262: Volunteers share why showing up changes everything

Every spring, there’s a natural shift that happens.

Do you feel it too?

The world feels a little more open, and we begin to look outward a little more. Toward our communities. Toward our neighbors. Toward the needs that have been there all along—but maybe feel a little more visible now.

So in this season, we’re moving into a new invitation: to serve with joy.

Because joy isn’t only something we feel. And it isn’t only something we give to others financially—though that matters deeply.

More often, joy is something we experience when we show up. With our time. With our talents. With our presence.

For 160 years, The Salvation Army has spread joy to all who feel lost regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or gender identity. With your help, we’ll continue giving joy to the people who need it most.

That’s really the heart behind this episode.

Not doing more. Not fixing everything. But offering what we already have—and noticing what happens when we do.

In 2025, over 1.5 million people dedicated their time to volunteering for The Salvation Army.

When you volunteer with The Salvation Army, whether you’re assisting at a shelter, organizing food drives, or ringing bells at a Red Kettle, every act of community service contributes to creating positive change. No matter what your skills or interests are, there is a volunteer opportunity that is a good fit for you. 

As we like to say around here, there is a you-sized need for goodness in the world.

So, over the next several weeks at Caring Magazine, we’ll be exploring what it looks like to live this out in real, tangible ways.

Through simple acts of service. Through families and groups showing up together. Through meeting practical needs in our communities. And through something even quieter—but just as powerful—the gift of being present with someone who needs it.

Today, we’re starting with the people who make this real every day: volunteers.

People who choose—again and again—to step in, to help, to serve.

Not because it’s always easy. Not because they have extra time. But because somewhere along the way, they discovered something: That joy grows when it’s shared.

In this episode, you’ll hear from a few of those volunteers in their own words—why they serve,
what keeps them coming back, and how showing up for others has shaped their own lives in the process.

My hope is that as you listen, you won’t just be inspired by their stories—but that you might begin to see where this invitation meets you.

Because there’s no one right way to serve. And there’s always a place to begin.

Listen and subscribe to The Do Gooders Podcast now. Below is a transcript of the episode, edited for readability. For more information on the people and ideas in the episode, see the links at the bottom of this post.

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Rita McCool: My name is Rita McCool. I volunteer at the Tehachapi Salvation Army. I help with the fresh rescue, senior sack, and commodities…whatever needs prayer or whatever another person may need, I try to do that.

I have seen people come very needy and we would give them the food they needed and perhaps they needed something else—clothing to this one lady who was out in the streets. A pass to take the bus to another.

One was another mother with three kids had been dropped off here. She thought she had family and she didn’t. Oh, I could go on and on.

Juanita Allen: My name is Juanita Allen, and I volunteer for The Salvation Army in the city of Maricopa, Arizona. The moment that has stayed with me is seeing the joy and the release on a client’s face knowing that their bill for that month has been paid, and that was the one thing that they would not have to worry about.

Some clients come in crying… some come in and they are sad, they’re broken…and my heart just goes out to them.

Christin Thieme: Sometimes serving looks like something very tangible—a bag of groceries, a paid bill, a moment where the weight someone is carrying gets just a little bit lighter. And in those moments, joy often looks like relief.

Here’s Ivanna McKenzie, who goes by Kay, in Butte, Montana.

Ivanna “Kay” McKenzie: One day a client came in from the freezing cold. He had frostbite on his feet. We helped him get warm and provided him with the proper clothing and boots. And by seeing the relief and how appreciative he was, it made giving back a more humbling experience.

Lisa McClease-Kelly: Hi, my name is Lisa McClease-Kelly and I volunteer at The Salvation Army in Medford, Oregon. I also own Kelly’s Automotive Service in Grants Pass in Medford with my husband. We started by ringing the bell during the holidays then sponsoring ringing then I joined the board.

Also at Kelly’s Automotive Service, we have our Wipe Out Hunger campaign every year for the last 16 years, where we collect peanut butter and jelly in exchange for wiper blades installed on the client’s car. We do this after the holidays to restock the food banks. This year we donated over 4,000 pounds of peanut butter and jelly.

