On a humid July morning, somewhere in the thick woods of Union County, New Jersey, a group of volunteers gathered around a pickup truck filled with gravel. Among them: a high school Girl Scout, a newly engaged couple, a media studies teacher, an octogenarian with the stamina of a 20-year-old, and a woman who had once struggled to walk down her own block.

That woman was me, Dvora Inwood, co-founder of Samaritan Scout, a nonprofit that created a volunteer-focused search engine. Now tumor-free after a harrowing battle with Stage 4 colon cancer, I am finally well enough to give back to the place that had helped me heal: the trails of the Watchung Reservation.

Walking the Path to Recovery

Three years ago, tumors were discovered in my colon, liver, and lungs. I then endured 15 months of grueling surgeries, extensive chemotherapy, and a diet of liquids consumed slowly through a straw. My doctors were clear about one thing: If I wanted to live, I needed to walk.

There were days I struggled to pull myself out of bed, let alone walk down the street. But as I slowly increased my endurance, I found myself drawn to Watchung Reservation, a sprawling county park five minutes from my home. Trail by trail, season by season, I rebuilt my strength—and my sense of self.

Watchung's lush trails are nature's version of physical therapy. They gave me purpose. They gave me peace.

Whether bundled in a parka and gloves or draped in a poncho during spring rains, I walked the woods, my dog Tali by my side. We hiked around ponds, crossed brooks, and climbed hills. And now, almost two years tumor-free, I returned not as a patient, but as a volunteer.

A Trail Crew Like No Other

On Saturday, July 12, I joined Union County’s trail maintenance crew for several hours of manual labor. We fixed water drainage systems, removing overgrowth, and shoveling gravel into washed-out gaps in the trail—all to ensure that these public spaces remain accessible for all.

Our team was a reflection of our region: from teens to retirees, experienced to first-time volunteers, scouts, students, parents and singles. College student Jack Greenwald, of Springfield, NJ working as a summer intern at Samaritan Scout, was so energized by the experience he declared, "I’m doing this again next month!"

My loving husband, Greg DePaul, swung by to check in, but quickly found himself hauling gravel alongside the others. 

Our Collective Commonality

For me, the day was more than just trail work. It was proof of a broader truth: that the act of volunteering is not just about service, it’s about solidarity.

Research strongly suggests that volunteering brings people together across diverse backgrounds and improves our health and happiness. Saturday proved it. These weren’t just people clearing brush. They were forming connections. They were feeling joy.

That’s part of why my co-founders and I built Samaritan Scout, the AI-powered platform that helps people find hyper-local volunteer opportunities. While many traditional websites rely on manual submissions and only reflect a small percentage of all available volunteer activities, Scout uses AI to crawl nonprofit websites, surfacing everything from trail crews to mentoring programs to community art events.

Sweat Equity for Democracy

Volunteering in parks may not make headlines, but it makes a difference. Trail crews ensure safe access to nature. Local green spaces promote wellness, connection, and shared pride in our surroundings. And volunteering side-by-side—retirees, teens, young adults, parents with a Saturday morning free—is a quiet but powerful antidote to today’s polarized world.

We all have parks near us, whether it’s a state park, county trail, or small community garden. You just have to look—or go to SamaritanScout.org and let our search engine find your closest parks.

That Saturday was hot. The work was hard. But for me, it was also a celebration: of recovery, of community, and of the simple idea that giving back doesn’t require a grand gesture.

Sometimes, it just means picking up a shovel.