Volunteering has been an important part of my life since I was a teen. When I was 14 years old, I was nearly paralyzed following an accident. The Children’s Hospital was a big part of my recovery and was able to give me everything I needed for free. From that moment on, my family has stressed how important it is to give back and help others.
After Eric Scott, PSE&G collection supervisor, and I became friends, we realized we had the same interest and passion for volunteering and knew it would be great to volunteer together.
“I have always thought that it is very important to give back when I can since there are people less fortunate than I am or those who are in need,” said Eric. “I grew up in the inner city so I am always eager to help and give back at any time that I can.”
We started volunteering with the Teen Magazine Project in Jersey City, which helps enhance the youth of Jersey City by encouraging kids to seek good relationships and interactions with the people around them, while having the opportunity to create a magazine that showcases their individual voices.
It started out as something as simple as bringing in lunch for the kids, but, once we showed up with the pizza, we were hooked and wanted to be more involved. We both became mentors alongside local firefighters and police officers. We help the kids with their writing, teach them about new things and just be there to help them out. It’s a great experience not only to be able to meet and mentor 200 kids, but also to be recognized as the important “public service guys” together with the police and firefighters.
PSEG has offered us a way to connect with so many people in all the communities we work in. We meet so many people and learn about new ways to help them by getting involved in the community.
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