By Mary Welander
State Rep., D-114
Mary Welander
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15 will mark both the actual birthday and the holiday that commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To honor his commitment and belief of the importance of service to others, this day is also seen as a National Day of Service.
With so many of us living lives that just seem to get busier and busier, and so much emphasis on ‘going big,’ it can feel almost impossible to volunteer or give back in a way that will actually make a difference. I know that I have felt that way. It can be hard to remember that many small actions can lead to big results – that together we can ‘crowdsource’ community service and help in ways that fit both our schedules and our resources.
I was reminded of that on Friday, Jan. 5 when I joined a handful of colleagues at Amazing Grace, a food pantry in Middletown, in honor of the memory of our friend and my mentor, Rep. Quentin Williams.
For two hours the seven of us helped organize shelves, check best-by dates, break down boxes and prepare the space for the day ahead. Nothing fancy; we just took care of simple tasks for a combined 14 hours of work that crossed off a bunch of tasks on the staff’s to-do list and helped people in the process.
One of my favorite things about serving on the Orange Board of Education, besides the people, was the motto: Together we will make a difference. This intention is applicable to all parts of our town. Perhaps the Historical Society needs help at the Bryan-Andrew House, or the Country Fair Committee is looking for volunteers, or the Food Bank needs support. We are fortunate to have many wonderful groups and organizations that help make Orange such a special place. Reach out to one and see if they have a project day coming up, or a task that you and your family can help with for a couple of hours. Houses of worship are also a great resource for options.
If your schedule is flexible or hard to predict, there is a terrific organization called Haven’s Harvest that works to reduce food waste. Volunteers do “rescue runs” to pick up excess food from local businesses that would otherwise be thrown out. One of the best parts: it’s all done through an app on your phone. You can sign up and just check if runs are needed when you have time, or get alerts for one-time or recurring weekly rescues. For more information, visit havensharvest.org.
King also said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” That is a lovely way of framing how every deliberate act of service can help our neighbors and our community and make the world a little bit better.