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How many people talk about changing the world. Some people dream. Some people blow the concept off. They say, “I’m not going to change the world, I am just two hands.” I believe that every little bit helps, every helping hand is a push in the right direction, a step towards a loving world. I am not one who shrugs it off my shoulders to let it wait for someone else to carry the load. I take it upon myself to do anything within my reach to make our earth a bit more accepting. I can not take it in leaps and bounds. Instead I move inch by inch, I work project by project, with a group called The God Squad.
This organization has changed my life, along with all of the people served. Once a month, rain or shine, thirty or so high school students from all over Contra Costa County gather to work together, to make a difference. Each month is a new experience. Every person we help is a different person. Our goal is to make a day brighter, share a load, and lift a heart. Some times the things we do are not drastic. Doing crafts with elderly people is not going to change the world alone. All we can hope for is that our help may plant a seed in the receiver and that they will let the compassion grow inside of them and pass it on to someone else.
So what is it we do? Our work varies from physical labor to spending time with elderly to serving food to the needy. In the past year we have done nine day projects. We have also gone on two summer week-long mission trips; to San Diego Episcopal Charity Services and Head Start Facility, and to Idaho Shoshone Reservation.
Let me lay out for you an average day with God Squad. The alarm goes off at six-thirty. Roll out of bed and throw; yourself, a lunch, and an attitude ready to work together before eight-o-clock comes around. Next, we meet fellow workers at our church, hop in a car, and travel to our destination to meet the rest of the crew. We are given a brief description of the project of the day and off to work we go. We work until lunch time, then take a break to discuss our experiences so far during the day and often a social justice issue connected with our work. After we are done eating it is back to the job. By three in the afternoon we have met our goal and are ready to have a closing. We share Eucharist and with the day complete, head off to home.
Not only do I show up to participate but I also help to coordinate the events. For the past year and a half, I have been part of the planning team. We find projects, contact the organization we plan to volunteer for, schedule out the day, invent program to go along, and insure that things go as planned. I also work as a small group leader. When we split up into different groups to work on different tasks I am in charge of making sure my group stays focused and does what needs to be done. When it comes to discussion time I direct the topic of conversation so that we can truly think about and be grateful for what we are blessed with in life.
We have five more work days scheduled for this school year. Another mission trip is in the planning for this summer. We are hoping to travel to Mississippi to rebuild one of six Episcopal Churches destroyed by this years hurricanes. The God Squad looks to the future and we see an image of hope and opportunity. There are endless possibilities for us and our projects.
I may not be finding a cure to a deadly disease or inventing a machine to save millions of dollars, but I believe that what I do matters. That each time I do something to help someone less fortunate it is a nudge in the right direction. When everyone I know is able to take on this task, the world will truly experience it’s greatest moment. The earth will embrace us and thank us for what we have done for her.
Projects Completed
June--Episcopal Community Services, San Diego-sort clothes for emergency assistance program, work with children in Head Start Center, repair Head Start Classroom building and construct garden outside.
October--Day Care Center, Alameda-clean, paint, and repair facilities.
November-Markham Nature Center, Concord-construct new pathways and distribute mulch in community garden.
December-Monument Crisis Center, Concord-sort and deliver gifts for Adopt-a-Family Program
February-St. Timothy’s, Danville-work with children to make greeting cards, make prayer beads as fund-raiser for tsunami relief
March-Youth Homes, Bay Point and Concord-clean and paint recreational room, plant garden, paint bedrooms
April-Stoneman Village, Pittsburg-wash cars, participate in activities with residents, prepare and serve barbeque
May-Glide Memorial, San Francisco-serve food to guests and make bag lunches for guests to take with them
August-Lillian Vallely Episcopal Indian School, Blackfoot, Idaho-work with children in school setting, organize teacher supplies, help to construct classroom building
October-Rebuilding Together, Berkeley-paint the outside of a run-down senior center
November-St. George’s, Antioch-prepare and serve a Thanksgiving community dinner
December-Monument Crisis Center, Concord-sort Adopt-a-Family gifts, sort food stock, clean and organize facility