Records Examiner/Analyst

U.S. Marshal Service

Raleigh, NC

I have supported the U.S. Marshal Service as a records examiner with FSA since October of 2018.

My most recent volunteering activity was with The Forgiven Sons, a nonprofit organization serving minority grade school students from underserved communities.

On a summer day in 2019, we gathered at a community center to assemble donated supplies into backpacks to provide kids with gear for the upcoming school year, including notebooks, computer paper, pens, pencils, folders, and calculators. About 100 students in the program attended a concurrent field day with bounce houses, games, prizes and refreshments.

What inspired me to help those students was a life-changing experience I had with Habitat for Humanity, when I gave my time and energy to those in need of reliable housing. During the summer of 2018, I helped build a house in Raleigh over the course of eight weeks. Every Saturday, I spent the day with a group of other good people, including the woman who was chosen to move in, offering our labor and learning construction skills.

We started with only a concrete foundation, and when we left it was an entire house. To assemble the frame, I hammered a lot of nails! I also worked on drywall, flooring, vinyl siding, cleaning the inside and landscaping in the yard. The summer days were hot, but a lot of helping hands made the work go fast. It was a very rewarding experience because I literally built something from the ground up.

When the house was finished, I attended a dedication ceremony with the new resident. They tell you someone will live there, but it was different when I met her in person and saw the gratitude in her eyes. I have an overwhelming sense of pride when I drive past the house because I know I helped give her a new life.