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As a convert to Orthodoxy, my initial zeal about coming into the Church was soon humbled by the wisdom that I had only just begun the spiritual life. Living in Cincinnati, Ohio, I was blessed to encounter FOCUS Cincinnati, and I began serving at their community meals. It was scary for me at first because it was so unlike anything I had ever done prior. However, it didn’t take long for me to encounter Christ in this way and to experience the peace and joy that comes from serving God through other people. FOCUS Cincinnati gave me my first opportunities to perform acts of mercy in Christ’s name.
Not long after I first started volunteering, our parish hosted a YES (Youth Equipped to Serve) trip. On this trip, we learned about how serving is not something that we only do at community meals and similar events; it’s something that we should do every moment of our lives. When I was introduced to their YES Internship opportunity, I was eager to apply. The three months of my internship were some of the most prayerful days of my life, and they empowered me to become a leader in my community.
That same year, YES hosted their yearly SLG (Servant Leadership Gathering) in Oklahoma City. On that trip, I met many other like-minded young Orthodox people passionate about serving, and after we talked about how we can take home what we learn to greater serve our own communities, we got to actually put what we learned into practice. I’m also exceptionally blessed to say that I met my fiancee, Hilary, on that trip!
Hilary is the daughter of the FOCUS Cleveland Center Director, and it’s through her that I now get to serve there semi-regularly. FOCUS Cleveland is a men’s homeless shelter that serves three hot meals a day. Experiencing their ministry firsthand and how much it differs from FOCUS Cincinnati amazed me. It was my first real look into how all of the different FOCUS Centers meet the unique needs of their communities.
I had the privilege to serve as a Leader on a YES trip in Phoenix, Arizona. While there, I helped and encouraged Orthodox Christian teens from a local parish to serve their community. We all got to serve with FOCUS Phoenix, who serve meals, as well as distribute hygiene kits and clothing. What fascinated me about their ministry is that they serve their guests at a park because it’s more accessible for their guests.
While visiting my family in St. Louis, Missouri, I was fortunate enough to serve with FOCUS Gateway City, who have a fairly similar ministry as we do in Cincinnati, but who serve guests living through different circumstances. I enjoyed getting to talk with their guests and meeting them on a personal level.
The last FOCUS Center that I’ve been blessed to serve with was on this year’s SLG, where we got to serve with FOCUS Houston. Their ministry is devoted to providing care, resources, and education to struggling mothers in their community. With most of my FOCUS experience up to that point revolving around serving food, it was an exciting change of pace for me to help young children with arts and crafts!
Serving with FOCUS North America has changed my life in the best way and has given me so many opportunities to travel across the country and meet the most incredible and inspiring people. What started as a desire to fulfill Christ’s call in Matthew 25 has become a way of life for me, and I encourage anyone else who is looking to serve their community, meet new people, and put their faith into action to consider serving at their nearest FOCUS Center or reach out to explore the possibility of starting a new FOCUS Center!
