Team Work

There are needy people all over the world, and there are many people willing to help them, but too often, the people who can help are unaware of how to get started. It can be very intimidating to go to a strange place and help poor people that normally you would never socialize with and may feel uncomfortable being around them. I have found that it is much easier to help when there are other people who can support and help alongside you. Even the people who accomplish huge projects that most people would never dream of did not do it alone. Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, authors of the book Three Cups of Tea, wrote of Mortenson's experience in Pakistan where he was aided by many people to build schools; at the Volunteers of America Food Bank in Everett, I have been volunteering with other people who have helped me learn how I can help.

In Pakistan, Greg Mortenson promised Haji Ali, the leader of Korphe, that he would build a school for the children of the village. It took Mortenson quite a few years to complete this task, and he went on to build other schools for villages who needed them just as much as Korphe did, but he did not complete these schools alone. He recieved needed help from people who were ready to give it without him asking. "Without Ghulam Parvi, I never would have accomplished anything in Pakistan," (Mortenson 138). Parvi was only one of Mortenson's many helpers. He was also helped by the people of Korphe who were willing to cut the stones for the village without pay. This sacrifice saved Mortenson a lot of money that would have been wasted on lazy workers. Haji Ali guided Mortenson through building the Korphe school, and his help taught Mortenson valuable lessons that he uses often. After the school of Korphe was built, Mortenson moved on to other projects and it was through the help of his team members that he was able to spend most of his time in the States while building other schools in Pakistan.

Through my time at the Volunteers of America Food Bank, I have been aided by the other volunteers running the food bank. If I had simply been put in the food bank without any instructions or other volunteers to help me I would have had no idea what to do, but because I have had experience volunteers to teach me I have been able to adjust quickly to the pace of the food bank. It has a certain process that each customer must go through and the volunteers are there to help them through it. We help them by getting out carts, pre-opening bags, collecting their shopping tickets, making sure they get the correct amount of items, and loading groceries into their vehicles. All of these jobs can be are pretty straight forward, but overwhelming when someone is completely new to them. Without the help of the other volunteers I would have had no idea what to do. My first day, I mostly stood around for the first hour and watched while they taught me the many ways they help the shoppers. This reminds me of Mortenson's first time in Korphe. He sees how poor the village is and he wants to know how to help, but it isn't until he's spent some time in the village that he learns the best way he can help them.

Without the help of other people, someone would not be able to accomplish as much. I have heard the analogy that a person is like a piece of thread that can break easily, but when many people with the same goal come together, their threads combine and becomes a strong cord. Team work is key when a person wants to accomplish something big. Everyone needs help, even the helpers themselves.