by Daniella Mobunga Mbikayi
Every organization has values, but for Serve the City International, they’re more than just words—they shape everything they do. Compassion. Respect. Courage. Love. Hope. And right at the center: humility.
Humility might not be flashy. It doesn’t make headlines or draw attention to itself. But for Serve the City, it’s the backbone of their mission. It’s about showing up—not to lead the way, but to walk alongside others. It’s about listening before acting, and recognizing that the people being served have just as much to offer as those doing the serving.
Since launching in Brussels in 2005, Serve the City has grown into a global movement of volunteers working in practical, hands-on ways to support people in need. They collaborate with shelters, refugee centers, food programs—anywhere there’s a gap that needs to be filled. Their aim is simple but powerful: connect people who want to help with people who need help. And they do it through small acts that, over time, create real change.
This is where humility comes in—not as a side theme, but as the thread that runs through it all. The Humility project invites everyone involved to reflect on what it means to serve without ego, to lead without needing recognition, and to give without expecting anything in return. It’s a chance to step back and ask: how do we truly honor the dignity of the people we’re here for?
To explore this theme more deeply, we spoke with several members of the Serve the City team. Their insights offer a window into how humility isn’t just talked about—but lived.
What Humility Looks Like in Service
For Daniel, humility is inseparable from empathy and trust:
“Humility helps build trust—it’s essential when serving others. It allows you to truly understand what someone else is going through. And it strengthens relationships. Humility is also a leadership trait. It’s about seeing yourself as always learning. I think of the image of Jesus of Nazareth washing the feet of his disciples. That act flipped the power dynamic—it showed that real leadership comes through service. That kind of humility is powerful.”
Why Values Matter in Volunteering
When asked why values matter in volunteering, Hazel reflected on how deeply values shape the experience for volunteers themselves:
“Volunteering is so much more for us sometimes as the volunteers than it is for those we volunteer for. When values are involved, it just makes it all the more meaningful. It gives us a reason to do it—not just because we should or because it’s the right thing to do, but because we do it out of love, out of passion, out of respect. We face courage and do it. We challenge our humility and do it. Especially with humility—it’s tricky, because the moment you say you have it, maybe you don’t. But values help us cultivate humility without forcing it. It just happens.”
When Humility Gets Real
Sometimes, humility isn’t a concept—it’s something you’re confronted with in real life. Lynn shared a powerful story from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic:
“During the first lockdown, the people at the refugee center had to stay inside from one day to the next. They were completely stuck, while we, the volunteers, could still come and go. They didn’t understand what was happening. Listening to their stories really humbled me. I felt so privileged to leave my small apartment and go help—it helped me as much as it helped them. For three months, I was there every weekday preparing 350 meals for people. That experience changed me.”
Why Humility Is a Core Value
Azazi emphasized the importance of perspective and self-awareness:
“We need to be able to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. We often come from a place of privilege, and when you really see how others live—their struggles—it puts things in perspective. Humility helps you recognize that privilege, and that makes you more open and willing to help others. It’s not about saving anyone, it’s about serving with awareness.”
Seeing the City Through Humility
For Sara, humility transformed how she sees the people around her—and how she interacts with them:
“Serving with STC helped me put humility into practice. Normally, when we meet someone, we judge—without even realizing it. But when you volunteer, you learn to see everyone as equals, whether they’re a beneficiary or another volunteer. That’s the essence of humility: putting your ego aside and really seeing the person in front of you. It’s how we create community. I had a similar experience to Lynn, but at Petit Château, the refugee reception center in Belgium. I remember hearing people’s frustrations—many of them stuck in limbo without papers, waiting years for basic rights. One day, I walked out of that center and just felt the weight of how privileged I was. I have an ID, healthcare, the ability to work… Humility means carrying that awareness. And through STC, I’ve learned that we all have something to learn from each other—if we’re willing to listen.”
The Quiet Power of Showing Up
What makes Serve the City special isn’t just what they do—it’s how they do it. In a world that often celebrates loudness, leadership, and visibility, Serve the City chooses a quieter path. Humility isn’t a slogan for them; it’s a way of being. It’s not about standing above others, but standing with them. It’s not about being the hero of someone’s story, but simply showing up and honoring theirs.
Humility shows up in the details—in the way volunteers kneel to serve food without asking for thanks, in how they listen without interrupting, and in how they return, again and again, even when the work is hard, even when it’s unseen. It’s in the willingness to be uncomfortable, to be challenged, to admit we don’t always have the answers—but we can still choose to care.
This value of humility transforms service into something deeper. It becomes mutual. Transformational. Human. It opens space not only for giving, but for growing. When we serve with humility, we learn just as much—if not more—from the people we serve. We begin to see our city differently: not as a place divided by privilege or position, but as a shared space where everyone has value, where everyone has something to teach.
At its core, Serve the City reminds us that you don’t need a spotlight to make a difference. You just need a willing heart, open hands, and the courage to show up. Again and again. Quietly. Faithfully. Humbly.
Because sometimes, the most powerful kind of service is the one that doesn’t need to be noticed to matter—it simply chooses to love.
