Giving Out of Gratitude

By Andie T., Volunteer in Brooklyn

Over three full weekends, the hands of many volunteers made our house feel more like home. This noble effort required relatively unglamorous tasks: scraping off decades-worth of old paint, laying down what seemed like miles of tape, sanding until our arms hurt, and finally applying a fresh coat of color. 

At the onset of our project, we asked our dear friend Luis, a professional painter, for some much-needed guidance.  He agreed to help and was consistently the first to arrive, the last to leave. With each passing day, Luis laughed more than I had ever seen him laugh. It gave him deep joy to bring life to the space that had welcomed him. To celebrate the completion of our painting project, we sat down for dinner with Luis and his family in our cream-colored dining room. As he looked around at the work of his hands, Luis glowed with magnanimity.

In the face of such a large project, I often shrink and struggle to reach the end. But during these workshops, Luis reminded me of the joy of giving out of gratitude for having received so much.

Thank you to all who gave to our Giving Tuesday campaign last November! You have helped to make our home an even more welcoming place for our community here in New York.