Serving Stories – Serve the City International

Courage: Dreaming New Dreams in the Big City

The two most multicultural cities in the world are Brussels and Dubai (Belgium, UAE). People move there dreaming of opportunity... but what happens if opportunities fail to materialize, or when it is time to go back? Meet Marie and Karen, two ladies who help other women find the courage to dream new dreams in these cities... and also one more who has succeeded in making her dream come true. Marie Bennett relates how a Serve the City partnership in Brussels helps migrant women vulnerable to ...

Courage: A Fight for Haiti's Future

Violence in Haiti has again become world news. And in the midst of chaos, the Serve the City Haiti team continues to serve with courage, addressing the roots of the crisis. In this Serving Stories episode, we explore how Serve the City Haiti volunteers have been trying to address the root causes of this crisis, working on the very issues that have fed the rise of gang rule. We hear about projects with enslaved and abandoned children, as well with as single mothers living in poverty. The fig...

Meet the Serving Stories Team!

Bonus episode! Ever wondered about the people behind the list of names as the end of our podcast? Our Serving Stories production team introduce themselves, and discuss their own experience of serving the city, as well as their favorite episodes!

Compassion: A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Cead mile failte: an Irish phrase that means "a hundred thousand welcomes." That is what Lucy Alexia Dube wants to offer new migrant parents coming to Ireland. Having been a refugee herself, she compassionately supports them in the midst of cultural transition—and sometimes prejudice—through STC Ireland's Cairdeas (Friendship) program. Come meet a lady numbered among the "Top 50 People to Watch in 2024" by the Irish Times.

Compassion: Kindness to Ukraine, Continued

Let's combat compassion fatigue! On the 2nd anniversary of the Ukraine war, Nikita and Artur, two refugees in Krakow, recount their stories—and how kindness became contagious for them.

Compassion: Nourishing Kindness in Paris

Safi Ebrahim and Peter DeWitt, of Serve the City Paris, lay out for us how compassion can change the trajectory of the life of an immigrant. And Safi should know, as he himself came to Paris as a refugee from Afghanistan! He shares his journey of finding first the means of communication, and then a door to community, as he encountered Serve the City volunteers and became one himself. Be inspired by the stories these two remarkable people helpers as they recount the changes in people's lives,...

Respect: In the Stockings of St. Nicholas

What if giving gifts to those in need could boost self-respect instead of creating dependency? Saint Nicholas understood this when he gave money anonymously to an impoverished family to supply dowries that would allow their three daughters to marry and have a future. And Serve the City volunteers step in St. Nicholas' stockings—not just on Christmas, but throughout the year—when they recognize that people in need are also people who have something to give to the world. Maybe they just need a...

Respect: No Longer Frozen in Shame

In Krakow, Poland, as in many other big cities around the world, respectable people pretend the homeless person they pass on the street is invisible. There are, the respectable feel, so many reasons not to respect the man sleeping on the bench: alcoholism, lack of a job, grubbiness, asking for handouts. And if he doesn't seem to respect himself, why should they? So they pretend blindness... until it turns out that the man on the bench has frozen to death in the winter cold. In this episode ...

Ep2.3 Humility: Mopping Mayors and Stumbling Stones

It’s pretty easy to volunteer when you feel like the task you are doing is big and important. But when the job seems mundane and messy—maybe even smelly—some volunteers might hesitate. In Serve the City, however, volunteering with humility means we are not too proud to do the little things, and to clean up things that are are dirty. And this includes not just dirty streets, but dirty bits of history that pollute our cities.  This episode contains three stories from three continents in which...

Humility: Mopping Mayors and Stumbling Stones

It’s pretty easy to volunteer when you feel like the task you are doing is big and important. But when the job seems mundane and messy—maybe even smelly—some volunteers might hesitate. In Serve the City, however, volunteering with humility means we are not too proud to do the little things, and to clean up things that are are dirty. And this includes not just dirty streets, but dirty bits of history that pollute our cities.  This episode contains three stories from three continents in which...

Humility: Short People Got Good Reason to Serve

Turns out: Randy Newman had it wrong. Short people have lots of good reasons to live! In this episode, focused on volunteering with Humility, we ask: Do you have to be big to do great things? We met with the shortest members of the Short family (the kids) to find out, and to ask them about their experiences and insights from serving. And along the way, we also meet their parents and other families from the core team of Serve the City South Jersey in the USA and find out what they think. Turn...

