Organizing clothing is not on the top of my list of things to do in my free time. I struggle to find the motivation to organize my own closet. But once I got in a steady rhythm I actually somewhat enjoyed it. Once we left, I was reflecting on my time there and observing the community on my drive home. I wasn’t thinking too much about how I felt on my drive but I did manage to get a general understanding of the community around me. Once I got home I spoke with my mother about what I did at the Milwaukee Women’s Center. She seemed very interested and asked lots of questions. She was very excited and said that what I did was “really cool”. Initially I didn’t think of organizing clothes as a huge help to the community but after that conversation with my mother I started to analyze what we did. The Milwaukee Women’s Center supplies clothing for those in need. When we arrived the clothes were just stuffed in garbage bags and the room was full of clutter. Upon our departure the room felt like a completely different place. The clothes were organized by size and style. Blankets were folded and organized by use. shoes were put with shoes alike. And the garbage was removed from the walkways, making navigating the shelves and racks much more smooth. Not only did we make the experience of finding and retrieving clothes easier. We made available the clothes and blankets, which were previously stuffed in a pile of garbage bags. Once I looked at how the little things we each did that evening would help benefit the lives of others in the future, I felt good. I felt happy. A happiness that went deeper than simply holding the door for someone. Even though the tasks we performed nearly as simple as doing so. I think the reason for the deeper happiness has to do with how abandoned the room looked when we arrived. Everything was rummaged through and it seemed the room inventory hadn’t seen any attention in a long time. It seemed, as it was something that no one wanted to address. And as time progressed, so did the deterioration of the room. Doing the dirty work that no one else wants to do is deeply satisfying once it’s all said and done. And because of this, we not only helped those who will look for clothes there, but we also made the lives of those whose job it would be to organize the room.
We left the Women’s Center around dinnertime, which turned out to be a very good thing. We were able to see the environment a little better than we arrived. We arrived to a seemingly lifeless building. We didn’t see many people or much activity on the way to the clothing inventory. But when we left we were met with the smell of dinnertime. Children were laughing and running the hallways. The staff was playing various games with different groups of children. There were arts and crafts. And several women were having conversations at the dinner tables. I’m glad we left when we did because had I not seen anyone on my way in or out I may not have felt as good about our volunteering. Seeing the people directly affected by our work really warms your heart. Many of the children there most likely get clothed from that room. The sheets on their bed that I found in a garbage bag may have come from that room. The women in need may find a dress on the rack I organized. And making the task of finding these items easier may bring them joy from the ease rather than stress from the challenge. Now that there’s no longer garbage along the aisles they may no longer assume the clothes are tattered and dirty. Maybe they’ll feel prettier in that dress they picked or feel better about the clothes they pick out for their children. Regardless how many of these are true, the possibility of even one being true for a few people brings joy to my heart.
I’m also glad that we were able to do this just before the holiday season. As a cleaner closet may bring joy to those in need. And knowing that brings me joy and makes the season of giving hold that much more meaning for me. Due to finding joy in so many different facets of my life from this experience I will definitely take more of my time to volunteer more. I have always thought of myself as a very helpful person but really haven’t taken much time to volunteer. I am very glad we did took the time to help the Milwaukee Women’s Center. It had given me a different view on volunteering and made me realize that not only does it make other’s lives better but also betters my own.
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