Volunteer Profile: Kim Lamon-Loperfido

Editor's Note: This post is the part of a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions to give you a sense of why people choose to help out with CVN and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name of volunteer: Kim Lamon-Loperfido

Position with CVN: Social Chair

Hometown, State and/or country: Born in UK, lived in Iowa City, IA before moving to Arlington

What first drew you to CVN? I had been involved in volunteer opportunities in Iowa City/University of Iowa for 5 years, they had a similar program... the 10,000 hours show- where you volunteered 10 hours through-out the school year and you would receive a free concert ticket in the spring... It was a great way to get to know other folks who were passionate about their community and a great way to know what was happening in the town we live in...

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? Many non-profits rely on volunteers to fulfil their missions... they simply could not afford to reach everyone with paid staff... I think that for our communities to be rich vibrant and engaging we need to be involved ... volunteering is a great way to meet people, know what is going on, and make a difference in our community - start local, think global

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? I guess for me, the 1 time volunteer opportunities are a great way to balance what is a busy week, with what time i have available..

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what three causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? I am drawn to youth development, environmental causes and public health

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do? UnitedActionforYouth.org- I worked here in Iowa City as a health educator, they really have a comprehensive array of services to target the many needs of youth and families as they work towards an empowered future... Locally- Whitman Walker Clinic and The DC Center's HIV Working Group are great health related groups to become involved at a grassroots level.. and in Arlington~ the Animal Welfare League of Arlington ~ you need to be trained before you can work with the animals.. but totally worth it~!

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why? I think my time volunteering with the Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center is overall very memorable~ I'm a sucker for cute and cuddly animals...and doing mobile outreach events allows the community to interact with the adoptable animals ... you see adults, community leaders reduced to children when they interact with a puppy... it was always a great equalizer.

Volunteer Profile: Tiffany Kudravetz

Name of volunteer: Tiffany Kudravetz

Position with CVN: Chairperson

Hometown, State and/or country: Virginia Beach, VA

What first drew you to CVN? I really wanted to get involved in the local community and to make new friends. I volunteered with a few groups on and off, but didn't really find a match. With CVN, it took a little time but once I started coming to meet-ups and volunteering regularly, I was seeing the same friendly faces over and over again. There's a huge comfort level in the fact that CVN welcomes everyone equally, whether you want to volunteer once a year or once a month. Now, I appreciate the fact that I can volunteer with friends and that every meet-up or event brings new people our way.

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? Volunteering gives you a sense of connection to the community, especially when you're helping out so close to home. It also feels good to know that you are helping someone out without asking anything in return. We should all "pay it forward."

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? Sometime it's an interesting balancing act! I do a lot of the administrative-type work really late at night or during my lunch break. However, volunteering itself is a lot of fun and it's worth making a priority.

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what three causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? I am a strong advocate of education and literacy in general. Also, I really enjoy working with adults and children with disabilities or special needs. Finally, I think there's great value in establishing one-on-one mentoring relationships with children and teens.

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do? The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, http://www.lcnv.org/. Their mission says it all; LCNV and their volunteers "teach adults the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English in order to empower them to participate more fully and confidently in their communities."

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why? When I was in law school, I was a Big Sister to a second-grader named Ali. At least once a week, I went to the elementary school to have lunch with her, go to recess, and then help her with classwork during their quiet time. It was a ton of fun and the atmosphere was such a contrast to how I spent most of my time. We played kickball, we traded our lunches, we played in the dirt -- it was so carefree. Right from the start, when her classmates asked who I was, I said that I was "Ali's friend." And I really was! I wouldn't trade it for anything.

CVN Volunteer Profile: Heather Rabinowitz

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name of volunteer: Heather Rabinowitz

Position with CVN: Monthly Meet-Up Lead

Hometown: Herndon, VA

What first drew you to CVN? CVN provided flexible and local volunteer opportunities that I could do with other individuals my age.

