Serving Others: A reflection of my work and how it impacts my community.

Editors note: If you are looking for advice on how to get involved with your community please reach out! I would love to help!

I never thought what I did was special. My work with nonprofits is simply me helping others. My work with the U.S. Army is just a job.

But one day I realized it’s not. I wasn’t giving my work the value it deserves. Chances are, if you work nonprofit, neither are you.

My community work started when I lived in Erie, Pennsylvania. I worked for an amazing nonprofit called Community Access Television (think Wayne’s World), now called Community Access Media. There I taught people, members of the community, how to shoot and edit video, how to use our production truck for live broadcasts and how to use a television studio. I would then air their finished products on our channel. CAT/CAM is a nonprofit organization that works to give the community a voice. Community members produced everything from religious shows to workout shows to shows for senior citizens. I got to do a lot of really cool things while working at CAT/CAM. When I worked there, I just though I was lucky and had the coolest job in the world. I never thought much about how my work was in service to my community.

My Pappy Charley and I at my job at CAT-TV in Erie, PA.
I have so many great memories working at CAT!

A few years later, in Norfolk, Virginia, I joined another nonprofit, The Junior League. In fact, today I am a member of The Junior League of Annapolis. I have served in many capacities over the years; fundraising, public relations, Seeds 4 Success committee and Education and Training committee just to name a few. The Junior League’s main mission is to help women and children. My time in the Junior League has made me aware of the challenges women and children in our society face especially when it comes to education and poverty. Knowing my work with the League makes a difference in my community is the most rewarding feeling.

While living in Georgia, I took on a new volunteer role with the American Red Cross. I was on the Disaster Response Team and even deployed following a severe winter storm to help run a shelter in Augusta. It was humbling helping people get through their worst moments.

My newest nonprofit venture is Charting Careers. It’s an organization that is fighting poverty through education. We are taking a long-term approach to helping children in Annapolis schools. We start with the children in third grade with our Read to Succeed program and stay with them until they finish college. It’s a big task, but poverty is a big challenge. I serve on the board as the Communications Director, putting those years of experience to use for an amazing organization.

With Charting Careers board members Jesse Raudales and Erin Snell at Jesse’s art showing in Annapolis.

In January 2017, I started working at Fort George G. Meade in the Public Affairs Office. I have the best job. Working for the U.S. Army has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. My job is to build relations with the media, the community and to tell the Fort Meade story on behalf of the amazing Service Members who live and serve at the fort. I never served in uniform, but I am thrilled to have the amazing opportunity to serve our nation’s Soldiers. I am grateful for the opportunities of personal growth that this job has given to me.