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SERVING OTHERS THROUGH OUR JOBS OR IN OUR FAMILIES IS A NATURAL PART OF LIFE. But what happens when we expand outside our regular areas of service to include those facing challenging situations, be they near or far, friends or strangers? Jesus told His disciples, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11), so He also calls each of us to help others with kindness and humility. And if we do, we should find that the greatest path to love comes from selfless service.
A Family Tradition of Service
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” —1 Peter 4:10
For the Van Woert family, it all started with a pillow. Chris and Maureen Van Woert were students at Siena University (then Siena College) in Albany, New York, when they took their first service trip with Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit housing organization that helps build or restore homes for families in need.
The crew of college students arrived in Hilton Head, South Carolina, where they demolished an old house and salvaged supplies for donation. At night, students slept on the floor of a local church, where, one restless night, Chris accidentally stole Maureen's pillow.
What started as a running joke among friends became the beginning of a love story. Chris and Maureen started dating, married in 2001, and still keep in touch with the friends they made on their Habitat trips. In fact, Chris was so wowed by the impact of his service that he helped establish an official Habitat for Humanity chapter at Siena. And in 2025, the Van Woerts’ daughter Maura—a sophomore at her parents’ alma mater—completed her first volunteer experience with Habitat for Humanity.
“Waking up every day bright and early to give back and help a family in need in such a tremendous way was something that fills me with an overwhelming sense of pride,” Maura told The Evangelist.
Some of Chris and Maureen’s fondest memories came from their service trips. The bond they made with other students was rooted in fun memories but also impactful moments. Chris recalled pouring concrete next to the woman whose house they were building.
“We’re literally laying the foundation for their future life,” he said. “To know you’re standing in what is going to be their bedroom, or where their kids are going to put their head down at night, and to know I’m alongside you here doing this, there’s no better feeling.”
Chris added that he and Maureen teach all their children about the importance of giving back: “I tell them all the time we’re doing the Lord’s work. We’re providing for those who are less fortunate. We’ve been blessed, and we need to share those blessings.”
Sisters with ‘A Servant’s Heart’
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.” —Matthew 25:40
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the levee system left 80 percent of New Orleans, Louisiana, underwater. At the time, Sister Vera Butler was serving at St. Joseph’s Church. She and her fellow sisters evacuated prior to the storm. When they returned, they were surrounded by flooding and destruction.
But Sister Vera persevered in her mission of service. If the church wasn’t available, she found another place to help. She set up a trailer in the church parking lot with the other sisters.
At first, they handed out water and cleaning supplies, but over time, they expanded their efforts.
Sister Vera helped residents fill out FEMA and insurance forms and provided clothes for job interviews. The sisters also walked through the community seeking out anyone who needed help.
Today, her legacy continues through the Rebuild Center at St. Joseph’s Church, which provides food, health screenings, showers, laundry, and legal services.
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Illinois, Sister Julia Huiskamp continues serving a struggling community. She founded The Thomas Terry Community Center, providing a safe space for residents and children.
Despite being 90 years old, she continues her mission, saying this is the kind of work Jesus had in mind—feeding the hungry and caring for strangers.
In her daily routine, Sister Julia drives residents to doctors’ appointments or laundromats. She helps them apply for assistance programs and teaches children how to use computers at the community center.
A former mayor once said she wished she had a dozen people like Sister Julia, describing her as having “a servant’s heart.”
A Store For Serving Others
“Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, but through love serve one another.” —Galatians 5:13
The public may know country music star Brad Paisley for his hit songs (such as “Me Neither” and “I’m Gonna Miss Her”) and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, for her acting career (Father of the Bride, 911: Nashville). But Nashville, Tennessee’s residents admire the couple for something much more selfless: a general store for those in need.
Both Brad and Kimberly grew up with a foundation of service. In West Virginia, Brad’s parents took him to hospitals and nursing homes to perform for patients and residents once he developed his musical talents. And in New York, Kimberly’s mom involved her with Meals on Wheels and volunteering at a soup kitchen.
So, while living in California more than 10 years ago, Brad and Kimberly became worried that their own two sons were getting spoiled. They decided to have them volunteer at Unity Shoppe, a Santa Barbara nonprofit in which customers could choose their own groceries free of charge. The boys loved working there and, soon after, mom and dad joined in as well. The Paisleys decided to bring this idea to Nashville and create their own “grocery store with dignity,” as they described it in Parade magazine.
More than a place for food, The Store—as The Paisleys fittingly named it—would offer comprehensive solutions to hunger and poverty for guests. That dream finally came to fruition in March 2020 when The Store opened for one week—until COVID shut everything down. In addition, Nashville had just suffered an outbreak of tornadoes, so families were reeling from the combination of pandemic isolation and destruction.
The Paisleys didn’t give up, however; they pivoted and lit a candle rather than cursing the darkness. In The Store’s first year of operation, volunteers and workers delivered one million meals and truckloads of supplies to residents in need.
That momentum remained after life returned to normal and The Store began welcoming shoppers. “There’s so much need,” Williams-Paisley said. “We’re serving over a thousand families now.”
The Store now offers additional support services to guests, such as music therapy, financial literacy, and medicine management. Seasonal pop-up events are organized in the area for back-to-school supplies, Christmas toys, and pet care. It’s a testament to how the roots of food insecurity run deeper than just at the grocery store. Taking the time to serve all the elements of those unmet needs helps implement sustainable changes.
“This is our problem, as a society,” added Paisley. “[It’s] something we’ve got to fix.”
Bob A. was a man with intellectual challenges who made the world a better place. He worked as an orderly in a Birmingham, Alabama hospital, performing routine tasks with great care to make patients comfortable and cheer them up.
Bob treated patients with respect, remembering their needs and showing genuine concern. His kindness warmed the hospital environment.
If a patient had no visitors, Bob often brought small gifts like flowers or a newspaper. Even after his shift, he would visit patients.
“It’s my calling to help the sick,” he said. “It wasn’t God’s will that I could be a doctor, but I help the doctors.”
