From the Inbox: A Volunteer’s Note
Volunteering at the Cecil: hard, holy, and worth returning to.
From the Inbox: A Volunteer’s Note
Usually, you just hear from me—recounting a moment or event from our time at the Hotel Cecil. But today, you get to hear from one of our volunteers. They’ve only been with us twice so far, but what they experienced moved them deeply. They asked to remain anonymous, but gave permission to share their words.
Here they are:
“I’ve only come to the Cecil twice so far, but I already know I want to keep coming back. It’s changed something in me. I’ve done volunteer stuff before, but this feels different. More raw. More real.
Just sitting with people, hearing their stories—some of them absolutely wrecked me. I cried in my car after the first day. Not because it was too much, but because I realized how much pain people carry, and how often it goes unseen.
But I also heard stories of recovery, of people getting clean, reconnecting with family, choosing to keep going. That kind of hope feels rare, and being around it makes you believe again.
Thank you for letting me be part of this. It’s heavy, yeah—but it’s holy. I’ll be back.”
This is the heart of what we do: making space for people to open up and tell their stories. When someone feels heard—really heard—something begins to shift. The story loses its grip. The pain doesn’t disappear, but the energy behind it starts to release. And that’s where healing begins.
If you’d like to volunteer with us, email the office at contact@dioceseofthepacific.org.