Volunteer Spotlight: Carina

This post is from Carina, who is a high school intern at St. Anthony Foundation’s Free Clothing Program:

I remember coming to St. Anthony Foundation’s Free Clothing Program when I was about twelve years old with my mom. It was a nice experience to see the staff and volunteers help others in need. My family and I are not homeless, but we are a low-income family. Getting the services here at St. Anthony’s really helped my family and me keep our heads up and move forward with our lives to better ourselves. When my mom would get me an outfit from the Free Clothing Program and she would show it to me, I would get so happy and would wear it as soon as I got it. The look on my mom’s face would be of great happiness because we could not afford designer clothing and she was happy that I was happy with what she had gotten for me.  See, St. Anthony’s does help change lives; my family and I live in a stable home, but we are still low-income, and we still receive services from many non-profit organizations that help others.

Now I am 19 years old and I am currently a high school intern at St. Anthony’s Free Clothing Program; I work with guests, processing donations, and with program planning. That’s great, right? Right!! I am so happy to see the other side of St. Anthony’s Free Clothing Program. Throughout my time here, I am excited to say that I am happy I am volunteering here! I LOVE seeing the faces on the families I have served, just like the smiles my family had when we received services from St. Anthony’s.  When I was given the opportunity to intern here, I was thinking to myself, “I get to give back to the community that helped my family and me get back on our feet, to better ourselves, and to keep moving forward.  Now, I have that chance to help others get back on their feet, better them, and move forward.”  Now, I know what it is like to be a staff and have families asking you questions like: “Can you find this, in this size?” or “Do you have this?” or “Please, check the back for me.” Honestly, I am proud that I have been volunteering here at St. Anthony’s Foundation Free Clothing Program. It is so different, but at the same time so alike to be on the side of receiving services and giving services, because you still have that huge smile on your face; you see a change happening right in front of you, or you are making the change.

When I told my mom that I was going to start volunteering at St. Anthony’s Free Clothing Program, she was really happy. She told me “Hija, Dios nos brindo la ayuda de ellos y ahora Dios les está brindando de tu ayuda a ellos … Eso es la Buena Karma.” This means, “My Daughter, God gave us their help and now God is giving them your help … That’s Good Karma.”  When I came home from my Orientation/training day, she asked me how my day went.  I told her “It was great, Mom, I love it there.  I feel at home volunteering.” She asked me if Marcellus was still working at the Free Clothing Program. I told her “Yes, Mom, he still works there, he is a nice person.” And she told me, “El es bien nice, el fue el que me ayudaba mucho a mi cuando necesitaba de su ayuda.” This means, “Yes he is, he is such a sweetheart, and he would help me when I needed his help.”

I am grateful to have this opportunity to give back to the community that gave my family and me so much! I am happy to be here and help others the way I was helped. I know the joy and happiness one feels when they receive help from someone else.