Why Volunteer?

I started volunteering more than 20 years ago—that’s a really freaking long time! I’ve spent almost half my life volunteering my time with one cause or another. That’s a statistic I am incredibly proud of and one that hasn’t been easy to achieve. It’s taken a lot of hard work and commitment, time and otherwise. Here are some places I’ve volunteered over the years:

• Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation Burn Camp

• Junior League of Milwaukee

• Junior League of Phoenix

• Milwaukee Public Museum Gala Planning Committee

• Fondy Farmer’s Market (Milwaukee, WI)

• St. Francis Children’s Center (Glendale, WI)

• Penn State Hershey Medical Center Emergency Room (Hershey, PA)

• Home of the Innocents (Louisville, KY)

It’s been kind of a mixed bag as far as what my interests have been! That’s okay, though. Volunteering is wonderful like that because it allows you to explore those opportunities without having to settle on one thing forever.

I’ve seemingly settled on a volunteer “job” though: I’ve been with the PFFWCF Burn Camp for ten years now (!!). My first two years were as a Youth Girls’ counselor. I took a year off when Nate and I got married, and when I came back, I took on the role of the Youth Girls’ Coordinator, and I haven’t looked back. I love it! This year, Youth Girls has six new campers (in addition to the returning campers), and everyone is doing so well. Myself? I have so far survived a spider on a doorknob and a caterpillar in the bathroom, but other than that, I’m thriving! The twin mattresses leave much to be desired, but the 24/7 fresh air and 20k steps daily allow me to sleep like the dead every night, so I can’t complain much. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have campers to exchange friendship bracelets with. I’ll see you in a week with many stories and memories to share!