What You Do Makes A Difference

Michele Sabean

Hold the door, smile and be patient. Kindness has a ripple effect like a stone tossed in a pond. After working with one of our interviewers for help with the eviction she is facing, that client pulled around our building to get food. I met her there and her first comment to me was to ask how she can give back and help others here at SPAN. She appreciated not only the financial help but the listening ear.

She shared with me some of the things that she has been struggling with lately and she also spoke about patience and grace. She has faith and patience that better times are ahead, and when they are, she wants to give back. Kindness is contagious.

I love the way the community at SPAN — the volunteers, the clients and the surrounding community — all care so much about others. We had a client, “Sharon,” who was coming for food for herself and asked if she could come back, with the needed paperwork, to help one of the homebound friends she is assisting. When helping with lawn-mowing, not too long ago, Sharon had discovered that this neighbor was in poor health, homebound and did not have other family support.

Sharon has been stopping by daily to help and has made a big difference in this neighbor’s life. We have another set of regular clients who come together each month. They do a wonderful job, in that community, of checking in on one another, to make sure they have what is needed and drive the neighbors who do not have a car.

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you; what you do makes a difference. You just have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
- Jane Goodall

SPAN’s shelves are filled by community members thinking of others — sharing their extras and shopping for others. Our community looks out for one another. The other day, when several clients arrived at the same time, they waited patiently and also helped one another carry things to their cars.

There are many opportunities for each of us to choose kindness and use the moment to care and show compassion for those around us. Reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while. Let someone merge into traffic ahead of you with a smile and a wave. Share a compliment with a coworker or stranger. Take a moment to write a positive comment on a post you enjoyed. Help someone without expecting anything in return and make someone happy.

Our days are filled with opportunities to impact those around us. Each interaction with others is an opportunity to take a few moments to be one of the ones moving their day in a positive direction. Let’s take the opportunity to smile and tell someone how much we appreciate them. You never know what else is going on in another’s life and we have the opportunity to be a bright spot.

SPAN (Serving People Across Neighborhoods) is an independent nonprofit food pantry and emergency services provider that has been helping local families with eviction prevention, utility turnoffs, medical/prescription bills, and food since 1990. SPAN serves 14 zip codes in Anne Arundel County. SPAN is located behind Our Shepherd Lutheran Church at 400 Benfield Road in Severna Park. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10:00am-1:45pm. For more information, call 410-647-0889, email spanhelps@yahoo.com or visit www.spanhelps.org. Financial donations may be made through the website. Food donations may be dropped off 24/7 using the storage bin behind SPAN’s building. Please “like” SPAN on Facebook!