This morning, I joined dozens of other volunteers at the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose. Working side by side with 20 people on a conveyor line, we filled boxes of vegetables. In 3 hours, our mighty team collectively packed over 900 boxes of 25 lbs of fresh vegetables to be distributed to people who are food insecure and without enough to eat. There are hundreds of volunteers each day at Second Harvest who help bring food to their clients in need. Their operation is amazing. I am in awe of what they do every day, year after year. The volunteers are all ages, backgrounds, and represent the diverse community in which we live. Individuals coming together for a common purpose to do good.
I don’t live in a third world country or a remote poor rural community. I live in Silicon Valley and see firsthand the disparities that exist in this area. Reading headlines about hunger in our area, I often feel hopeless and overwhelmed. I know I can’t solve these enormous problems, but I can do something. Everyone can do something—big or small every day to make life better.
There are as many ways to change the world as there are individuals to affect a change—with money, actions, time, and our unique talents. From large bold actions, modest donations to a cause we believe in, or giving our time by volunteering to do hands-on work in our community. They all add up and make a difference. I was only one person on that line, but together with 19 other volunteers, we filled up 900 food boxes. I came home tired, but hope filled my heart.
Take action. If you want to bring more hope back into your life, do one small thing this week to make the world better. My blog post about being a World Changer may nudge you to action. I hope so. We need more positive actions in the world today. As my mother used to say, “Many hands make light work.”
