Each holiday season, father-daughter team Ty and Vicky Shen pull out their trusty map and deliver delicious meals to people in need.
Vicky (left) and Ty Shen. Image via Vicky Shen, used with permission.
Once they've planned out their route, they load up their station wagon with all the hot meals and holiday baskets they can fit and then drive around Massachusetts — going door to door until their car is empty. They do this over and over all day until there's nothing left to be delivered.
"I've been a firm believer that those who can help, should," writes Ty in an email. "Regardless if it's time or other resources, helping our fellow man is our responsibility."
That's why, in 2001, Ty and Vicky decided to start this tradition in the first place. They loved volunteering, and Community Servings, a local nonprofit food program, was the perfect choice since they could share the open road together and, most importantly, bring joy to people's lives.
Community Servings provides medically tailored meals to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses.
With 15 different medical diets on their menu, clients across Massachusetts and Rhode Island receive the perfect nutrition combination for their specific health conditions right on their doorstep. On top of that, Community Servings also provides supplementary meals for caregivers and dependent children to make sure every tummy in the house is filled up daily.
Volunteers happily hard at work. Image via Community Servings, used with permission.
Vicky fell in love with the cause when she first entered their kitchen some 16 years ago as a corps member of City Year Boston — an education-focused student support organization. Once she learned about the holiday deliveries, she knew she needed to get her family involved right then and there. After all, the spirit of helping others, Ty says, runs in Vicky's veins.
"Volunteering with [Community Servings] with my dad is one of my favorite things to do," writes Vicky. "I get to spend time with my dad, and the people at [Community Servings] who are so wonderful, and really do something that on a daily basis helps people's lives be a little bit better. "
And since they've started, they've done everything from chopping cabbage to chatting up guests to prepping the actual baskets. Whatever's needed, they're right there, ready to push the mission forward.
Delivering holiday meals in style. Image via Community Servings, used with permission.
Community Servings offers an important and much-needed service — and it wouldn't be possible without the dedication of all their volunteers.
"Each year, our volunteers give more than 55,000 hours of service, which is the equivalent to almost 30 full time employees," explains Community Servings CEO David Waters in an email. "There's no way we'd be able to serve the 1,850 individuals and families we do each year without their generous efforts."
In fact, thanks to their volunteers, Community Servings is able to prep 2,200 made-from-scratch meals every day. And just this past January, they celebrated their 7 millionth meal. (That's right. 7 million!)
8 million meals, here we come. Image via Community Servings, used with permission.
For everyone who hits the road for Community Servings, it's all about bringing joy to as many people as possible.
So whether you're a college student, retiree, parolee, or corporate professional, all Community Servings asks for is a shared passion for service. That's the heart of their mission and exactly why Ty and Vicky got involved to begin with.
Vicky goes on to add, "My involvement in [Community Servings] has been one of the pieces of my life that has made me realize how important it is to try to make a difference and make the world a better place every day."
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
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Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."