Making Something Happen

This past Sunday, when I was volunteering, I was approached by a woman who asked for a moment of my time. She told me she was making a video about the Organic Soup Kitchen and was interested in hearing what inspired me to start volunteering with this organization.

The question threw me off, because I didn't have an answer for her. When I sat down later to think about it, I thought of lots of reasons:

1. I enjoy spending my free time giving back.


2. I enjoy being part of the community.


3. I'm learning new things.


4. I get the satisfaction of seeing hungry people in need get fed.

Counter-intuitively, the items in the list above are based on my own self-interest. This might seem a little strange, because people volunteering at a soup kitchen feeding the homeless aren't supposed to be doing so for selfish reasons. But there's no getting around it: a large part of what draws me there week after week is the mere fact that I enjoy doing it.

However, the most important reason I'm there helping each week has nothing to do with me. Here it is:

Anthony Carroccio is making something happen.

He woke up and decided just to start feeding the community. He didn't ask for permission. He didn't organize a committee and sit around discussing how to do it. He just started running. And he's still running, leading his tribe of volunteers and feeding hundreds of people each week in the process.

Anthony's hoping to spread change for the better, and the way that he's doing it is something that we all need to pay attention to: he's taking action.

I find it tough to sit by and not contribute to that kind of raw initiative. Especially when it's aimed at changing people's lives for the better.