It was a Saturday morning in early December.  I made the trek to meet with fellow alumni from my college for brunch and volunteer work. The volunteer work involved driving around Washington DC to hand out food to people in the streets who are hungry. I have participated in feeding the homeless programs in the past, but this time was different. Instead of meeting with people at a designated place who are waiting in line for food, we drive in the streets and offer food to those who are hungry as we move along with traffic. I joked with my fellow alumni, suggesting that we throw the bags of food, or shoot the bags of food using a cannon, similar to those shirts given to audiences at sporting events, from the car. Following our brunch at the restaurant, we broke into smaller groups and went to DC. We drove through Downtown DC, where we handed out food at the streets as we passed by. After about a half hour into our journey, we stopped at an apartment complex in Southeast DC, which I later found out is a well-known housing project in the area.

We initially planned to hand out twenty bags of food to the receptionist of the apartment complex, but we met a quirky man named Mr. C who lives there. Mr. C is the go-to guy in the community if anyone needs their toy fixed, especially bicycles. He is well-known among the children that he called them from their apartments by making a sound similar to a crow’s call that goes, “Kah-kaww! Kah-kaww!” Children came toward our direction after Mr. C called them, and they gladly accepted our food. Some children wanted to pick what kind of potato chips to get, and I could not help but let them choose as I was the one holding the bags of potato chips. In a way, giving the children the freedom to choose adds a novelty factor to their meal, considering they hardly have a say on what they get to eat, let alone when they can eat. One child in particular, asked for extra food for his mother and grandmother. After picking what kind of potato chips he wanted to go along with his food, he could barely hold all of the food and chips on his arms. My friend helped him put the chips in the bags, and he went on his merry way to his apartment. We ended up making two trips back to the car from the apartment complex, because we ran out of food each time. People followed us back to the car during those two trips and it was great to see the joy on their faces as they received a meal. Twelve bags of food remained when it was all said and done, and we left those remaining bags with the receptionist. On our trip back to the restaurant where we had brunch, there was a sense of peace, joy, and accomplishment among us, as we had made an impact on many people’s lives that day.

Following the volunteer work in Washington DC, I went to a church about a half-hour away that had mass and caroling afterwards. My friend mentioned it to me the night before, since the event was in the general area of my volunteer work. I figured that attending by myself without knowing anyone would be a great opportunity to try a new experience, and continue the momentum of service that day. I attended mass, and met with fellow young adults to go caroling around the old-town neighborhood. We sang at four different places around the neighborhood, where we did the best to bring the spirit of Christmas to people passing by. People stopped and took pictures, recorded video, and sang along with us. It was a chilly evening and my singing was off-key at times, but I did not care. I had feelings of nostalgia caroling with my classmates from elementary school at nursing homes fourteen years ago. I met new people between each stops, sharing fruitful conversations with them. Most of all, I was part of a cause that was bigger than me.

At times I get caught up in my own problems, worrying about my future career plans, my friendships, and my plans in life. At times I get caught up in frustration when some people whom I know express little or no gratitude when I give them a gift or do an act of goodwill for them. My day of service taught me that none of my worries and frustrations matter in the big picture. I forget that there are people who cannot even worry about similar problems in their own lives because they are doing what they can to survive. It makes my personal problems and frustrations insignificant, since I do not worry if I can survive the next day.

Giving involves imparting a part of yourself (whether it is time, money, or feelings) without any expectation that the giving will be reciprocated.

Therefore, giving without expectation is the essence of unconditional love.

If people express gratitude, great! If they do not, also great! Serving others involves immersing yourself into the surroundings, while embracing the uncertainty that goes along with it. From my observation going to the project housing apartment complex handing out food, and walking around the old-town neighborhood singing Christmas songs, the world is full of good people doing what they can to be the best versions of themselves, no matter the situation. We just cannot let the few insane people who make the news for the wrong reasons ruin our perceptions of the world today.

I drove home that evening a happy man for being useful and creating new memories. I made new friends, and continued to foster existing friendships. Respect towards those who get down in the trenches serving their communities was further reinforced. Mr. C is the real OG-triple-OG. Above all, I felt a sense of purpose that transcends striving to be a better person each day. I can be ambitious and goal-oriented all I want in my personal life, but what good is success if I do not have anyone to share that success with? My Mama would tell me, “I do not have any obligations (towards those less fortunate), but at the end of the day, I will feel bad.” The feeling of wholeness seeing the faces of the people light up or hearing the words, “God bless you”, makes the giving that much worth it. The price tag of time, money, and feelings cannot be placed on service without expectation. Serving others sure brings a warm, fuzzy, and tingling feeling, more so than singing the F.U.N. song by SpongeBob and Plankton. I look forward to the next time I serve, as it ought to be fun and teach me something new!

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what can you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy