For the Purdy family, service is a cornerstone. Their journey, starting with how the parents met, instilled a deep commitment for volunteering in their daughters, Abbey and Bella, who have been valued members of the Pebble Tossers community for many years and active participants in our Teen Leadership Program since its inauguration.
PT: Everyone starts somewhere! How did you get into volunteering?
KATHY: I have always felt a calling towards volunteerism that started in high school. My husband and I met through a friend. Ironically, we were both supposed to be on a mission trip together. Our relationship grew out of our shared commitment to
volunteerism. We always just knew service would be a cornerstone of our family life and something we wanted to share with our children.
I am a firm believer that you are never too young to serve, so we always found meaningful projects for our children to partake in at an early age. It opened their eyes and hearts to different world views and experiences and helped them experience the community they were a part of.
PT: Share an experience that has been particularly meaningful to you as a volunteer.
KATHY: When our daughters were 6 and 9 years old, we spent a week in Nicaragua building modern bathrooms with a shower, sink, and flushable toilet. We were each individually paired with families within this very poor community, and our task was to complete the building of one modern bathroom per family in the community. We worked alongside the families as we broke rock to mix with water and make our own cement, fashioned rebar into walls, and dug ditches 30 feet deep to create a septic tank. These families had never experienced running water. We accomplished the creation of ten modern bathrooms by the end of the week, but this was truly the least of our accomplishments.
We worked hard without a doubt, but there was so much joy in working hard and learning to play with purpose. Making friends and being treated like family by the villagers was a beautiful experience. We watched the children build friendships immediately in spite of the language barrier. We all worked and played together just as families do. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries, yet they are some of the happiest people in the world. We all walked away with new perspectives and a change in what we valued. Over a decade later, our children still talk about this experience and how much it has shaped them. We walked away with so much more than we contributed and were honored to make some extraordinary friendships along the way.
PT: Abbey and Bella, what impact has volunteering had on your life?
Abbey: Volunteering has made me more aware of the needs in my community. It reminds me to put others first when I can help. There is never a problem too big that one person can’t make at least a small difference. It all matters.
Bella: Not everyone has grown up the same way I have; not everyone has the same privileges or experiences. I’ve learned you can be happy with the simple things in life. Volunteering allows me to be present to people and realizing that even a kind smile can make a difference. My parents introduced us to volunteerism when we were very young. I am very glad to have been exposed to people from all walks of life and cultures and to experience the world from their perspectives.
PT: Parents, how impactful has volunteering been for your family?
Tim: We always look to find a way to give to others and have shared this philosophy with our children. Volunteering helps make our lives more meaningful and keeps us centered.
Kathy: Our children have grown up to be kind, empathetic, and resourceful. They have learned that service means many things. It can require physical work or be an emotional journey with finding joy in being present with an individual or even sharing in a moment of someone’s fear or sadness. We all walk away better for the experience.
PT: What keeps you coming back and continuing to volunteer?
Tim: Volunteering centers you and teaches you to appreciate the importance of the simple things in life.
Kathy: I value the relationships I have made when I volunteer. Whether it is those you serve or those you are serving with, those relationships become personal and intimate on a whole new level. It really is a privilege.
PT: What message would you like to share about volunteering with the community?
Tim: You always receive so much more from service than the effort you put forth.
Kathy: You are never too young or too old to volunteer. Every contribution makes a difference.
Empathy’s significance cannot be overstated in a world that often seems fast-paced and self-centered. As teenagers, you’re at a crucial juncture in your personal growth, and cultivating empathy through community service can be a transformative experience. Not only does it make you an active citizen, but it also helps you become a servant leader and a genuinely good person. Let’s explore how this journey of empathy and service can shape you into a remarkable individual.