Finding His Voice: A Volunteer Combats Shyness By Helping Others

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Allen Carter. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Allen Carter knew his shyness was holding him back. Extremely introverted, Allen was struggling to come out of his shell as he worked on his college applications. When family members recommended that he try volunteering to get more comfortable in his own skin, Allen was initially hesitant. But after over a decade as a beloved volunteer at the Women’s Intercultural Center, Allen knows he’s exactly where he needs to be.  

When Allen first visited the center, which provides classes, training and workshops to help women attain the the tools they need to succeed personally and professionally, the executive director tasked him with the job of serving as the receptionist. Struggling with his shyness and public speaking abilities, Allen knew it was going to be a challenge. But soon, Allen found the ability to provide every visitor that comes through the doors with a smile as he greeted them and registered them for classes. Since then, Allen’s role at the center has expanded significantly. Today, he’s an essential component of running the thrift store, which provides the center with the funds they need to run smoothly. Whether he’s sorting donations, setting up appointments or scheduling pickups, Allen accumulates about 140 volunteer hours per month. With over 10,000 total volunteer hours at the Center under his belt, Allen has found a way to use volunteering to become the person he always wanted to be, while helping others in the meantime. 

Read on to find out more about how Allen overcame his personal struggles to find his voice as a volunteer. 

Tell us about your volunteer role with the Women’s Intercultural Center.  

I’m kind of a jack of all trades. Originally, they would call me a receptionist, but I do a lot more than just reception. Most of the time I’m running the thrift store now. I set up the appointments for people who are in need of clothing to come in, and I show them where everything is located. I also help process the donations, as well.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative? 

My family and friends told me that volunteering was the best place to help improve yourself. I decided to try it out. I grew to actually really love working for the center and seeing people being helped to actually thrive. I actually fell in love with the place.  

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization? 

We’ve been getting out there more in terms of social media to help people to know more about us.  But the other long-term plan for me is to help us expand just a bit more. We have increased the number of people coming to our classes throughout our community from Mexico, El Paso and other parts of New Mexico. We also have increased the number of people from the western side of Texas.  

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

What I really like about the center is helping people. There was a man whose wife’s wheelchair was stolen on a road trip. But they came to us and found that a wheelchair had been donated. I told them we had a wheelchair in the back, and it worked well for her. I saw their faces, and they were crying because they really weren’t expecting that. I think things like that are one of the reasons why I stay. 

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

How to talk and communicate better, and how to face my timidness. Sometimes I do have issues, but I do find ways to fight it. I found my voice while volunteering at the center, and everyone that comes here has become family to me. Also, I learned a lot about citizenship and about certain issues that we can help solve.

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about. 

We usually do toy distributions in December, but we’re also going to have a financial literacy course in October. That will help people out with learning how to build their savings, and how to work on their credit, which a lot of people actually have no knowledge of. We also will help people apply for scholarships. I would also like to help create a community garden within the next year or the year after. 

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering? 

I hear a lot of people say they don’t like something, but they don’t do anything about it. But if you just let it pass, no one’s going to do it. You can start off small. Maybe you want to donate clothes or food for a food pantry. 

What do you want people to learn from your story? 

Go ahead and confront your discomfort. You have to fight your complacency and go through certain things that are uncomfortable to learn more about yourself and to help other people. That’s one of the main things I have learned working at the center. 

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Allen Carter? Find local volunteer opportunities.