Annabelle Waters Steele can still hear her father’s words: “Be of service to the world.”
The mantra took on new meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Annabelle, who is a yoga teacher, couldn’t serve the community through her normal route. She saw an invitation to glean strawberries with Willing Hands at 4 Corners Farm in Newbury, Vermont, and figured she’d give it a try.
She enjoyed the experience so much that she returned the following day, and the following week. Soon she was volunteering multiple times a week in the Willing Hands gardens and at gleaning sites across the Upper Valley, growing and harvesting produce destined for dozens of food shelves. Despite being a seasoned gardener, Annabelle says she learned something every time she volunteered in the gardens. During the 2021 growing season, she logged more than 74 hours of total volunteer time.Â
“I was grateful to find such a fun way to serve others,” Annabelle says. Volunteering with Willing Hands became her primary community space, an antidote to pandemic isolation. She forged connections with other volunteers and sometimes just provided a listening ear when it was clear that someone needed to talk.
Annabelle appreciated knowing that someone was going to eat the beautiful fruits and vegetables she had picked. And she was impressed by the “community of love” that she found at each volunteer event, as friends and strangers gathered together to serve others.
The energy and compassion that Annabelle brings to every volunteer session rubs off on those around her. “I love seeing people connect across the rows,” she says.
If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with Willing Hands, check out our volunteer page or send a note to volunteer@willinghands.org.