Raena Baitiong

This week, we sat down with Raena, a faithful, friendly, and hard-working volunteer since 2019. We are ecstatic every time she comes by the center and are glad to have her be part of our community. See below to read about Raena’s experience with the center.

“The clients are my favorite part of the Heart Ministry Center. So, everyone has that bubble, whichever community you’re technically in, there’s a bubble there, and volunteering lets you break out of it. It makes me feel connected. For instance, there’s an extreme difference between south of Cuming St. from when you cross it to go north; everything changes. And, the Heart Ministry Center provides a unique experience for volunteering. You can do a lot of things with the clients. Pre-covid, it was like an actual grocery store. You were engaging with the clients and it was a really personal experience. It was something I’ve never done before. Other places are more of a  “let me pass you something through a screen” or “let me hand out food in a line” or whatever – and there’s that connection again. The Heart Ministry Center offers a personal connection that other places don’t.”