The United Way of Greater St. Louis (UWGSL) Volunteer Center connects thousands of people each year with causes close to their heart and inspires them to roll up their sleeves and give back to the community. This year our Volunteer Center expanded beyond its region to Major League Baseball cities across the country. The Volunteer Center created a first of its kind online platform for MLB players to easily find volunteer opportunities in their home cities or when they’re in other cities for away games.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryan Thompson took this as an opportunity to fulfill his spiritual duty to help those who are less fortunate. The thrill he gets from striking out batters is indescribable, but it pales in comparison to the joy that comes from giving back to the community and lending a helping hand to a neighbor in need.
“Giving back and serving the community feels good,” said Ryan. “Once I became a believer in the Lord, there’s a very strong call to service.”
UWGSL’s partnership with BLI, a nonprofit founded by St. Louis Cardinals legend Adam Wainwright, gives Major League Baseball players like Ryan a chance to use their platforms to contribute to the greater good of the community.
“Once I got to the major leagues, I was looking for a way to use my platform to help others, so the opportunity that Big League Impact presented was a no-brainer,” said Ryan. “It was really life-changing to see how much you can make a difference by giving some of your time to volunteer service over the course of a season.”
Ryan’s spiritual faith and close relationship with God is at the core of his passion for wanting to help people in need. He lives by the biblical principle that blessings come to those who show compassion and care about the welfare of others.
He first learned about BLI through social media and recognized the positive impact he could have if he got involved. Ryan was traded to the Diamondbacks in 2023 and after showing interest in BLI, he was asked to lead the way in galvanizing his teammates to serve.
His first volunteer experience was in San Francisco with a local nonprofit called Mobilize Love. They attended an assembly at a middle school located in a struggling community where children faced immense challenges in and out of school.
The theme for the assembly that day was prioritizing the importance of mental health. Ryan used the assembly as an opportunity to minister to them about spiritual faith, love and hope. Ryan and his teammates also spent time serving them lunch, getting to know them through fun and interactive activities, signing autographs, and talking with them about their struggles and offering advice.
Ryan said that was one of the most fulfilling opportunities he had ever participated in, and it made him want to get involved with BLI even more.
“When we’re on the field in the major leagues, everything is about us, making sure we have what we need to go out and perform, but when we go out into these serving opportunities, it’s a shift away from us onto other people,” said Ryan. “Most of the time the people that we serve are excited to see us and it’s not because of what we can do on the field. They are just thankful for us giving our time to help them, talk to them and pray for them.”
Throughout the season, Ryan and his teammates participated in several other volunteer events that ranged from serving and packaging food to deliver to local people, going out into the community giving hygiene kits, snacks and water to those without stable housing, helping homeless shelters, offering prayer and words of encouragement to the hopeless, and more.
Ryan is among dozens of other MLB players whose volunteer service through UWGSL and BLI have made a positive impact in the lives of thousands of individuals and families throughout the country. Working together, our Volunteer Center and BLI are mobilizing volunteers and amplifying their impact.
Ryan believes more players should take advantage of the resourcefulness that this partnership has created to get involved and be a blessing to the community through service.
“Big League Impact makes volunteering easy, they set everything up for you, all you have to do is say, ‘Yes’,” said Ryan. “There’s really no excuse, Big League Impact is there for you and the feeling of gratitude, thankfulness and fulfillment that you will get by taking part in this easy escapade is worth it.”
Take action now:
- Learn more about UWGSL’s partnership with BLI.
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