In recent years, I have been deeply honored and profoundly grateful for the opportunities to reach out to and serve marginalized and vulnerable groups within our community. These encounters have been more than acts of service—they have been sacred moments of listening, learning, and sharing life together.

I have had the privilege of engaging with people living with mental health challenges, those navigating different disabilities, individuals struggling with drug addiction, neighbors experiencing homelessness, members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as lonely and struggling youths and seniors. Through countless conversations, I have witnessed resilience in the face of hardship, courage in the midst of stigma, and hope that persists even when resources are scarce. Each story has reminded me that dignity is not something we bestow, but something we recognize and cherish in one another.

It is these opportunities, conversations, and moments of listening that have widened and deepened my understanding of these communities. They have humbled me, filled me with gratitude, and changed my perspective. In truth, they have changed me.

Too often, stigma is born not from truth but from distance—when we are not humble enough, when bias clouds our vision, and when we fail to reach out and listen well. Without presence and listening, we misinterpret, we misunderstand, and we perpetuate stigmas that wound and isolate. But when we choose to draw near, to listen deeply, and to honor the stories entrusted to us, our perspectives widen, our assumptions fall away, and our hearts are changed.

Serving in these spaces has challenged me to move beyond assumptions and to embrace presence as the most powerful gift we can offer. Presence means showing up without agenda, listening without judgment, and honoring the humanity of each person. It is in these moments that true belonging is nurtured.

I remain grateful for the trust placed in me by those who have shared their lives and stories. Their voices continue to shape my ministry and remind me that the work of building community is not about fixing or rescuing, but about walking alongside, bearing witness, and celebrating the beauty of difference.

As I look ahead, I carry these encounters as sacred lessons. They call me to keep creating spaces of welcome, to keep amplifying voices that are too often silenced, and to keep cherishing the gift of crossing boundaries in love and solidarity.

I invite you to reflect on your own encounters with those who are often marginalized—whether they are living with mental health challenges, navigating disabilities, struggling with addiction, experiencing homelessness, identifying as LGBTQ+, or youths and seniors who feel lonely and overlooked. Consider how those moments have shaped you—or how they might, if you allow yourself to listen more deeply.

Let us move beyond stigma. Let us reach out with humility, listen with gratitude, and allow ourselves to be changed. And together, let us foster communities where belonging is not hindered by bias, but strengthened by compassion and solidarity.