At Matthew’s House, we believe in the power of community to do magical things. Our volunteers are the heartbeat of everything we do — more than 140 incredible people who give their time, talents, and love to serve others. Some stay with us for a short placement, others for years — in fact, more than a dozen have been with us for over 8 years!
When someone joins our volunteer family, we only start with a small glimpse of who they are. Over time, as we serve alongside them, we get to learn more — the joys, the laughter, the battles, the dreams. Our role is to train, support, care, and encourage. Sometimes, that means helping a volunteer to grow far beyond Matthew’s House, giving them the tools, confidence, and belief to chase their goals.
This story is one of those bittersweet moments.
A joyful, encouraging volunteer joined us, ready to be part of something meaningful. Behind the smile was a dream — to start a small cleaning business. Bit by bit, the pieces came together. We connected them with friends, offered advice, shared skills from our team, and most of all… we believed.
Within weeks, the dream had taken shape. In months, they had clients and a business plan. In a year, they had landed big contracts — so big, in fact, that they had to say goodbye to volunteering because they were now working full time!
And in the most humbling gesture, they chose to donate a percentage of their profits back to Matthew’s House — because they loved the journey, the family, and the belief that had been poured into them.
When they left, they shared these words with us:
“When my soul felt broken and without hope, I volunteered at Matt’s Cafe trying to be the change I wanted to see. Upon leaving to start my business one year later, I had a whole new family and a renewed hope in humanity and a future. Thank you for healing me.”
These are the moments that make the goodbyes worth it. They might leave our building, but they never leave our hearts — and they always remain part of the Matthew’s House family. 💛