Volunteering for Justice
How do you spend your day off from work? Most people spend the day cleaning, shopping or relaxing. Not Theresa Witte — she spends her day off volunteering. She also volunteers on weekends, after work and whenever she has spare time.
Theresa has been a social justice volunteer for almost eight years. She got involved with volunteering at Saint Benedict’s Monastery through Elizabeth Reum, the monastery’s director of social justice ministries. Theresa and Elizabeth met at a parent’s game night, and once Elizabeth mentioned what she does, Theresa wanted to help.
Theresa does a variety of volunteer activities. She helps package and deliver food, fold and sort clothing and bring mattresses from church to church for those experiencing homelessness to sleep on. She has done projects for the Lincoln Center, a nonprofit organization in St. Cloud, Minn., serving people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty, such as making meals, bringing clothing and blankets and even hauling lockers there. One of Theresa’s favorite volunteering activities is bringing furniture to people who don’t have any. With the help of her friends and family, Theresa searches Facebook Marketplace to find free furniture. She has driven all over the state to pick up furniture and deliver it to those in need.
Theresa feels that every moment of her work makes a real difference. One moment that she’ll always remember was when she was at the Guadalupe Mass in Cold Spring, Minn. At Mass, a teenage boy ran up to her and gave her a big hug, thanking her for everything she had given to his family — it had been two years since Theresa had helped that family out. It really shows how much helping others makes a difference.
Even though Theresa has been a social justice volunteer for several years, she has been volunteering her whole life. She says that her mother is the one who planted the seed of volunteering. Theresa describes her mother as someone who has always been a giving person. Back in the day, her mom would dress up as Santa, and Theresa as an elf, and they would walk through hospitals and nursing homes bringing joy to all.
Theresa’s love for volunteering continues to grow. She loves seeing the difference that it makes and believes that everyone needs to volunteer at some point in their lives. She reflects: “Volunteering makes you take a step back to be less selfish and to be thankful of what you have to share.”
Emily Vranesh
This article was featured on page 22 in the spring 2026 issue of Benedictine Sisters and Friends.
