Healing Through Service

When Meals on Wheels volunteer Jasmine Smith arrives for her shift in our commercial kitchen each week, she brings with her such warmth that the staff gave her the nickname, Sunshine.?For nearly two years, Jasmine has been volunteering twice a week assisting with packaging side dishes and meal bags for our Meals on Wheels clients.?Jasmine always had a desire to volunteer at Meals on Wheels but found her time was limited with other community activities. She operated a pop-up shop called the Flower Girl where she sold handmade headwraps and used the proceeds to help fund purposeful activities. Through the sales of her headwraps, Jasmine raised enough funds to help a close friend fulfill her dream to go on a mission trip to Brundhi, Africa.?She didn’t stop there, she continued to sell her headwraps and other clothing items to support other community projects. In partnership with her mother, they created a lending library in Gary, which they built from the ground up with toys and books that her mother collected over the years. However, in 2020, along with many others, life threw her a curve ball. ?The pandemic caused them to close the library and her mother became severely ill.?Jasmine tried to find the positive in those moments and looked at the time as an opportunity to be present for her family when they needed her most. Her mother’s illness unfortunately progressed, and she was hospitalized. Her father was also struck by illness, contracting the coronavirus and was admitted to the hospital the same time as his wife. ?Due to the visiting restrictions, Jasmine’s mother passed away on Thanksgiving, not being able to be with her family.?

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Now battling extreme grief, Jasmine found herself seeking guidance from a support group run by a local church.?It was through this group that she learned how to manage her grief in a healthy way, and it was suggested that she try to heal through service.?Jasmine already had a giving heart and worked to help others, but never imagined that through her service to others she could begin to heal her own emotional wounds.?This brought her back to conversations with her mother, expressing a desire to one day volunteer for Meals on Wheels. Now was the time. She called the Meals on Wheels office, attended the training, and started working in the kitchen on a regular basis.?With each food bag that she packed, it reminded her that she wasn’t alone. She was even able to wear her brightly colored headwraps in the kitchen, which became another bright spot with the staff. With each shift in the Meals on Wheels kitchen she gained a stronger sense of healing. Her volunteer time got her out of the house, and she no longer felt alone. Life started to look up. Her father’s health improved, and he worked hard to get his strength back; she is so proud of his diligence. ?Jasmine felt love from the Meals on Wheels staff and realized that the sunshine that she gave to others reflected back onto her.