just one of the many types of community service projects that are needed (and available) all over the country.  You can find them in your own local neighborhoods, or even travel to nearby metropolitan areas to assist in their projects.  While each of these opportunities is different, they all share a common thread – they desperately need volunteers who can commit their time and effort to help.  Whether it’s a few hours a month at a local food bank, animal shelter, church-based outreach project, or homeless shelter  – there is always a need for capable people to lend a hand.

Check your local newspaper or consult the internet for organizations looking for volunteers in your area, choose one that interests you, give them a call, and ask if you can offer assistance.  I can guarantee it’s worth the time and effort.

In a political and social culture that promotes “winning at all costs”, self-gratification, and isolationist behavior, the world certainly could use a little bit more charity, brotherhood, and good will.

Get out of your comfort zone and promote the latter.       

To learn more about Urban Hope and the work they are doing in Philadelphia, visit their website at www.urbanhope.net.