How Volunteering Can Impact a Life
Without volunteers, CAFE 180 wouldn’t be possible.
As a nonprofit restaurant feeding everyone, including people who can’t pay, keeping costs down is crucial. Our small staff depends on volunteers to help with the day-to-day tasks of operating a busy commercial kitchen.
Recently, long-time volunteer Luke shared about his experiences regularly helping us out at the cafe. What did he learn?
He learned more about himself. “I learned that my actions and how I choose to direct them are powerful. This realization has helped me grow as an individual and better recognize how to put my actions to better use,” he said. “As a regular volunteer, I was directly impacting members in my community with my service, building meaningful relationships, and making a visible change I was proud to be a part of.
He learned more about others. “It is easy to judge someone by their appearance without even knowing them. CAFE 180 has created an environment that removes judgment. It becomes easier to empathize with people and connect to their human experience,’ Luke said.
He connected with the idea of “Full Belly, Fully Heart.” “As someone who has experienced food insecurity before...the work CAFE 180 does is personal for me. Being able to provide quality food to people helps them walk away with a smile on their face and a positive outlook on the day, while giving a sense of fulfillment to those who helped make that meal possible.”
He learned to accept it all. “The reality of volunteering at CAFE 180 is that no day is the same. There are good days and there are bad ones, but no matter what, everything comes together in the end,” he said. “The key is to realize that for every bad day you have, many of the people coming in to get a meal are having a worse day and the service CAFE 180 provides is the best part of their day.”
We are so grateful to Luke for the four years he spent regularly volunteering with us at CAFE 180. He recently graduated from University of Denver, and we’re excited to see how far he’ll go.
You can help CAFE 180 by volunteering for a 2.5 hour shift. Sign up today!
