Volunteering from the Heart

Gloria Leonard

Superstar Volunteer, The Bowery Mission

My Connection to the Mission: I’ve been volunteering at The Bowery Mission since 2007-2008. Initially, I got involved with Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. We have a ministry called The New Hope Ministry, where we go to different shelters and do bible studies. Since COVID, another sister and I kept volunteering in our personal time, because it’s what we enjoy doing. We do it from our heart.

What Motivated You: I've been an EMT with the fire department for 30+ years, so my job never stopped. I knew that if I could go to work, I could still volunteer. Last year around March, before things got really crazy, I got sick and had to stop for a three-week period. But God brought me through it and I jumped back in. He gives me the strength while I need it, while I'm out there. Because when I go home to my bed I crash!

Why I Love Volunteering: These are folks who are kind-of forgotten. I’ll see someone on the street or in the subways, and I feel like God has given me a heart to talk to them, just to see how they’re doing. “Are you hungry?” “Can I get you something?” And we all can be in that situation, as we’ve seen with the pandemic. It seems like certain people are coming to The Bowery Mission now who we never expected to see.

A Meaningful Moment: Once while cleaning the dining area, I met a resident who is pursuing a career in the medical field. I let him know we had something in common and we had a great conversation. We talked about how we see emergencies and medical technology, and He shared about how grateful he was to be at the Mission. Now, every time I serve, I get the opportunity to talk with him.

Favorite Part of the Work: Whatever the task is before me, I just do it. When I get there, I always ask, "What do you need done first?" If they say they don't know or they don't have anything ready just yet, I've been doing this long enough to know what I can do, whether it's dumping the garbage, sweeping the floor, mopping the floor, wiping things down, serving the bagged food, everything.

Encouraging Other Volunteers: I would absolutely encourage others to volunteer at the Mission. Last weekend, I met a bunch of women who were serving for the first time and we had a great time! We were joking like, "We ladies, we hold it down” and “so-and-so, she runs a tight ship.” At the end I was like, “You ladies come back, OK? Don't let this be the last time."