Teamwork makes the dream work—a phrase we have all heard and use in contexts spanning from collaborative job projects to banding together to help a friend move boxes and anywhere in between. Teamwork truly is what unified the people who participated in the Catholic Charities of West Tennessee Cook-Out, allowing the dream of a successful event and the inclusion of many throughout the community to be fulfilled.

Catholic Charities of West Tennessee (CCWTN) is an organization planted in the heart of Memphis that is devoted to supporting individuals on a “path from poverty to self-sufficiency.” Through services such a food pantry and clothing closet as well as other ministries geared towards homelessness, immigration, and youth, CCWTN touches the lives of a wide assortment of people on a daily basis. Last year alone, they rehomed 373 households, supplied more than 250,000 meals, and provided clothing for more than 12,500 people.

On the Saturday I served with the ministry, Catholic Charities of West Tennessee hosted a free cook-out event for the community. People from across the Memphis area worked together to grill hot dogs, supply snow cones, chips, and water, and provide free clothing to everyone in attendance. Through genuine conversations and quality time spent together, both those whom the event was geared towards and those volunteering were deeply touched.

During the cook-out, I got to meet Bridgett Hitchings, a woman who planned her family reunion to include this volunteer opportunity. After doing a Google search that resulted in her coming across the VolunteerCompass platform and connecting with CCWTN, Hitchings and her family were able to register to serve. Having a single platform from which family members across the country could sign up saved the family from miscommunication, confusion, and time spent emailing or calling CCWTN. 

When asked why her family members, who came into town from as far as Pennsylvania, decided to spend their time together in this way, she said, “Even though many of us don’t live in Memphis anymore, this is where our family is from, and so being able to pour back into the city means a lot to us.” Hitchings, who works at United Way of Greater Atlanta (an organization devoted to engaging the community to foster sustainable improvements), asserted her belief in all being a part of a village. “We see that we are connected to everyone in the village regardless of who they are…and take care of the ones who are a part of it.”

Later, I talked to Shepherd Simmons, a father who decided to serve at the event alongside his family. Because of previous experiences his family has had serving with CCWTN, signing the family up to volunteer at the cook-out was an obvious choice. He said that one of his motivations for attending the event was getting to “help people, demonstrate love, and be a part of a fun event that is a bright spot in others’ day.” 

Towards the end of the event, I asked the Marie family about what they’ve learned by volunteering. Brian Marie said he has learned that service events ”truly [are] a broad network of people coming together…local businesses and individuals within the community all working together.” His wife, Ann Marie, added that Volunteer Odyssey has contributed to their service because it is “a very easy-to-use portal to sign up after seeing all of the opportunities out there—and it’s not just one place. There are many places you can choose from,” allowing people across the Memphis area to foster connections and serve each other at events such as the cook-out.

To be a part of making the dream work at Catholic Charities of West Tennessee or a variety of other organizations, sign up at www.volunteercompass.com.