Participating in outreach projects is rewarding. The life stories of those you reach out to can resonate deeply, serving as a reminder of your own fortunate circumstances and often excessive complaints about your privileged situation.

Someone mentioned to me recently that a balanced life includes accepting that you can’t control everything, getting some exercise, eating well, practicing self-care, and doing some volunteer work, whether it’s at an animal shelter, church, or a nearby nonprofit. I totally agree with this! Volunteering and helping others is definitely a key part of a well-rounded and fulfilling life.

Outreach activities have a unique impact. When you connect with people in need, something changes within you. You learn to listen attentively without feeling the need to offer advice because sometimes, these individuals just need someone to listen. It’s not always about providing help (or so I thought).

There was an outreach project held in our community to give food parcels to people who guard your car in the parking lot while you visit the shopping center. These car guards rely on low-income tips from car owners to guard their cars while they are away. The tips range from cents to any amount preferred by the owner. Their daily income is based on how much the car owner wants to give for the service of guarding their car, but the owner can decline their service as well.

Some of these car guards live in homeless communities with temporary housing. Some of them can’t even afford to pay for electricity, which leads them to heat water over a fire to wash themselves or cook their food. Imagine how cold it is in the winter months.

With the outreach project held in our community for the car guards, one of the ladies mentioned that once people reach out to them, they do not follow through. In other words, they bring a food parcel, for example, and then you do not see these people ever again. The lady said that sometimes they, as car guards, need the people who do the outreach to come back, follow up on how things are going, see whether they need any more help, and just take the time to show love by listening and caring.

This made me think, are we doing outreach projects the wrong way? Should an outreach project be something where you choose one specific place or group of people to reach out to and then be involved with that group, instead of doing numerous outreach projects by only donating? Should we invest more time rather than just doing a one-time outreach once per year?

The Need

The lady who told us about people reaching out to them but not following up again mentioned that her mother is in need of a wheelchair. Her mother can’t move properly because she needs knee replacement surgery. She asked if someone could help with a wheelchair and then went on to explain that she is raising her children as a single parent because her husband passed away a few months ago. She emphasized that this is the real need they have — assistance with things they struggle with because financially, they can’t afford items like a wheelchair if they struggle to even buy electricity.

They need people who can assist them in finding others who might be able to help with their needs. It’s not just about food or clothes; they also require items like a wheelchair for a family member who lives with them.

Time

I’m wondering why people don’t invest more. Is it that they don’t want to give their time or effort? Listen, we all have the same amount of time per day, and most of us prioritize that time based on what’s important to us. So why isn’t it important to invest in people’s lives? I understand that people want to empower others by teaching them skills for better jobs, but in reality, there are low-income jobs like car guards, fast food chains, delivery services, etc. Despite having skills, these workers are paid very little or rely on tips. They don’t need empowerment; they need our help and time. They need those of us with networks and connections to assist them with the help they desperately need.