Fact: I’m Going to Prison

As a volunteer, silly. Only crime I’ve committed is bringing loaded guns to work. And by loaded guns, I mean my jacked arms. BOOM!

Since August of 2011, I’ve been volunteering at the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women (NCCIW), a maximum security women’s prison in Raleigh, NC, and it is by far, without a doubt, the best thing I do.

I actually volunteer with my church, newhope Church, in Durham, NC and we go in every Tuesday (I usually go once or twice a month) and hold a service and I lead the music and worship.

If you would like to know more about our service there, you can absolutely e-mail me with any questions (or comment below and I’d be happy to answer them here). Because this post isn’t about that one thing, in particular.

It’s about serving others.

What’s most valuable to me about my time at NCCIW is the time I get to spend before and after the service talking and fellowshipping with the women. It’s the little conversations, getting to know the women and treating them like human beings, not just women in prison garb.

Yeah, some of them have done some pretty awful stuff in their pasts. But that’s just it. It’s their past. They made a mistake (or for some, a few mistakes) and they got caught for it. They’re reminded of their mistakes every day, they don’t need someone coming in and reminding them some more. They need someone who can help them forget, even if for a minute, that they’re in prison.

Be honest with yourself, haven’t you done a few things in your life that if you’d been caught, you’d probably be in a heap of trouble? Just something to think about.

The fact is, no matter the pasts of these women, they’re people. They’re women who need friendship, companionship, and someone to tell them that they’re not junk and that they are worthwhile, and that no matter what their circumstances, they can do something positive with their life.

Whether they’re going to be in NCCIW for six more months, six more years, or a lifetime, they matter. They are important.

And I do give a you-know-what about them.

It’s amazing to see their attitudes completely change when they walk in that gymnasium for the service. Many come in with furrowed brows and scornful looking faces, and those same women leave laughing, smiling, and hugging. They do a complete 180 in a matter of two hours. It’s amazing.

So, what’s my point in all this?

My point is that in 2010/early 2011 I realized I was doing a lot of things for myself – I was self-involved, and very concerned with what was going on in MY life. I used to volunteer a lot in high school in college and I realized that doing so always kept me in check.

So, I decided to start getting involved again and quit focusing on my issues.
So I got involved on the worship team at church. Now, I’ll be honest, singing is a huge passion of mine, so of course it’s fun, but if you think getting up at 5am on Sundays, singing till 2pm, and nights of rehearsal isn’t service (and sacrifice in my case, because I am NOT a morning person), then you are sorely mistaken.

Then I went on a mission trip to Kenya. Yeah, Kenya was amazing and a great experience, but it was definitely service. Your body hurts from the physical labor, you’re emotionally drained, and spiritually fulfilled. Oh, and if you’ve never had to go to the bathroom in a squatty-potty (aka: latrine – photo included… UGH), you just don’t understand.

Then I started volunteering at the prison. Training was four, maybe five hours, in an INCREDIBLY hot gymnasium in the middle of August. There’s always something that goes awry every time we go, and it can be stressful. Very stressful.

All this to say that this is not a recap of my volunteerism resume, it’s to say that the moment I stopped feeling concerned about my own issues and started serving others, MY attitude, much like that of the ladies ofNCCIW, did a complete 180.

I am so much happier. I am so much more productive at work and at home. My relationships are flourishing. My friendships are stronger. My fiance and I are closer. I am more positive. I feel more creative. And I have more time. Who would have thought that giving of your time would suddenly allow you more time to do other things? I have no idea how that works, but it does.

So, within all of this incessant rambling of mine is a point: Do Something. Help Someone. If you have an hour to spend on Facebook, or Twitter, or Pinterest, you have an hour to volunteer.

Love animals? Go clean the cages at a local animal shelter, or play with homeless puppies.

Love kids? Visit an orphanage or maybe volunteer in the nursery at your church, place of worship, or community center.

Love old people? Spend some time at a local nursing home. Hey, that could be you some day.

Love being outside? Take a day to clean up a local park.

Love working with your hands? I know Habitat for Humanity (or a similar org.) would love to have you.

There are tons of opportunities out there. And tons of volunteers are needed.

Are you a business owner? Get your employees involved. Have a contest – maybe all your employees can keep a record of their volunteer hours and a prize can go out to the person with the most volunteer hours (or something like that).

I love that my boss is so passionate about serving that he started his own non-profit, Swim for Smiles, a youth triathlon (one of the largest youth triathlons in the world, mind you), to raise money for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital.

So, what are you going to do? How are you going to start serving others? Because I promise you, you won’t regret it.