Ep. 2.2 Humility: Short People Got Good Reason to Serve

Turns out: Randy Newman had it wrong. Short people have lots of good reasons to live! In this episode, focused on volunteering with Humility, we ask: Do you have to be big to do great things? We met with the shortest members of the Short family (the kids) to find out, and to ask them about their experiences and insights from serving. And along the way, we also meet their parents and other families from the core team of Serve the City South Jersey in the USA and find out what they think. Turn...

Ep 2.1 Humility: Small People doing Small Things

"Small people doing small things together can make a big difference." Meet Lucy, the 11 year old daughter of the Serve the City Baltimore director, Erin. Lucy has been volunteering for half her life in a variety of projects—including some on the mean streets of the inner city. She and her mom share with us how the humility of a kid serving others can make a big difference. This unpublished interview, recorded in 2021, was too good not to share with you.

Humility: Small People doing Small Things

"Small people doing small things together can make a big difference." Meet Lucy, the 11 year old daughter of the Serve the City Baltimore director, Erin. Lucy has been volunteering for half her life in a variety of projects—including some on the mean streets of the inner city. She and her mom share with us how the humility of a kid serving others can make a big difference. This unpublished interview, recorded in 2021, was too good not to share with you.

Serving Stories Ep 2.1A - Humility: Small People doing Small Things

"Small people doing small things together can make a big difference." Meet Lucy, the 11 year old daughter of the Serve the City Baltimore director, Erin. Lucy has been volunteering for half her life in a variety of projects—including some on the mean streets of the inner city. She and her mom share with us how the humility of a kid serving others can make a big difference. This unpublished interview, recorded in 2021, was too good not to share with you.

Serving Stories – Ep.2.2 – Humility, Part 2: South Jersey & Detroit

When we encountered the Short kids in southern New Jersey (USA) last year, they showed us that Short people have lots of reasons to live… and lots of ways to give! In this episode, we discover how a few families coming together to serve their cities—with lots of kids of all ages—is motivating other families […]

Serving Stories – E2.2 – Humility – Part 1: Baltimore

"Small people doing small things together can make a big difference." Meet Lucy, the 11 year old daughter of the Serve the City Baltimore director, Erin. Lucy has been volunteering for half her life in a variety of projects—including some on the mean streets of the inner city. She and her mom share with us how the humility of a kid serving others can make a big difference, now and in the years to come.

Serving Stories – E2.1 – Respect is given, not earned

“Respect is given, not earned.” In this episode of Serving Stories, we travel to Krakow, Poland to see how volunteers are showing respect to the homeless this Christmas season. We also voyage to Brussels, Belgium and Nairobi, Kenya to explore how service is giving self-respect to people in need. Welcome to our second season in which we will be exploring the six values of Serve the City-humility, compassion, respect, courage, love, and hope- as they play out in Serving Stories around the world.

Serving Stories – Episode 6 – Kindness Starts With Me

For the year 2020, Serve the City chose as their theme, "Kindness Starts with Me." Little did they know how the events of this year would draw on the creativity of volunteers in showing kindness! In this episode, we hear stories from around the world (Geneva, Newport News, Nairobi, Accra, Paris, Luxembourg and South Jersey) about how they have seen a viral spread of kindness as a pandemic was being contained.

COVID Kindness – 03 – Compassion, Courage and Coronavirus

It's been a more than a good idea to stay inside during the COVID outbreak in Brussels— it's the law. But some residents have found that there are some important humanitarian reasons to venture out in the streets, motivated by compassion that fuels their courage.

COVID Kindness – Episode 02 – Do What You Do Best.

As we revisit the first four cities in Season 1 — Lisbon, Chesapeake, Berlin and Tallinn — we find out that agility is everything. In each city, we discover how the expertise, partnerships, and concerns developed in everyday volunteering are being adapted to show kindness in this crisis—and the touching stories that result.

COVID Kindness – 02 – Do What You Do Best

As we revisit the first four cities in Season 1 — Lisbon, Chesapeake, Berlin and Tallinn — we find out that agility is everything. In each city, we discover how the expertise, partnerships, and concerns developed in everyday volunteering are being adapted to show kindness in this crisis—and the touching stories that result.

COVID Kindness – Episode 01 – When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Serve the City Dublin team members tell stories of volunteers welcoming and comforting people at a COVID testing site, and delivering groceries and prescriptions to vulnerable people isolated in their homes. Kindness has not been cancelled in Ireland!

