For the past 10 months, I’ve spent nearly every Friday morning volunteering at the Open Door Ministry of downtown Lansing.

To the outside observer, it might appear as if the Open Door is nothing more than a large room in the basement of a church — a place for homeless and low-income individuals to spend their days — but it’s really much more than that.

Through volunteering at the Open Door, I’ve found a community of kind and welcoming people whom I likely never would have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. I’ve learned one of the best feelings in life is serving someone else, and it’s more about the time you put in than what you actually say or do.

People are always appreciative, and even if you don’t have material items to give someone, giving just a moment of your time is typically more than enough.

I always look forward to my mornings at the Open Door. I love sitting down and playing cards with people I consider my friends, even if we might not always know each other’s names. And no matter how different someone might appear to be from me, we can usually find something to talk about.

But I have to admit, it wasn’t always this way. Before I started volunteering at the Open Door, I was hesitant to give money to homeless people on the streets, let alone have a conversation with them.

I was scared. But of what, I’m not quite sure. I started volunteering because I wanted to change that about myself. I wanted to be a more kind and compassionate person, and, as self-righteous as it might sound, I think it has worked.

I always try to carry some extra cash with me, just in case I’m approached by someone asking for money, because it’s my theory that if someone is desperate enough to ask a stranger for money, then he or she must have a good enough reason to need it.

Call me idealistic, but I can’t imagine someone begging for money unless they lack any viable alternatives.

I can’t tell you how many debates I’ve engaged in about whether or not homeless people “deserve” our money, our help, our compassion. I’ve heard all the arguments: they’re lazy, they’re just not trying hard enough, they put themselves in this position, so it’s their responsibility to get out.

But to me, all of these arguments are completely ridiculous. I believe that all people deserve our love and compassion, no questions asked. It’s not my job to judge someone based on his or her lifestyle or personal choices.

We live the lives we are given, mostly because of a randomized birth placement into wealth or poverty.

It’s not entirely your fault if you happen to make the wrong choices once in a while, we’re all trying. Some of us are just luckier than others.

It worries me when I see my peers acting the same way I did just a couple of years ago. I often speak with students who tell me that they’re afraid to ride the number one CATA bus — a route that goes into downtown Lansing — because of the other passengers who ride it.

I’ll admit that when I first rode the number one my freshman year of college, I was a little freaked out too, but eventually I began to love it.

Riding the bus and having conversations with strangers is becoming one of my favorite pastimes. I’ve definitely racked up some interesting stories from the people I meet on public transportation.

If there’s one piece of advice I can give to my peers, it would be to put yourselves in more situations that make you uncomfortable. Push your boundaries. Cultivate new experiences.

Whether it be through volunteering, having a conversation with someone new or something else entirely, it’s important to push your limits because it helps you grow as a person, which is something we all could benefit from.

Caron Creighton is a guest columnist at The State News and a professional writing senior. Reach her at creigh16@msu.edu.