Volunteer Spotlight: John Scott

September 9, 2019

We are thrilled to announce John Scott as our Volunteer Spotlight! John was introduced to Broad Street Ministry through a Philadelphia Inquirer article, he even recalls the photo of BSM’s table set up with a description that drew his attention, “providing service in a way that is focused on the value of each person as an individual”. John has been a member of the Philadelphia community since the 1980s! He worked in banking for 37 years and volunteers with BSM because he feels passionately about giving back to the community he spent his career in.

His first volunteer experience with BSM was as a server during Breaking Bread and he has been coming back ever since,

“There were many parts of that first experience that were so impressive.  The organization of volunteers and clarity regarding their roles was excellent.  The quality of the food served to guests was clearly important to BSM.  I was struck by how well BSM delivered service to the guests.  This was demonstrated in many small ways including taking time to polish knives and forks before guests arrive.  The BSM staff was clearly focused on delivering radical hospitality and helped volunteers understand what radical hospitality means.  When I volunteer at BSM I feel like I am helping a very good organization helping people in Philadelphia”

We are so lucky to have John as a volunteer, John bounces around between the services we provide, mostly spending his time in Breaking Bread and Kitchen Prep. John describes one of his favorite BSM memories being spent in the kitchen, preparing banh mi sandwiches, serving roughly 300-400 people per day. “Working to prepare all of the ingredients and then assemble the sandwiches as a team was so much fun and so fulfilling. The quality of the ingredients and menu that the small kitchen crew puts out every day is just so impressive.  I love being part of that experience”

Beyond his volunteering, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife, four children and grandchildren, cycling (usually 60-80 miles every week!), and taking any and opportunity to swing by a Bruce Springsteen concert. John has been a Bruce Springsteen fan for over 46 years and has seen him over 30 times in concert! We at Broad Street Ministry are so grateful John chooses to spend his free time with us, helping serve the community, we all hold so near and dear to our hearts. Thank you John for your patience, time, and thoughtfulness!