Reflection on Serving
Carson Maske
Serving in the Community - 210 Collective & the power of volunteering
At times community is one of the greatest gifts God can give his people. To have a group of people to call your own and to turn to in the ups and downs of life is nothing less short of a blessing. Sadly, not everyone has a trusted community. Sometimes by choice. Sometimes not so much. Before becoming a Fellow and before I started serving with 210 Collective, I did not have a personal relationship with anyone with special needs. Prior to Fellows, I didn’t really have the opportunity to have relationships much less friendships with people who have special needs, and even when I did I felt nervous, awkward, or just unsure how to act. Yet the Lord has completely changed the story in the last eight months.
It didn’t hit me how much the Lord had been at work until I was standing at the 210 Collective banquet, volunteering as Ty's “partner in crime” for the evening. Ty, formally Tyler, is a young man in his early 20s who has special needs and is a Citizen with 210 Collective. It’s hard to imagine that a few months ago I didn’t know anything about Ty. Now I could write you a dissertation on how he loves NY sports teams, how his laughter could fill a room, and also how quiet and shy he can be at times. Many people with special needs are very quiet or struggle in social settings. Many struggle making friends, “fitting-in,” or even having a community they could call their own. As I was standing with Ty moments before he would go speak in front of the 200 plus people that attended the banquet, I figured he’d be nervous and yet there he was smiling from ear to ear. I asked him why he was smiling. He said, “Everyone’s here!” I looked around the room. I saw his people—his parents, his friends from 210, the 210 staff and the volunteers were all there supporting him. His community was his corner, and it empowered him.
What I do as a 210 Collective volunteer is not particularly hard. I help move boxes, clean things, help citizens make products, mostly I just show up, and yet I have gotten to watch citizens go from death to life. I have seen citizens who never had a support system find a community that cares for them so deeply. It has been nothing but watching the Lord work. Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Volunteering in its very nature is good work, and at times can feel like simple work, but through the Lord’s power it can be kingdom work.