Finding community serving community

Video by Bruce Cooper and Chris Peterson

Anita Cabezas first came to St. Vincent de Paul to complete her mandated community service. She never imagined her experience would inspire her to become a dedicated volunteer.

“I started off coming in to pay a ticket,” Anita says. “I liked the environment here so much I just kept coming back.”

For three years, Anita has faithfully returned to serve in SVdP’s kitchen five days a week, Monday through Friday. She’s one of the early birds.

“I get here between 6:30 and 7:00 in the morning,” Anita says. “I usually leave between 10 and 11 a.m. But if I see that they need help and don’t have enough volunteers I’ll stay a little longer.”

Each morning, she helps clean, chop and prepare ingredients for the chefs to cook. Most mornings the kitchen staff have music playing and volunteers get into a good rhythm of chopping vegetables for the day. The best part is how the staff invite everyone into their kitchen family.

“The people here are so nice. It’s a good place to come and volunteer,” Anita says. “This is the only place I’ve been that I feel so comfortable.”

She hopes more people, including her own family, will join her in this community work. 
“The feeling that I’m helping feed the homeless and people from all over is good. It’s a good example for others.”

Anita leaves feeling warm and good about her contributions to her community and the direct impact she makes in getting hot and healthy meals to those who need them most. That’s why she keeps coming back. 

“I’m going to keep continuing until maybe I get too old to drive,” Anita says with a chuckle. 

Hopefully she doesn’t get another ticket. But if she does, she knows the best way to pay it off—or pay it forward.