A Different Kind of Stage

Before I ever walked onto a stage or stepped in front of a camera, I was standing in food pantries, serving hot meals, sorting donations, and collecting toys for kids who might not get a Christmas gift otherwise. For years, I spent more time volunteering than I did auditioning. And you know what? That was exactly what I needed.

People often ask me how volunteering fits into an acting career. “Aren’t those two totally different worlds?” they’ll say. My answer is simple: they go hand-in-hand.

What I’ve learned is that community service doesn’t just help others—it shapes you from the inside out. And when you’re an actor, who you are inside shows up in every scene.

Learning to See People Clearly

Acting is about understanding people. It’s about stepping into someone else’s shoes and telling their story honestly. But how do you get good at that?

You spend time with real people.

Volunteering in soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters has taught me to listen without judgment, to notice the small things, and to treat every person with dignity. When you hand a meal to someone who’s had a hard day—or a hard life—you stop making assumptions about what people should look like, talk like, or act like. You start to see them.

That kind of understanding makes you a better human. It also makes you a much better actor.

Discipline Without the Applause

Volunteering isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes it’s early mornings, heavy lifting, or organizing piles of canned goods for hours. No one’s clapping. No one’s giving you a trophy, but I show up anyway. People ask me why, and the answer is simple, I serve others because I love Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples, “I came to serve, not to be served.”  I live by this truth. 

That kind of consistency builds discipline. You learn to keep going without instant gratification. And in acting, you need that same work ethic. You may spend weeks preparing for a role you won’t book. You might shoot for hours just to get one scene right. The discipline I learned in community work gave me the strength to show up, again and again, in my creative work—even when there’s no applause.

Emotional Truth Comes From Real Life

I’ve always said that volunteering grounds me. It keeps me connected to what really matters. When I’m standing in a shelter helping a mother pick out clothes for her kids or watching a child’s face light up during Operation Santa, I’m reminded of how complex and beautiful real people are.

Those moments stay with me when I step into character.

When I play a role, I want it to feel honest. I want to bring depth—not just memorized lines. Volunteering helps me tap into emotions like empathy, gratitude, heartbreak, and hope. I’ve seen all of that in my community work. I carry it with me into every audition and every scene.

Can you reword the above paragraph?  Volunteering does not help me tap into emotions, empathy etc. My childhood did that. 

Serving Others Builds Confidence

You wouldn’t think that ladling soup or distributing toys would help with confidence, but it does. Because when you give without expecting anything back, something shifts in you. You begin to feel useful. Capable. Needed.

That quiet kind of confidence builds from the inside.

It’s not about ego. It’s not about proving you’re the best. It’s about knowing your worth and trusting that what you bring—on stage or in life—matters. And when you walk into an audition room with that kind of confidence, people feel it.

It’s Not About You (And That’s a Good Thing)

When I started volunteering at FISH Food Pantry in Carpentersville, I did it because I wanted to give back. I didn’t realize how much it would change my own heart.

Please change above. I did volunteered because that is what Jesus did and I love helping people. Helping others truly makes me happy. 

I served on the board of trustees. I helped organize Operation Santa for seven years, collecting toys for hundreds of children. I worked the Red Kettle season with the Salvation Army, sorted food, delivered meals, and more. Through all of it, I learned to shift the focus off myself and onto the bigger picture.

In acting—and in life—it’s easy to get caught up in your own goals, insecurities, or appearance. But volunteering reminded me that purpose comes from serving others. That shift in mindset helped me approach my career with more grace and patience. I don’t just want to succeed—I want to make a difference through the stories I tell.

Real Fulfillment Isn’t Measured in Roles

Let’s be honest—acting is a tough business. You get told “no” a lot more than “yes.” And it’s easy to feel like your value is tied to your bookings.

But volunteering gave me something acting alone never could: fulfillment.

Even if I don’t land a role, I know I made someone’s day better. I know a family had a meal, a child got a toy, or someone felt seen and cared for. That kind of meaning isn’t just comforting—it’s empowering.

It reminds me that I have something to give, on stage and off.

Chase Your Dreams

I’m still on my journey. I still audition, still get rejected, still hustle for that next role. But I walk into every opportunity with more heart because of the years I spent serving others.

Volunteering taught me how to feel more deeply, work more humbly, and connect more honestly. And those lessons show up in every performance I give.

So no—acting and soup kitchens aren’t separate worlds. They’re both about people, connection, and truth. And the more I serve, the more purpose I find—in my art and in myself.