John Pickens
VOLUNTEER SINCE | 2017
HOMETOWN | Bluffton, SC
WHY I VOLUNTEER | Because I believe in the mission and because there is nothing in the way BSH works to fulfill the mission that does not make me proud.
WHAT OTHERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BSH | That BSH is, currently, so much more than a food pantry and is so much more than Bluffton. And that changes are underway which will provide more, needed, services to a larger community.
MOMENTS TO REMEMBER | “My car was broken. I was in a parking lot waiting for the repair people and, after realizing that I had never seen my car’s engine, I opened the hood.
Very quickly, a man in a shiny pick-up pulled up and asked if I needed help. I said “No, thanks. I was just waiting.” He was kind enough to confirm what the problem was and, as we were talking, I mentioned that I volunteered at BSH.
He told me his story of how, as a life-long Bluffton resident, when he had experienced a difficult time in his life, Bluffton Self Help, even Ida Martin, had been there to help him through it. He gave me some details. The help from Bluffton Self Help was a big deal for him. He said it changed his life. Most importantly, he came through the difficulty and is a successful, happy guy.
So, we just talked while I was waiting for the repair people. He was an awfully nice person and made my bad experience into something I really enjoyed. He didn’t fix my car, but he made me not care that it was broken. I am sure that I was not the first stranger that he has done a favor for.
I like to think that BSH is part of making these experiences, and his story, happen in our neighborhood. I really want to be a part of that legacy.”
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