Profile of a Volunteer

Describe the volunteer efforts of the person you have elected to profile.

There is a woman who volunteers every week at my job.  She often brings art supplies to donate to the school such as ribbon, yarn, and paper.  This allows the school to earn inkind or money off of her generosity.  Kathy is a retired school teacher and a stay at home grandmother.  She loves children and looks forward to working with the children.  She is very excited to enter the classrooms and often looks for extra projects to do while she is there.  Kathy sits at the tables with the children and helps them with whatever art project the teacher has set out for the day.  She is very eager to help and finds ways to contribute to the lessons whether it is through supplies or explaining different activities that may work with the day’s lesson plans.

Identify how you feel this person's work has positively impacted others.

Kathy’s efforts have made a positive impact on other members of the community as well as her friends.  We often have parents who watch Kathy and see how often she volunteers in the school.  As a result, we have had a higher number of parents and guardians come into the school asking how they can help.  It has been nice to see how the work of one person can impact many others. Kathy has also helped the school by talking with her friends outside of the school setting about ways in which they can help without having to enter the school.  The local organizations have come together and donated teddy bears to the school around Christmas time.  They ensure that every child receives one and even spend the time to crochet clothing for each one.  They do not look for any recognition but simply a picture of the children smiling with the bears.

Describe what you feel is a vital "take-away" message relative to this work in terms of your own volunteer efforts and advocacy work in fostering the well-being of children and families.

The most important take away message relative to this work in terms of my own volunteer effort is that spreading the word of how people can help is very effective.  Kathy spreads the word to her friends about her efforts working in the school and as a result they have found ways to volunteer their time in a setting that makes them more comfortable.  This helps spread the message about the well-being of the children and how they struggle around the holidays.  This will help my advocacy work and volunteering.  I know can see how a community, even a small one such as the school, can be impacted by the dedication of one individual.  I want to strive to be a strong volunteer like Kathy who looks forward to giving back to the community, even if it’s through cutting out shapes for the classroom.