Christin Thieme: For some, serving starts small—and grows. From ringing a bell to leading initiatives to inviting others in.

Lisa McClease-Kelly: We also do date nights with one or two other couples during the holidays and count kettle money when it comes in. We have contests, make it fun. It’s a great night out.

Just recently, we delivered about a quarter of the peanut butter and jelly we’d collected from our Wipeout Hunger Drive to The Salvation Army Food Bank in Medford. I was able to go in and actually stock the shelves. We filled them up.

It was nice to not only see the food bank, but actually put food on the shelves that’ll be feeding the hungry. I liked it so much that when we delivered the rest of the food, I sent four staff members to help unload it. I wanted them to see the difference they are helping to make.

I would say being on the board and hearing the difference The Salvation Army makes on a daily basis is a great way to get motivated over and over again.

Christin Thieme: There’s something powerful about serving side by side. When it becomes something you do together—it stops being a task and starts becoming connection.

Juanita Allen: Serving my community has changed the way I see people because you never know what they are going through. It’s not just about helping them with their utility bills—sometimes they need a hug, a smile and even a prayer.

Rita McCool: I totally disagree with judgment of anyone. Just because they’re poor or mentally ill or anything…I just feel like God brought them here for a purpose and we’re here to serve.

Christin Thieme: Again and again, you hear this idea: not judging, just showing up. And sometimes, that’s the most powerful form of service there is.

Ivanna “Kay” McKenzie: It’s helped me quite a bit. I’ve worked with great people and I have grown in the past six, seven months spiritually. And I have more confidence in myself. It’s kind of opened me up—gotten me out of my shell.

Lisa McClease-Kelly: I have been on both sides of charity. I was a single mom on WIC and eventually HUD housing. And now I get to give.

Rita McCool: It does more for me than what I do for others, really. I love coming here. I know that I’m going to find joy and happiness.

Christin Thieme: Of course, serving doesn’t just change communities. It changes us. It builds empathy. It builds connection. It reminds us how deeply we belong to one another.

Lisa McClease-Kelly: Someone came up and put money in the kettle and when I thanked her, she said, “No, thank you. I was a resident of Hope House and they changed my life.” I think that’ll probably stick with me forever.

Rita McCool: The people that say thank, you know, times are hard and they don’t have many choices, so they are so grateful to get a bag of groceries or meat for their dinner that night. It’s just joyful to see them.

Juanita Allen: Seeing their faces and hearing their appreciation for the help just reiterates in me why I love what I do.

Christin Thieme: Joy isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like a deep breath. A quiet thank you. A moment where someone knows—they’re not alone.

Lisa McClease-Kelly: If you’re thinking about volunteering, stop thinking and just jump in. Grab some friends and make it something fun or bring your kids and help them to see the power of giving their time.

Juanita Allen: You have to have a heart to serve. You have to be patient. Yyou have to be understanding because we don’t know what it is that they are going through.

Christin Thieme: There’s no one right way to serve. It might look like an hour of your time. A conversation. A shared effort with friends or family.

But somewhere in that moment—joy shows up.

So, that’s the invitation: to offer what you have. To show up where you are. To Give with Joy alongside The Salvation Army, serving everyone in need without discrimination in Christ’s name.

And then, discover what happens when you choose to serve.

Additional resources:

• If you are one of the hopefuls, get on the list for the Do Good Digest, our free 3-minute weekly email newsletter used by more than 20,000 hopefuls like you for a quick pick-me-up in a busy day.  
• If you are enjoying this show and want to support it, leave a rating and review wherever you listen to help new listeners hit play for the first time with more confidence.  
• Join us in giving joy to families who are experiencing poverty, hunger, job loss and more. Your generosity offers joyful reassurance that even during our most challenging times, we are not alone. 

Listen and subscribe to The Do Gooders Podcast now.