Though schedule seemed to conflict, I was able to make it to CCSC this past Saturday to volunteer. CCSC stands for Christian Community Service Center, and our Pathways Church has been volunteering every second Saturday of the month.
As I chewed on my turkey sandwich, I was trying to think of what to share, I realized that this past Saturday was very special for me. It was my first time to serve as an interviewer!! :O You see, CCSC has a building near our church where they open up to help out those who are in need of financial, food, and clothing help. Families, who may have been stricken with some kind of tough situation, like losing a job, and needed some food to get by, or help with paying rent or bills come to seek help here.
It’s a great place. I’ve been serving here mainly in pantry and administration side of things for past year, but never had the opportunity (or even dreamed of) to serve as an interviewer! So needless to say, I was very surprised when Ruth, the head honcho Korean-American lady that runs the place on that Saturday, asked me to interview!! I panicked! What if I miss questions, what if I forget to include something… what if I… but most importantly, what if I ask or say something stupid to offend these people who are in need! The last thing they need is to be offended by my saying something totally insensitive! 🙁
I watched another interviewer in action for a while and then Ruth asked me to interview this one man who needs to leave soon for an interview! So trying not to look too nervous, I asked him to come in. Shook hands and introduced myself. Told him I was a total newbie at this and apologized in advance of my mistakes and any other shortcomings. This man had things going… his occupation was an accountant but lost job due to illness and was always looking for contract work inbetween. He told me himself that he gets very sensitive and proud. This told me that he probably didn’t want to be here, if at all possible. And his record showed just that. His visits were sporadic, and due to an illness that I can’t mention, things were going rough for him.
This is when I told myself to look beyond the appearance and the voice of this man. This man is in need of help, I told myself. He doesn’t need me to criticize him on his personal skills, but for me to just be kind and courteous and get him through the paper work so he can grab some food for himself and leave in time for his interview. Prior to this experience, it was hard to really get a face-to-face time with these people in need, and thus made feel more and more segregated… and left me feeling… different from them. This interview process totally changed that.
I wanted to make God proud of me, just as any human tends to try to get his/her parents proud of him/her. So I put my opinions aside and just helped. I hope to be able to serve as an interviewer more often… a bit selfish on my part… so that I can connect with these people in need better… and closer. It was a good day.