Compassion bring us together

Compassion is like a garden; it starts with a seed. Something small, a smile at a stranger, a “good morning” or a little conversation with somebody. All these things may seem insignificant, but compassion is contagious. That one smile inspired somebody to be kinder to another; compassion grows and inspires more people. One seed turns into an entire garden.

When the pandemic started in 2020, I was 8 years old. My family made the decision for me to be homeschooled. A large part of my homeschooling was learning about compassion for others through volunteering. After that year was over, I went back to public school. I remember not wanting to go back to school because I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do the amount of volunteering I had been doing before.

My homeschool year focused on the community garden at St. John the Evangelist, Port Hope. I was there for all of it, from the planning to the building to the planting and finally the harvesting. The pandemic was a very hard time for so many people, and we tried to put a little good into the world. The community garden was the first volunteer effort I had done through our church. After that, we all created a community dinner and now a community café, all centred around compassion.

My favorite part about the garden is when we bring food down to the food bank, seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they get fresh produce. Sometimes what seems like a small thing can be a big deal for so many people. Compassion is a learned skill. I have learned to be compassionate over my years of volunteering at St. John’s. You never know what other people are going through, the silent battles they’re fighting. Most people struggling with food insecurity don’t look any different from me. Before I went to the food bank, I admit, I had some preconceived notions about who used it. What I learned was that a lot of different people, from many walks of life, need the food bank. I saw young, middle-aged and elderly people who relied on it. This solidified the importance of the food bank for me. To be truly compassionate, you first have to be educated about the people you’re trying to help and recognize that anyone could end up in need. This allows you to be truly empathetic.

I believe food is something that brings us together. We all need nourishment – no one is above it. When you sit down and eat together, it’s a way of saying we are equal. I’ve helped package food for people who can’t make it to the community dinners. I have helped people with mobility issues get food. Recently, I spent the day on Christmas Eve and on New Year’s Eve helping to prepare food at the church’s Emmaus Cafe. I got to sit down and talk to an elderly woman who had nowhere to go for Christmas. I was later told how much it had meant to her that I’d sat with her. A small effort from me made her holidays that little bit better. It doesn’t matter who you are – when we eat together, we create community.

The reward for volunteering is getting to meet new people, having new experiences and putting a little more compassion into the world. While volunteering at St. John’s, I’ve met some of the most incredible people whom I wouldn’t have met otherwise, just by showing a little compassion for my community. That’s something really learned, leading by example. I have met most of my closest friends through my volunteering. These people have inspired me to be kinder to others, to show compassion even when it’s hard and to help not just when asked, but to look for opportunities to be helpful.

I’ve been volunteering at the church almost half my life, and I can’t imagine my life without it. It’s not always the easiest, and to be honest it’s not always fun, but it’s always rewarding. Getting to be part of something bigger than myself is such a gift. I’ve gotten to help with multiple food programs in Port Hope since the year we built the garden. I’ve spent every single summer working and helping out there since, helping to grow not just food, but, hopefully, a more compassionate community as well.