Sharing the Love
Love exists in many forms. There is the love between a parent and child, the love between partners, and the love for friends and family. No less important, though, is the love for neighbors near and far that inspires us to serve our communities, reach out to those in need, and to give back where we can.
It is that love that has inspired and guided Zoe’s lifetime of volunteering. Her mom set the precedent, organizing and maintaining an extracurricular program for kids in their low-income community who might otherwise have missed out on the chance to participate in those activities. And when Zoe became a mom, she promised herself that she would instill the same values in her kids.
“I like to think that it’s just a natural part of being,” Zoe says of her volunteer work: 20 years in her church’s children’s ministry; even longer in her community at large. “I feel like I’ve been blessed so much – how can I not return that blessing?”
“Because the cost of living has risen, sometimes, those needs have to shift,” Zoe explains. “It’s like, let me look at what I can do this month. I can cover all of the bills, and next month, I’ll shift from bills to grocery shopping. I remember as a child I used to hear adults say, you know, ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul.’ And now more than ever, I understand exactly what that means. And God forbid, the unexpected happens.” Zoe has faced several instances of ‘unexpected.’ Last year, the family’s car broke down. They had it fixed, only to have it break again irreparably, completely wasting the money put towards the first effort. Somehow, the family worked a new car into their budget, only for it to be stolen less than a month later.