For Ray Booth, volunteering with Shanti Project’s PAWS Food Bank started with something simple: noticing the quiet but powerful bond between people and their animals.

He would go past the former PAWS location and see how much comfort pets brought to people who might otherwise be alone. When he saw friends and even his roommate benefit from the program, he felt drawn to be part of it himself.

“I wanted to be a part of that,” he says.

What began as a weekly volunteer shift filling food orders quickly grew. After a month or two, Ray moved into delivery work — and that’s when the impact became real in a different way. Each stop brought a new story, a new household, a new kind of connection.

“Each delivery is amazing,” he says. “You never know who is going to show up when you bring them food.”

In those moments, Ray began to see PAWS as something far beyond a food bank. It was care in motion — not just for animals, but for the people who love them. One delivery stayed with him: a client grieving the loss of a cat asked for help finding another companion animal. Ray connected them with Shanti staff, who were able to support the request. On another visit, he was entrusted with delivering ashes for a client mourning a pet.

“There’s so much love of a pet,” he reflects. “And I get to help facilitate that.”

Over time, the work changed how Ray sees people and their circumstances. He describes learning patience and perspective simply by showing up week after week. Some encounters have stayed with him deeply — like the client who told him, “This is the only gift I get all year,” referring to a small stocking stuffer for their pet.

Another client, who is blind, left a lasting impression on him as well. Watching how they navigate daily life shifted something in him. “It sometimes makes me feel small,” Ray says, “because none of my problems seem big compared to how he navigates his home.”

Still, Ray returns every week because of what the work gives him in return: a sense of purpose and connection in a world that can feel increasingly disconnected.

“In a time that feels cold and cruel, this is ground level,” he says. “It’s doing things for people to make their lives easier.”

For Ray, Pride is reflected in that act of showing up — in sustaining the bonds between people and their animals, and in recognizing the humanity in every home he enters.

“If I can help keep that bond between an animal and a human alive,” he says, “I’ll spend a couple hours on a Friday and make that happen.”

And for anyone considering volunteering, his message is simple: “Do it. Your world will expand 1000% by volunteering.”