COVID Kindness – 01 – When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Serving Stories is a podcast from Serve the City. We travel around the world to gather stories of volunteers doing small things together that make a big difference. Each month, we feature people who cross lines of poverty, privilege and prejudice to raise the kindness quotient in their cities. In the first season we focus on six different cities—Lisbon, Chesapeake, Berlin, Tallinn, Brussels and Pristina—serving stories of transformation, both big and small.

Serving Stories – Episode 5 – Brussels, BE – Part 2

In this episode (part 2 of 2), a simple project serving breakfast to migrants in a park turns into a city-wide humanitarian effort. And in the process, it changes not only the lives of migrants living precariously, but also the lives of the volunteers who sign up to serve them.

Serving Stories – Episode 5.2 – Brussels, BE

In this episode (part 2 of 2), a simple project serving breakfast to migrants in a park turns into a city-wide humanitarian effort. And in the process, it changes not only the lives of migrants living precariously, but also the lives of the volunteers who sign up to serve them.

COVID Kindness 01 – Kindness Will Not Be Cancelled

Kindness will not be cancelled! Events are cancelled, meetings are cancelled, but Serve the City believes that kindness is open for business and the shelves are stocked floor to ceiling with creative ideas! In this podcast, Carlton and Ani Deal discuss creative kindness.

COVID Kindness – Kindness Will Not Be Cancelled

Kindness will not be cancelled! Events are cancelled, meetings are cancelled, but Serve the City believes that kindness is open for business and the shelves are stocked floor to ceiling with creative ideas! In this podcast, Carlton and Ani Deal discuss creative kindness.

Special – Kindness Will Not Be Cancelled

Kindness will not be cancelled! Events are cancelled, meetings are cancelled, but Serve the City believes that kindness is open for business and the shelves are stocked floor to ceiling with creative ideas! In this podcast, Carlton and Ani Deal discuss creative kindness.

Serving Stories – Episode 5 – Brussels, BE – Part 1

In this episode (part one of two), we travel to Brussels, Belgium to see how a simple, early-morning project—serving breakfast to irregular migrants and asylum seekers—draws on compassion to cut across the lines at the heart of one of the most challenging issues facing the European Union. It turns out that a cup of coffee is more than a cup of coffee when love is added to it.

Serving Stories – Episode 4 – Tallinn, EE

In this episode, we travel to Tallinn, Estonia to meet secret agents of a serving revolution: the Serve the City Tallinn Blackshirts. No, they are not members of a fascist paramilitary group, but young people stepping up to lead others to serve people in need with humility, compassion, and courage. Along the way, they discover something unexpected: the serving revolution is also changing them.

Serving Stories – Episode 03 Bonus – Berlin, DE

This month Serving Stories travels to Berlin, Germany. Berlin is known for being the techno capital of the world, the site of a dance revolution. But in a gym located in the Berlin suburbs, dancers are moving to another kind of rhythm, and supporting another kind of revolution—a serving revolution. This is the annual Serve the City Berlin Zumba party, fundraising and recruiting volunteers for their serving activities in the city. Listen to today's episode to find out how dancing and serving c...

Serving Stories – Episode 03 – Berlin, DE

This month Serving Stories travels to Berlin, Germany. Berlin is known for being the techno capital of the world, the site of a dance revolution. But in a gym located in the Berlin suburbs, dancers are moving to another kind of rhythm, and supporting another kind of revolution—a serving revolution. This is the annual Serve the City Berlin Zumba party, fundraising and recruiting volunteers for their serving activities in the city. Listen to today's episode to find out how dancing and serving c...

Serving Stories – Episode 02 – Chesapeake, VA, USA

If you drive around Chesapeake, a suburban city on the eastern coast of Virginia (USA), you will find yourself constantly crossing bridges. But bridges of a different kind are being built in several neighbourhoods that used to be known for high crime and urban blight. Thanks to a unique Serve the City partnership between Chesapeake police and faith-based organisations, bridges of trust are being built between people who formerly would have feared one another.

Serving Stories – Episode 01 – Lisbon, Portugal

This month we embark for Lisbon, Portugal, where we will hear from the people behind their remarkable Community Dinners...

Serving Stories – Promo

Serving Stories – Episode 00 – Promo

Serving Stories is a podcast from Serve the City. We travel around the world to gather stories of volunteers doing small things together that make a big difference. Each month, we feature people who cross lines of poverty, privilege and prejudice to raise the kindness quotient in their cities. In the first season we focus on six different cities—Lisbon, Chesapeake, Berlin, Tallinn, Brussels and Pristina—serving stories of transformation, both big and small.