The Power of Giving: Reeves Dobson's Dedication to Service

As a senior student-athlete at Christ Church Episcopal School, Reeves Dobson is juggling quite a lot – he’s a captain of the Varsity Boys Soccer team, running a yard work business with friends which serves the local Greenville community, and dealing with the typical hectic schedule of a high school senior. In these next few months, there will be big post-grad decisions along with the CCES traditions celebrating these students during their last few months of this chapter. But even with everything going on, Reeves has remained committed to integrating service into his life, working with the breakfast ministry at Triune Mercy Center. 

Perhaps the best thing about Triune’s breakfast ministry, at least according to Reeves, is how it is open to anyone. Over his time serving, he has seen people from various stages of life come through the doors for breakfast – some are coming for the food and others for the camaraderie. Reeves says, “It truly is incredible to get to know all these people from different walks of life, and the conversations I have had with them have always been rewarding.”

Reeves knew a little about Triune prior to volunteering, but was interested in learning more about the service work they do. He talked with Elizabeth Jarrett, CCES Director of Experiential and Service Learning, and Kaytina Mills, former CCES Service Learning Coordinator last year and learned about the breakfasts at Triune, which were served every Monday. Reeves was looking for a way to “make an impact on his local community” and the breakfast ministry seemed like the perfect opportunity. 

Once Reeves knew about the breakfast ministry, he jumped right in and has been serving once a month since his junior year. On those Mondays, he’s up and over to Triune by 6:45am where he helps in the kitchen or wherever else is needed. Right before 7am, they set up the food for serving and pray over the morning as a group. They serve breakfast from 7-8am, then he helps with clean-up before heading out to school for the day. It makes for an early morning at the beginning of a week, but it’s always worth it. The general sense of community at Triune is special and there is a noticeable environment of positivity and warmth. Reeves says, “It feels like everyone is looking out for and supporting one another, no matter how well they know each other, and that is a really powerful thing.” 

Reeves credits CCES and the emphasis on service learning with giving him a good understanding and appreciation for service through the hourly curricular requirement. However, he quickly recognized the vast amount of need in the community and didn’t hesitate to get involved outside of what was required at school. Reeves plans to continue to look for service opportunities after graduation. 

If Reeves could tell younger students just one thing about service, it would be this: “The more you do service, the more rewarding you’ll find it to be.” He wants them to understand that service goes beyond something they do at school – it’s a transformative way to support the community and connect with individuals from different walks of life. Reeves’s dedication to service is a reminder to us all that even in the busiest of times, there is always room to make a difference and spread kindness to others.