Wanna Go Thrift Shopping?

Every time I have gone to Roanoke Rescue Mission I have witnessed the most gracious people and have experienced the most welcoming environment. I have learned that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference. This mission, and the people that work in it, have adopted such selfless morals and ideals and it is such a humbling experience to volunteer here. Each time that I go to this project, there is something different to do. The first time I went, I served food to those in need in their soup kitchen. This was such an incredible experience as the people were so grateful and happy to see us. The feeling was most definitely mutual. The second time we washed dishes for the soup kitchen where we had the privilege of interacting with many of the volunteers that dedicate their time to the mission. The last time that we volunteered we make beds for the shelter which was a very eye-opening experience. This activity put into perspective how many people are relying on this comfort and security for night.

Most recently we volunteered in the thrift store that is a part of the mission. While this provided the least amount of communication with those who we were serving, it taught us that the smallest acts could provide the biggest positive impacts. To us, hanging up clothes for three hours seems rather trivial, but to the store, we saved them two-days of work and multiple hours of stress. When we left, the store’s manager and her employee endlessly thanked us for our help with kind words and multiple tears to show their gratitude. We didn’t need her to thank us, as we were happy to be spending our time at the mission, but her appreciative nature and kind heart made us feel as though we had made a difference.

The mission creates an environment of belonging for the people that it serves. Their message of hope communicates to the people that whenever they are in need, someone will be there to lend a compassionate and helping hand. The mission itself is amazing but it is the workers, volunteers, and people that you serve that keep you coming back. A project filled with so much positive energy, compassion, hope, encouragement, and inclusion is a hard to pass up on.