Month of Gratitude: Night OWLS Volunteer John O’Brien

Retiree John O’Brien has been making the most of his free time enjoying a variety of creative endeavors, including yard art, welding, painting, and ceramics. He calls bingo at a retirement home every other Saturday as part of the Lions Club, and is a volunteer with Meals on Wheels.

John recommends that potential volunteers find their niche; he found his through face painting. John began face painting at Scottish Rite for Children, when a colleague suggested Belong Disability Ministry’s Night OWLS (Out With Loving Sitters) program, which offers care and fun activities for children with disabilities and their siblings, and provides respite for parents each month. Since 2004, John has enjoyed brightening the worlds of the Belong participants he works with.

“They're not looking at the TV and saying, ‘I’m Superman,’ but I want them to think they are Superman,” he said. No matter the Belong participant that he may be working with on a given day, John makes sure they have autonomy when choosing what they want.

“I have a chart of pictures, and they might pick a unicorn, but then I ask, ‘What color is your unicorn? It's your unicorn. You get to decide,’ and they respond to that and decide if they want to name it,” he said. “So there's a little moment there when they're in charge—at least that’s what I work toward and that’s what I feel. It centers around them.”

John describes himself as an “ordinary guy doing what he likes to do,” and believes that anyone can benefit their community in a positive way if they try.

“Find whatever your skill is—you have a skill,” he said. “Put it to use. You can always help people with your skills. I think society owes us, but we also owe society. And you don't have to have any talent. When I first took up painting, I realized that this is a matter of practice. Face painters compete with each other to see how perfect the picture they can do. But that's actually not important to the kids.”

John said he enjoys feeling that he is doing something worthwhile during his retirement by volunteering with the Night OWLS program. “This is a little flash of sunlight in their day. It really makes you feel good,” he said.

Learn how you can serve with Belong and other HPUMC ministries at hpumc.org/serve.