When did you get involved with Making It Better? I began volunteering at Making It Better during the 2017-18 school year.
How did you get involved? I was invited by my friends Cindy Olds and Carol Wiggins to one of the Making It Better Guild Luncheons at the Junior League, and after attending in 2016, I decided to join the Guild in 2017.
What has been your experience as a Guild member? I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the other members, and really just learning more and more about Making It Better and how much it impacts the community in so many positive ways.
What is the most rewarding thing about mentoring in the Lunch Bunch Program? Getting to spend time with the children and having a listening ear. I feel they have so much to say and talk about, and they really just want someone to take the time to listen and validate them.
How has Making It Better impacted your life? My career has always been in teaching, and since I retired, I wanted to do something to give back to the community. I’ve always loved working with children and I feel they teach me more then I teach them! Whenever I’m with them, I think I reflect more on my own life, and that makes me think about how I can make a positive difference in others’ lives.
What’s your favorite children’s book? My favorite children’s book is Swimmy by Leo Lionni.
What do you like to do in your spare time? In my spare time I love to do Pilates, journal write, and practice/play golf. I also like to get together with my girlfriends and enjoy our time building our friendship because I never really had time to do that when I was working. I also enjoy traveling.
Why would you recommend getting involved with Making It Better? I would recommend others to join Making It Better because the people involved are very friendly and dedicated, and it’s rewarding to see the positive impact one can make on the children, even if it’s in only one child’s life. That positive influence in a child’s life will help make this world a better place for him/her and all those around him/her. We may never see the positive impact on the children today, but the seed is definitely planted for their future and they will soar because of that.
Do you have anything else you would like to share? I’m so grateful that I was invited to the Making It Better Guild Luncheon a couple of years ago and got to hear/see what it was about. Had I not attended, I would have never learned what their outreach is all about! I’m blessed to be a part of the organization and I hope I will be able to make a difference each year with my Lunch Bunch group of kids.
