What Brings People to Serve

Three volunteers share their paths to St. Anthony’s. 

April 7, 2026

Ask a volunteer why they give their time at St. Anthony’s, and the answers are as diverse as the help they provide. 

Brooke Barry needed to connect. A recent transplant to San Francisco, she missed the sense of community and purpose she felt volunteering in Los Angeles. No longer a stranger, these days she starts every week at 6:30 a.m. in the St. Anthony’s dining room, lending a hand before rushing off to work at UCSF, where she is a neuroscientist. 

Barry Schmell believes that people want to volunteer in their communities, but it can be hard to find the right fit. His organization, Gay For Good, provides a helpful portal for LGBTQ locals to connect with the causes they care about and build allyship within our diverse San Francisco communities. 

Kyln Lam, a public health undergraduate at USF, volunteers in St. Anthony’s medical clinic, where she is gaining hands-on experience while supporting compassionate care for guests. 

Their paths to St. Anthony’s are very different, but each has found the same thing: a place where their time, talents, and compassion matter. 

“This is the best way to start my week,” says Brooke. As a child, she watched her father treat everyone at the shelter where he worked with dignity and respect—an example that stayed with her. 

At St. Anthony’s, Brooke carries that same spirit into the dining room. Whether she’s greeting guests at the door or carrying trays of healthy food, she always takes time to offer a friendly word. “Sometimes it’s just that smile of recognition—that someone cares, that someone feels seen,” she says. “It’s so important and such a key part of emotional health.” 

St. Anthony’s holistic approach to service carries a lot of weight for Brooke. “The community meals, the free clothing, the hygiene hub—these are the essentials people need so they can move ahead to rebuilding their lives.” 

The logistics of delivering those essentials is a different matter, however—and that’s where Barry Schmell and his team from Gay For Good come in. “People find us through our portal, and we match their interests and availability with St. Anthony’s needs. Sometimes it’s handing out backpacks for schoolkids; other times we’re serving meals—in the hundreds.” 

Working with Jaclyn Epter, St. Anthony’s Volunteer Services Coordinator, Gay For Good is also exploring new ways to deploy volunteers after hours. 

“It’s important for me to give back to my community,” says Barry, noting that the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam—repairing the world—underpins his sense of social responsibility. “I’ve been fortunate,” he adds, and says he strives to bring others in his community to help “make the world a better place, little by little.” 

Volunteering at St. Anthony’s medical clinic has both challenged and changed Kyln Lam. Every Friday she adds her energy and passion to the different health programs that support patient wellness. 

Kyln, clinic staff member Jaime Martinez, and patients in the Diabetes Walking Group hit the pavement weekly for a few hours of healthy walking—sometimes down to the Ferry Building, other times uphill to California Street. The walkers are motivated by checking their blood sugar levels before and after, with big smiles when the numbers show a drop after the walk. 

The clinic’s Strength Training classes help patients maintain muscle mass, bone density, balance, and independence—something Kyln understands well. 

“I’m a caregiver at home for my grandfather, who has diabetes, and for my elder uncle,” she says. “So I know how important it is to meet people where they’re at and offer help and understanding toward better safety and health.” She adds, “At the clinic, I’m often seeing people at their most vulnerable, and I try to make their experience as stress-free and comfortable as possible.” 

Noting that she used to be more reserved, Kyln now finds herself chatting easily with patients to create an atmosphere of trust and healing. “I’ve really come out of my shell over these past ten months,” she says. “I was nervous and kept my head down when I first started as a volunteer. But now I reach out and really try to connect with people.” Kyln’s approach is whole-person care in action, an important aspect of the public health policies she is studying at USF.  

Brooke, Barry, and Kyln seldom cross paths at St. Anthony’s. But Volunteer Services Coordinator Jaclyn Epter knows exactly where they are—and how important they are to the services St. Anthony’s provides. 

“Volunteers are critical to the success of our work at St. Anthony’s,” she says. “We would not be able to serve more than 14,000 guests without their time, presence, and dedication. Our volunteers don’t just help with tasks—they help make St. Anthony’s the warm and familiar space that it is.” For Jaclyn, the best part of her job is the daily reminder that people truly care about one another—and are willing to show up and help however they can. 

Brooke, Barry, and Kyln each came to St. Anthony’s for their own reasons. But like so many volunteers, they bring something more than their time or skills. They bring dedication, compassion, and a shared belief that small acts of service can help a community—and the people within it—thrive. 

Volunteers at St. Anthony’s are as diverse as the work they do. From students and seniors to corporate early birds in the dining room and night owls at events, there is a place for every set of hands and an invitation to share in the spirit of uplifting our neighbors, our communities and ourselves. For more information, visit https://www.stanthonysf.org/volunteer