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? It is important to give back to the community you live in. I like the following verse from the bible and it is one of the many reasons I enjoy volunteering. " As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? I schedule volunteer events and then schedule everything else around those commitments. I make volunteering a priority and do the proper time management to make sure it happens.

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what three causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? I enjoy volunteer activities where I get the opportunity to interact with people (e.g. serving food at a kitchen for the homeless), perform physical tasks (e.g. house painting), and help the environment (e.g. stream clean up).

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do? The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the leading consumer and community-focused health organization dedicated to the prevention of osteoporosis and broken bones, the promotion of strong bones for life and the reduction of human suffering through programs of public and clinician awareness, education, advocacy and research. Their website is www.nof.org.

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why? I really enjoyed participating in Relay for Life at James Madison University (JMU). I fundraised and participated in the event three different years at JMU. It felt good supporting such an important cause (fighting cancer) while staying up all night walking and hanging out with friends.

Volunteer Profile: Ibidun Osundare

Ibidun showing kids at AHC the sign for "flirt"

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name: Ibidun Osundare
Position with CVN: Volunteer

When did you start volunteering with CVN? My first time volunteering with CVN was as a teacher at the AHC location this Summer, in June or July.  I love to teach kids, and help them in learning more ASL (American Sign Language).

Ibidun volunteering at the APAH Picnic with CVN this Summer

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? I just moved to VA six months ago.  I obey to God first, I feel God encouraged me to find Arlington Volunteer office, where I started volunteering. I started to search on the Volunteer Arlington website because I was involved with with another volunteer from Gallaudet University in volunteer activities with homeless people,  food the people eat,  cleaning up the large farms and animal shelters and more. I learn a lot about teach kids to be bilingual (both in speaking English and being able to sign).  I feel it is very important. My goal is to become a volunteer with high school students and college students.Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? As I have mentioned, I enjoy teaching kids, especially teaching them sign language.  I realized that some kids can be distracted.  They seem confused to set my signer so clear. I try to keep them engaged by using my facial expression to show joy and happiness and quick movement.  This keeps the kids paying attention, so they can learn to sign as well.  I don't want to them getting bored!  I want to show them something new to make difference.  I went to the library for books and DVDs to use as resources.  Wow!  Kids like to watch the ASL DVDs a lot.  They always love me a lot. I expect that they will improve the communication with ASL when they grow up and be able to communicate with deaf people in their communities.

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do? I am involved with different locations related to AHC.  I teach with them as opportunities to demonstrate sign language pop up.  AHC manages several different affordable apartments throughout Arlington. 

What will be your most memorable time volunteering?  
I will write a scrapbook on my most memorable moment, volunteering with ASL, because I want to teach students in West Africa.  I am in touch with several African teachers who want to create a new building of art and African-American Sign Language several summers from now.  ASL education in Africa took off after Andrew Foster brought schools there in 1980.  He was great in creating a boom in children learning sign language; it has greatly improved their educations. 
Andrew Foster has been called the Father of Africa, I hope to be the Mother of Africa by bringing greater communication equality there as well.  I have already volunteered to teach ASL with them and help create more access to communication.  

Volunteer Profile: Daniel Bronson

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name: Daniel Bronson

Position with CVN: Volunteer

Hometown: Arlington, VA

What first drew you to CVN? I first discovered CVN while attending a stream clean-up involving multiple volunteer organizations. I believe Miles [Grant, first CVN chair] was there presenting background on CVN and I liked what I heard about this young group of go-getters so I decided to check it out! That, and the cool t-shirts. :)

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? Without volunteers lending a helping hand many very worthwhile causes will languish. Steam cleaning, working with the elderly, helping the homeless, engaging at-risk teens – all of these activities can be done by paid workers (and they do a great job) but they are a limited resource and we’d be losing ground without volunteers. Not to mention, the volunteers themselves can feel good contributing to something they care about – so it’s a win-win!

