While growing up, I watched all the superhero movies and imagined what it would be like to have a super power.
What might be the best one to have? Was it X-ray vision? The ability to crawl up walls? Supersonic speed? Would I discover a power like this in myself one day just like Superman did? Think of all the people I could help!
For as much as I enjoyed watching superheroes save the planet from villains, the scenes that captivated me were the simpler ones, when they saved ordinary people in trouble. I especially liked when the little boy looked up in awe and said, “Thanks, Superman,” as if hardly believing that someone that cool and amazing could help him.
Turns out, I wasn’t gifted with an amazing super power. Yet, I discovered that there is a super power that all of us possess, one with the strength and force that allows us to impact peoples’ lives. I see this super power harnessed on a daily basis in transformational ways at St. Vincent de Paul, as we seek to feed, clothe, house and heal ordinary people who find themselves in very challenging circumstances that threaten to break them.
It’s the power of compassion.
Each of us has a sensitivity to the pain and suffering of others and a desire to help alleviate that suffering, particularly among those most vulnerable in our community.
Who among us when faced with a hungry child named Billy or Josie wouldn’t provide that child with a sandwich and a glass of milk? Or upon meeting a senior named Stella who is desperately ill and homeless wouldn’t buy her some medicine and find her a place to stay?
The issue is not that we aren’t compassionate to the needs in our community. The issue is that we often become overwhelmed by them. Too many people. Too much need. Too few resources.
Yet that’s not what plays out at St. Vincent de Paul every day with the support of thousands of volunteers and donors who partner in this work. These ordinary people harness their super power of compassion, and they do it not by saving the world, but simply by focusing on the man, woman or child right in front of them. They feed, clothe, house and heal not just their bodies but their spirits, one person at a time. And in the process, they give them hope, perhaps the greatest of all the gifts that can be bestowed on those who are struggling.
With the oppressive summer heat soon upon us, thousands of struggling individual and families will be looking to St. Vincent de Paul for help.
Summer in Arizona is particularly difficult for families, because electricity bills are higher than usual and children are out of school without access to school lunch programs. Families that are already struggling to make ends meet often cannot provide the extra meals for their children over the summer, leaving them with the choice to go hungry themselves or having their children go hungry. The need for help dramatically increases over the summer, just as St. Vincent de Paul sees donations drop to the lowest levels of the year.
That’s where you come in. St. Vincent de Paul needs your help. You can make a huge difference by making a donation or volunteering this summer.
We’ve launched the Be A Summer Action Hero campaign to spread awareness and encourage everyone to join the fight against hunger in our community. Food drives and donations are needed to help replenish our food bank, kitchen and dining rooms. To support this effort, simply call 602-266-GIVE or visit www.SummerRelief.org to make a donation or sign up to host a food drive.
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ach of us can be a superhero to someone in need. Harness your super power of compassion and help the most vulnerable in our community this summer. When you do, that awestruck little boy will look right into your eyes, and he will say, “Thanks.”
