Day 27: Twenty Years at St. Anthony’s

Kathy Shea has been volunteering at St. Anthony’s for over 20 years. She was kind enough to share some of her insights and perspectives with us during her break from serving on her Wednesday shift.

Carmen: What is it about the experience at St. Anthony’s that keeps you coming back week after week, year after year?

Kathy: Volunteering is part of my faith practice. I heard about St. Anthony’s years ago in my church bulletin. But what really keeps me coming back to St. Anthony’s is the community that I feel from the other volunteers. I’m getting older now and I no longer live in the city—so I have to commute, but I feel that if I were to quit that I wouldn’t be living up to my own expectations of myself. I’ve quit other things; I’m retired now—but I would feel unhappy with myself if I quit volunteering at St. Anthony’s. We in society often validate ourselves by our accomplishments—tasks we’ve completed, and this is part of my mental checklist, it is something that is important to me to accomplish each week.

Carmen: Have you always come on Wednesdays?

Kathy: Yes, I have been coming on Wednesdays from the beginning. I have been seeing some of the other volunteers every Wednesday for many years and we have lost several people over the years. We notice when someone doesn’t show up—and we worry about them.

Carmen: If you could sum up in just one word how volunteering at St. Anthony’s has made you feel, what would it be?

Kathy: Whole. Or complete. I was very in awe when I first came here—we were still serving in the original dining room—Fr. Alfred would come and bless us and the guests. It was an incredible experience. Care for others is so evident here.