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? I get this question a lot – people say “how do you do it, are you some sort of robot?” And to that I reply, “Question does not compute. The human knows too much.” Then I quietly report them to central command, and they are never heard from again. Even so, given CVN’s laid-back “volunteer when you can” approach, coupled with a list of events to choose from every month, it’s not difficult to generate a scenario wherein a fleshy human could incorporate some volunteering time. That is well within my parameters.

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? I enjoy any activity which gives me a satisfying “I made a difference” feeling at the end. It’s really that simple, I cannot think of a single cause that drives me to volunteer...in fact I seek out variety in my volunteerism. Huzzah!

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do? Another volunteer group I discovered which leads great events is OneBrick (http://washingtondc.onebrick.org/). They have a social event after most volunteer activities – very much like CVN – so adding them to your calendar gives you even more volunteer opportunities.

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why? After the major area snowstorms I volunteered at Long Branch to pull invasive plants and brought a friend along. Now most sane people would figure the event was called off given the 3+ feet of snow that remained on the ground that particular Saturday morn, and indeed there were only 3 of us that showed up – including the park employee. We actually had to shovel a spot along the road just to park. But our attendance was a pleasant surprise and we were able to remove many vines snaking up trees rather than dealing with anything on the ground. If you can imagine slogging through 4 foot snow banks to reach trees armed with nothing but a camera and a hand saw...well, you probably had to be there – but it rocked! Not only did I get great photos, I didn’t cut myself with the hand saw…not even once. Bonus! :D

Volunteer Profile: Jourdan Clandening

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name of Volunteer: Jourdan Clandening

Position with CVN: Communications Chair

Hometown, State and/or country: Holt, Michigan

What first drew you to CVN? When I was planning to move from Michigan to Arlington I knew I wanted to get involved. I was always a very active volunteer in Michigan, and when I found CVN I thought it was a perfect fit - it allows me to meet new people and be actively involved in the Arlington community.

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? I think it's important for people who have the time, skills, and resources to share, to do so in a positive way that improves their community. Volunteering is  the easiest way to impact the lives of your neighbors. It's important for people to continually look for ways to improve themselves, their community, and the lives of those around them. This thinking is what keeps communities growing, safe, and enjoyable to live in. Many of the most basic necessities (food, shelter, clothing), would not be available to some people if volunteers were not working daily to provide the services and time to collect and distribute these items.

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? I pick the events that are important to me, and I make time to fit them in my schedule. Most of CVN's events are only a few hours and are after work or on weekends, so it makes volunteering easier and more convenient.

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? (not counting politics, though we think civic engagement is HUGELY important!) I think homelessness is the cause that is most important to me. Many people look at homelessness as a choice. Too many times in my life I have heard someone say, "well it's their fault they are homeless..." This always gets me worked up! Bringing awareness to the causes of homelessness (domestic violence, job loss, mental illness, addiction), is the first step in finding solutions to a problem that affects nearly every community in America. Many communities simply try to feed and shelter their homeless population without considering ways to educate, train, and stabilize them while moving them from the street to permanent housing.

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do (in Arlington or nationally, though again, not counting political groups)? I was recently introduced to this site: www.care2.org. It's a "one-stop" shop for those interested in learning about how to make a difference through donating, volunteering, signing petitions, and taking grass roots action for worthy causes.

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why? I served lunch at a local shelter in Lansing, Michigan - The Lansing City Rescue Mission. When I first started serving lunch it was predominately men who came in for lunch (most consider this the "typical" face of homelessness). As the economy plummeted in 2008 and thousands in Michigan lost their homes and jobs, the shelter's lunch crowd began to fill with women and children. This broke my heart. However, it highlighted the point that many in the fight to end homelessness have been arguing for years, homelessness is not only men, it is also women, and most importantly it is children.

Why do you volunteer?

