Volunteer Stories

A Little Chaos, A Lot of Love

The day to day at CYO is always a bit chaotic. I have definitely grown in flexibility and patience in my time here and am always being challenged to try new things outside of my comfort zone. My tasks usually include employment services, helping teach citizenship classes, accompanying clients to the DMV, and coordinating and…


Stepping Into Joseph’s Shoes

The most consistent part of a day at Joseph’s House for Women is singing “Baby Shark” at least once (or five times) a day. No two days look the same at Joseph’s House, and there is beauty in that. I think a day at Joseph’s House can best be compared to Joseph trying to get…


Support, Relationships, and Balance

During my typical work day, I start by getting the pantry set up and opening at 8:45am. I’ll check clients in and fill orders until 11 when the pantry closes and I’ll switch gears to getting the soup kitchen window ready. From 11:30-1pm, volunteers serve at the soup kitchen and I float around doing dishes,…


A “Lightbulb” Moment

I vividly remember the first time I first heard of FrancisCorps. I was sitting at my library one fall Thursday night back at Hope College, my Alma Mater when I decided to take a short break and browse my Instagram. Once there, I saw the “story” of my friend Elena Northuis, who was doing FrancisCorps…


Beautiful Simplicity

I waited almost a complete year to begin my FrancisCorps experience. I officially committed to FrancisCorps in October 2020, and now here I am in the midst of an experience I waited so long to arrive. However, as the day came closer to arrive to Syracuse, I felt like the enemy began to fill my…


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