Learn from Memphis: Volunteer with Humility and Be the Guest Who Gets Invited Back
Short-term trips can be transformative. I know—my own senior-year trip to New Orleans left a lasting impact. Despite the sometimes smelly downtown streets, I heard people speak with deep pride and love for their city. That trip reshaped how I later embraced Memphis.
But let’s be honest: short-term trips can also go wrong if we show up with the wrong mindset.
There’s a temptation, especially when you're choosing a service trip over a beach week, to feel like you're “giving up” something—and therefore doing something heroic. But the goal of your time in Memphis isn’t to fix the city in a week. Memphis won’t be magically healed by your 15–20 hours of work. And that's okay.
You’re not here to save the city. You're here to learn from it.
Serve901 exists to connect you with local organizations that are already doing incredible work—day in and day out. These nonprofits don’t need saviors; they need partners. They’re led by people who wear multiple hats and pour themselves into missions that often feel bigger than one life can hold. Your job? Be extra fuel. Ask good questions. Encourage. Listen. Uplift.
In other words:
“Be the kind of house guest who gets invited back.”
You’re entering someone else’s neighborhood, culture, and daily reality. Bring humility. Bring curiosity. Bring a willingness to grow.
Some practical reminders for your trip:
Serve with your best energy. That means getting enough sleep and showing up on time.
Treat community leaders as the experts. You’re here to learn, not lead.
Don’t expect applause. Your presence is appreciated—but this is not about you.
Respect people’s stories and space. Ask before you post. Don’t photograph pain like a tourist.
Engage with Memphis. Eat the wings. Walk the streets. Ask why things are the way they are.
Above all, come with the posture of a learner. Come knowing that you are joining a much bigger story—one filled with history, injustice, beauty, creativity, and resilience.
Memphis will keep growing long after your van pulls away. The question is: will you?
Will you carry what you’ve learned back home? Will you change the way you live, serve, and lead? Will you become the kind of guest—humble, thoughtful, and curious—that Memphis would welcome again?
We hope so.