Volunteer Profile: Kelly Corbally

This post is one in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name of Volunteer: Kelly Corbally

Position with CVN:   Social Chair

Hometown, State and/or country: Birmingham, Alabama

What first drew you to CVN? I joined CVN as a way to get back into volunteering and meet a new group of people.

Why do you think it's important to volunteer?  I believe that each person is different and has something unique to contribute to their community.  Sometimes you are given those opportunities to contribute and sometime you make them yourself.  Volunteering is a way to make those opportunities happen. 

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? I think that when something is important to you, you find a way to make it happen.  I also find that often I get as much out of the experience as I hope the people I’m helping do, so I try to make volunteering a priority. 

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? (not counting politics, though we think civic engagement is HUGELY important!) I am most drawn towards causes that help kids and animals.  I feel like these populations are the least able to help themselves, so they are especially in need of assistance.  That’s why I am especially a fan of things like Reading Connection and the OAR Christmas project.

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do (in Arlington or nationally, though again, not counting political groups)? The Reading Connection, www.thereadingconnection.org, is an organization that helps create and sustain literacy-rich environments for at-risk children and families.

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why?  One of the first places I volunteered was at a day shelter called Pathways in Birmingham, where I helped to organize the clothes closet.  I remember helping a client select a couple new outfits, something which wasn’t a big deal to me made her week.  I think that was one of the first times I really began to understand the impact of volunteering. 

Volunteer Profile: Kellen MacBeth

Editor's Note: This post is the first in a series on CVN volunteers. We've asked volunteers questions about volunteering to give you a sense of why people choose to volunteer with CVN, and to get to know some of our AWESOME volunteers. If you'd like to be highlighted, e-mail us at cvn.bloggers@gmail.com.

Name of volunteer: Kellen MacBeth     
 
Position with CVN:   Monthly Volunteer Chair

Hometown, State and/or country: Rochester, NY

What first drew you to CVN? After graduating from Marymount University, I was looking for ways to connect with people my own age who shared a similar passion for giving back to the community. A colleague told me about CVN and after attending a few social and volunteer events, I was very impressed and decided to get more involved. I still think it’s impressive what the CVN volunteers are able to accomplish in their spare time. 

Why do you think it's important to volunteer? I think that every individual is called to help those around them and to make a contribution towards building a better community. Volunteering offers me the opportunity to do things and help people that I wouldn’t normally have a chance to.

How do you balance volunteering with work, etc.? Sometimes it can be difficult to balance any off-hours activities with your day job, especially if you have made commitments to take a leading role. Some weeks it kind of seems like I have two jobs, but usually at the end of the day I am glad I was able to volunteer and hopefully make a difference in someone else’s life. There are few better things than that.

Though a community is made up of MANY needs, what three causes are you most drawn to volunteer with? (not counting politics, though we think civic engagement is HUGELY important!) Since high school, I have been very passionate about youth engagement and empowerment (empowering youth to make a difference to build the skill-sets essential for any functioning democratic society). Besides that, I really think volunteer opportunities that force you to step outside of your comfort zone and interact with new and diverse people do a lot to help you grow and mature.

What's the name and website of an organization or non-profit you'd like others to know about, and in a sentence, what do they do (in Arlington or nationally, though again, not counting political groups)? I actually have two organizations. The Arlington Community Foundation (http://www.arlcf.org) does a lot of great work in general but they have recently started a Youth Philanthropy initiative that has empowered young people to become leaders and fund community betterment projects in Arlington. Nationally, I really love the work of Catholic Relief Services (http://www.crs.org) because they do a great job engaging people throughout the United States in their international development work.

Throughout your life, what was the most memorable time you volunteered and why? I think the most memorable volunteer experience was helping found the Global Charity Project at Marymount University during my junior year. It really helped me develop a passion for giving back to see how a group of 20 or so college students could touch the lives of not only people in Arlington, but in Africa and South America through the fundraising and volunteer projects we conducted.