On this page, you will find links to all our mini-episodes we call Serving SHORT Stories!
Serving SHORT Stories 7: When Your Doorbell Rings
February 27, 2025: In this episode, we hear touching story from Rev. Annie Bolger, a chaplain a Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Brussels. Holy Trinity hosts the Community Kitchen, a close partner of Serve the City there. Annie tells us how the church has changed through opening its doors… and encourages us to do the same.
If you want to hear the previous episode also featuring Annie, listen to: Partnerships: Activists, Assemble!
Serving SHORT Stories 6: These Mugs are Green
February 13, 2025: Andre Mar and Austin Silva Mota, from Serve the City Lisbon, told us this story at our last Serving Stories Live event. It happened during Covid with a group of people in a homeless shelter who had joined a learning community called “Academy of Change.” One of the volunteers presented issues concerning the environment, and men responded by changing their own environment…
Below are some photos of another outcome of the workshops led by Andre—a brand called “Somos Pessoas” (“We are People”). The translation of the first picture is: We are people… experiencing social exclusion whose goal is to use their abilites to impact society and the local community.
Hear more from Austin Silva Mota about this group and the environment on: Friendly Neighbourhood Heroes.
Serving SHORT Stories 5: The Three Little Bigs
January 30, 2025: In this episode, we hear three mini-stories from Christine Thumm, leader of STC Berlin (pictured at right) that all took place in the the same elderly home. And we learn how three small acts of service had a really BIG impact!
If you want to hear another episode about serving in this same elderly home in Berlin, check out Generosity: What You Can See Out Wenceslas’ Window.
Serving SHORT Stories 4: A Shoebox Full of Love
December 12, 2024: This short story was told to us by Carlton Deal, Serve the City founder. At right, you can see some volunteers from the Brussels Christmas Shoebox project in his story delivering gifts to local charities.
Serving SHORT Stories 3: Sharing Kindness, One Stone at a Time
November 28, 2024: Above you can see Kindness Stones made by STC Gold Coast (Australia) Core Team member, Shan Berserik (front and reverse). In this short story, Shan told us how she makes these stones at the gathering sessions for Serve the City Community Days, and also gives the opportunity for other volunteers to craft them if they want, using paint pens. Check out her two little stories of how these stones had an impact on both recipients and those who made them!
If you want to hear another episode about Serve the City Gold Coast, listen to “Just Keep On Going!”
Serving SHORT Stories 2: Just Start With a Card
November 14, 2024: This story of hope, called “Just Start With a Card,” was shared by Ingeborg Dijkstra from STC Maastricht, at our Serving Stories Live event in 2023. Ingeborg is in the middle of the photo… serving (as always).
If you want to hear another episode about kindness in Maastricht, check out “Hope: Making Connections in Maastricht.“
Serving Short Story 1: All We Have Because We Did NOT Have the Gym
October 28, 2024: Our first mini-episode features a story about the very first Serve the City event in Brussels in 2005, told by STC founder and CEO, Carlton Deal. Here he is, at the 2008 Big Vounteer Week with his wife (and Serving Stories producer) Shannon Deal.
