My mom and I have been volunteering at Good Spoon for 3 years. When I first came to Good Spoon, I expected some special tasks but the first thing I did was folding newsletters and putting stamps and address on them. I did that for quite a while and I had to type the address and phone number of every single doctor’s office in Korean Business Phone Book.

Good Spoon continuously expanded and opened its new thrift store. After its opening, I started working there, unpacking and organizing used products. it was very tiresome and in some part very filthy.

I cannot say I was not at all disappointed or discontent with the works.

However, my perspective changed completely as my consistency in volunteering got me a great opportunity. Last year, Good Spoon conducted a Day Laborer Survey to enrich their understanding of day laborers in the area and I got the part of creating the survey questions and analyzing the results. It was invaluable experience for me.

It was invaluable not only because it provided me with an opportunity to be a part of a real life survey that usual high school students rarely get to experience but because it helped me to finally open my eyes to see the people that I arrogantly boasted about helping. 

Until the survey, I have not realized who they really were and why they needed my help but rather did the works merely because they were given to me; that is why I was foolish enough to be discontent with insignificants of the works. 

After the survey, I looked back and realized those works would eventually benefit those in need. While I was folding hundreds of newsletters, I was spreading the great news of Good Spoon and reaching out hands for donations to facilitate the organization. 

While I was typing all those addresses and phone numbers of Hospitals, I was creating the contact lists of doctors that would generously offer free treatments to an injured or sick person who cannot afford to pay for treatment. 

While I was folding and scrubbing those filthy donations, I was actually helping people of less privileged to afford what they needed and raising Good Spoon’s fund that would eventually be used to create and maintain benefit programs. My works as a volunteer, once thought as mere labors, all resulted in building the Good Spoon itself.