Giving Back: STS Boys Serve Ronald McDonald House

On March 12, TeamSTS Youth Advocate Dan Barber, Volunteers Allan Hearl and Mike DeWein, and six young men of Freedom Hall visited Ronald McDonald House for a morning service project. I am realizing more and more the value of our servant leadership trips. Work projects such as our experience at Ronald McDonald House provide opportunities to allow our young men to step out of their comfort zone and serve others who are less fortunate. Our most recent project was an outdoor work project at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH).  Once a month, RMH invites volunteers to have an “outdoor work party” and help beautify their grounds.  Each of our young men really stepped up to the plate and worked hard, trimming bushes, scraping moss, raking leaves, and pulling weeds.  I had the opportunity to have an awesome conversation with one of our young men, Jorge, while he and I were pulling weeds.

I said to him, “You know Jorge… I think I am learning a valuable lesson today.” He asked me what I was talking about and I said, “I think just about any job or responsibility no matter how boring or repetitious can be pretty enjoyable or even fun if done with the good company.”  Jorge kind of brushed off my remarks like he heard them but didn’t really give them much thought. So I asked him, “Jorge, do you think pulling weeds is fun?” “Heck no, Mr. Barber Shop”, he replied.  So I asked him, “so why do you think you are having fun today?” He paused for a moment then replied, “I don’t know.”  A little later on in the morning Jorge and I were Hunting Lions (aka dandelions) and he yells to one of our other young men, “Hey Melvin, you should come pull weeds with us it’s fun; anything can be fun if you do it with the right company.”  I thought to myself…’yep, this is why we do what we do!’



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