Many Stories, One Mission

Our 14,000 annual volunteers come to God’s Love from different backgrounds and for different reasons. It’s an amazingly dedicated group, some volunteering for decades! We asked and here’s what a few of our volunteers had to say about why they do what they do:

Donovan Watt: Volunteer since 2017, 16 hours

“I always feel the need to help people who are less able to fend for themselves. My partner passed away in December 2016 of heart disease. I decided to continue supporting charitable organizations in his memory, whether by donating or volunteering my labor. This was when I found out about God’s Love We Deliver. Sometimes it’s hard to get up early mornings, but I think about the people who I will make happy, and the fact that if I don’t turn up to help, others might possibly not turn up either. I feel happy and blessed to be here. It’s all about giving and treating others the way I’d like to be treated if I’m in their position.”

Ilda Teran: Volunteer since 2007, 1,323 hours

“My daughter was just 28 years old when she passed away from esophageal cancer. The diagnosis was a shock – she had never smoked nor drank, and when she died, I was devastated. My heart was breaking, and I didn’t know what to do or where to go. Someone suggested that I start giving back – it would give me something to do and distract me from my grief. I started volunteering at God’s Love and right away I realized what I needed: a family. And that’s what my Thursday night group and all my other shifts have become. God’s Love has helped keep me going through the pain but also has brought me so much joy over the years. I come to God’s Love, rain or shine, no matter what. The love I have for my daughter carries on through the love I give to my work at God’s Love. I am with wonderful people, and I am showing the clients that I care.”

Leila Mae Makdissi: Volunteer since 2014, 683 hours

“My first husband, Howie Hershey, died of AIDS and was a chef. I remember the struggle to get him to eat at the end of his days and realizing that his lack of any interest in food was a sign that he was turning away from life. Nourishing others in need of healing was what I wanted to do. I finally made the move in 2014 and became a volunteer at God’s Love. I love my shifts and I look forward to them. I enjoy the work and the friends I have made. At the end of my shift, I feel good knowing I have accomplished something not related to making my living, that benefits people that I do not know personally. I love that this work contributes to the general welfare of people most in need, and I’m doing something that I enjoy at the same time! I have recommended God’s Love to a friend taking care of someone who was dying of cancer. My friend was so impressed by the compassion that God’s Love brings to everything.