Ever want to make a difference in someone's life? Ever want to step out of your world and see what life is like in someone else's shoes? My Brothers Keeper can give you that opportunity.
A man named Hank Welch worked at a local church and after ending his career there he began to research places he could volunteer at in his spare time, since he now had so much of it. He decided to volunteer at My Brother's Keeper one day, and never seemed to leave.
"I started 30 years ago, and since I've been doing it. I come six or seven times a week, you meet different people all the time when you come." said Welch.
The city of Brockton is one that has struggled with the issue of poverty for quite some time. The city has a chance to change with the help of the surrounding communities. The program, My Brother's Keeper has proved this, it helps Brockton civilians get the necessities they need in their homes in order to live a decent lifestyle.
"My Brother's Keeper is a vibrant, welcoming Christian ministry in Easton and Dartmouth, Massachusetts which delivers furniture and food to local families in need." says the My Brother's Keeper official website.
The USA City Facts organization found that "The Brockton, MA poverty rate of 13.3% is higher than the national average."
Over the years My Brother's Keeper has made a difference in the Brockton community. They have gained numerous volunteer members along with full time volunteers who run the program. The people who help there have noticed that by volunteering there, there is a change in the lives of not only others but also themselves.
They've seen many students from Stonehill College come to help, and the one's they've seen come don't just do it for a short amount of time. The students always seem to come back each year.
"I got in trouble my freshman year, I'm a junior now, but I had to do something for community service. I wanted to do it off campus. My Residence Director told me about the program and that's when I first joined, I haven't stopped since." said Matthew Shumaker a student at Stonehill.
Shumaker said since he joined My Brother's Keeper he has seen a difference in the way he lives his day to day life.
"I'm more tolerant to people, less judgmental, and appreciate where they are coming from." he said.
The volunteer's bring food to people who are unemployed and live off of food stamps.
"The unemployment rate city wide is 12.7%. This is higher than the national average 7.9%." says the research done by USA City Facts.
"The people you meet and the people you go out to help are always thanking us for what we give them, you do a lot of giving but you do much more taking from the experience," said Zachary Furier a junior at Stonehill College.
The people who volunteer said that My Brother's Keeper has allowed them to learn so much.
"It's a very unique experience, going into the homes of the people you are delivering to," said Shumaker.
"We give a cross to the people we deliver to when they say thank you. We want them to know that we are not the ones they should be thanking, we just deliver, it's God they should say that to," said Welch.
Prospected volunteers can go to 534 Washington Street in North Easton and talk to one of the directors. Then fill out a form, and have someone show you around.
"We are here five days a week, every week." said Welch
The program has given the people who volunteer there experiences that they say they will remember for a lifetime.
"There are so many incredible little stories about what the program has done for people. A few times this has happened, but we will get a call from someone asking if we have a cake because it's someone in the families birthday and they can't afford one, and then all of the sudden out of nowhere a cake will just show up, literally out of nowhere it's crazy like it was meant to be." said Kevin Brennan a full time volunteer.
The volunteers said they have started to see their own lives differently, and have learned to see every day situations in a new perspective.
"What I've really learned is to appreciate everything a lot more. Recently we've been dropping off furniture and this is when I started noticing where these people live and the types of environments they live in and how lucky I really am," Ben Monte a student at Stonehill College.
"Our mission is "To bring the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ to those we serve." As a gift at each furniture delivery we offer a crucifix with the message, "We're just the delivery people… this is the man who sent you the furniture." says their website.
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