Why We Show Up: A quiet reflection on the meaning of volunteering

By Seth Batchelor

Operations, Project Human Inc.

Introduction

There’s a quote I keep coming back to, especially in moments when the world

feels overwhelming:

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping

yourself, the other for helping others.” — Audrey Hepburn

I think about this often in my work with Project Human, Inc. The balance of

growth and service. Of personal healing and communal care. One hand for

ourselves, and the other always reaching out.

At Project Human, we talk a lot about healing through connection—about how

simply showing up can mean more than any grand gesture. Volunteering, in that

sense, isn’t an event. It’s a way of life. It’s the posture we take toward one another

in a world that desperately needs tenderness.

Sometimes people ask me why I volunteer. Sometimes they ask how I find the

time. The truth is, none of us really have the time.

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart.” — Elizabeth

Andrew

We find our way toward service not because it’s convenient—but because it’s

necessary. Not because we are perfect—but because we are present.

The Gift of Losing Yourself

Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service

of others.”

It sounds almost paradoxical. But if you’ve ever volunteered—truly volunteered,

not for credit or applause but simply because you cared—you know it’s true.

There is something deeply grounding about being part of something bigger than

yourself. Something healing about forgetting, for a while, your own troubles, and

choosing instead to help someone else carry theirs.

We don’t do this work to be heroes. But sometimes, in small and unseen ways, we

are.

“Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale. It does more than help

people beat the odds; it changes the odds.” — William J. Clinton

Connection Is the Point

At the core of volunteering is relationship. A smile at a crowded event. A kind

word offered through a screen. A hand reaching across silence. These gestures are

small, but they’re not insignificant.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word... all of

which have the potential to turn a life around.” — Leo Buscaglia

So many people just want to be seen. When we volunteer, we say, “I see you.”

That alone can change everything.

A Thousand Fibers

One of my favorite quotes comes from Herman Melville: “We cannot live only for

ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.”

I think of those fibers often. Invisible threads tying us to each other—through

kindness, through empathy, through shared laughter and shared grief. When we

volunteer, we tend those threads. We keep the web strong. We remind each other

that no one is alone.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

No Act Too Small

Not everyone can give in the same way. And that’s okay. Sometimes the most

meaningful contribution isn’t a dramatic one—it’s whatever you can offer, right

now, with love.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe

In our community, we’ve seen volunteers lift others simply by listening. By

painting a sign. By editing a podcast. By showing up with presence and patience.

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of

yourself that you truly give.” — Kahlil Gibran

A Life Well Lived

There are so many ways to measure success. But the older I get, the more I

believe Winston Churchill had it right: “We make a living by what we get. We

make a life by what we give.”

Volunteering is how we build that life. A life with meaning, depth, joy. A life that

leaves something good behind.

Margaret Mead once reminded us: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever

has.”

And I believe that’s exactly what we are building here—one thoughtful person,

one kind gesture, one continuing conversation at a time.

In Gratitude

To everyone who volunteers—not just with Project Human, but anywhere in the

world: thank you. You remind us that the world still holds beauty, and goodness,

and love. You show us what it means to care, even when it’s hard. You prove that

every act of service ripples outward in ways we may never fully see.

“The quality of your life will be determined by the quality of your contribution.”

— Kurek Ashley

So here’s to every soul full of grace.

Here’s to the givers. The listeners. The doers.

Here’s to you.