Volunteer Reflections

My concept of volunteering had always been one of doing something for others. After all, the philosophy of St. Ignatius was a ‘Man for Others’. The proximity of St. Ignatius High School where my son was a student, to the St. Malachi Center, may be coincidental, but the philosophy and goals are the same. Two of goals that the St. Malachi Center espouses are creating a loving environment and helping students become intellectually competent. What slowly emerges is the realization that the loving and learning process is directed back to the volunteers by the Center’s administrative staff, but even more importantly and significantly, by the students.

I began my tutoring unsure of how I would communicate certain concepts to the students. I was a tutor with no real teaching experience. The students were patient and willing to allow for on the job training. There was a mutual trust and respect developing that caused me to see that these were not only students who needed nurturing, but tutors who could be nurtured by the students’ own knowledge and life lessons.

Certainly, there are students who come and go. The demands upon their time or their personal situations are such that they cannot make a commitment at that time. And there are those who stay and show the courage and persistence needed to attain their goal. These individuals provide the cherished moments, the living proof of why anyone comes to help and why He is there to help us all.

I have learned at the St. Malachi Center that the world is not a simple case of black and white. There are people facing every type of situation, trying to make it in life a day at a time. There is no room for indignation or rejection. Acceptance and time are offered instead.

- Roger Deike, Mart Operating Officer & Former Volunteer