A Summer With Purpose: The O'Connell's Story

The O'Connell family drove 2,000 miles to volunteer at USHS.

Unlike their peers, the O’Connell twins opted for a different kind of summer vacation. While most families planned the end of the school year with vacations or amusement parks, the O’Connell family of Wisconsin chose to dedicate their break to service and connection.

Twins Wrileigh and Wronan have just finished their 8th-grade year, and instead of taking their class trip, they packed their bags, headed for Pasadena, and volunteered at Union Station Homeless Services Adult Center kitchen.

“This was about loving and serving others,” said Jennifer O’Connell. “We wanted our kids to see firsthand what it means to live out our faith through action.”

The O’Connell twins selected Union Station as their destination after learning about the Eaton Fire and the impact it had on the Altadena and Pasadena communities. “They saw the devastation and felt called to help,” Jennifer shared. “USHS came up in our search, and we kept coming back to it. We wanted to be part of the amazing work you do.”

The O'Connell family outside the USHS Adult Center

The family of four worked alongside our kitchen staff, preparing meals and assembling sack lunches that are distributed by the USHS Outreach teams to unsheltered neighbors across the San Gabriel Valley.

“It was so fun getting to know the staff and interact with participants,” Jennifer recalled. “The team is truly committed—not just to feeding people, but to uplifting them. The food was prepared with so much care.”

“We’re grateful to have spent our summer this way,” Jennifer said. “It reminded us that even in a short time, families can make a difference—together.”

Chef Marisa, Chef Lawrence, and the food service team are essential to our organization and work tirelessly to prepare and serve over 500,000 meals to our program participants each year.

Volunteering is a great way to support our mission and get involved in the community.

For more information or to sign up, visit the USHS volunteer page.