 Kayla
McWhirter |
Kayla
McWhirter, Heart House Austin
Kayla
began volunteering with Heart House Austin in October to fulfill a
requirement for her Social Work class at The University of Texas.
But now that she has completed her assignment, she volunteers
because she looks forward to seeing the Heart House kids.
Her enthusiasm as a volunteer makes her the Volunteer of the Month.
Kayla
spent two summers volunteering at camps for children with disabilities.
She is very good with the Heart House children because of her energy and
positive attitude. When asked about her impact on the children, Kayla
responded, “When I leave at the end of the day, there is generally at
least one child who tells me they don’t want me to leave. We are there
for them not only as a volunteer, but as a mentor, someone for them to
look up to.” Kayla is
definitely someone they can look up to.
She is a sophomore at U.T., and is studying Social Work and
Government. When Kayla is not
volunteering or studying, she is hanging out with her friends and
sleeping. She is
involved with the Kappa Delta Sorority and a service and spirit
organization called Texas Lone Stars.
Kayla is always in a good mood
and it is contagious!
When she arrives early to prepare for the day’s activities, her
mood rubs off on anyone who interacts with her. Staff
member
Rana
Emerson
commented, “Kayla’s positive attitude makes her a hit among the kids
and the staff!” We are so
lucky to have Kayla as a volunteer!
 Joseph
Ellis |
Joseph
Ellis, Heart House Dallas
Joseph
Ellis wanted to give back to the community in some way by becoming a
mentor for young children, so he became involved with Heart House after
starting his own business. His
goal is to be able to work with the children over a period of years in
order to watch them progress. He
also believes in teaching RESPECT to the children he works with by showing
them respect and helping them to have respect for themselves and for
others. Joseph feels that
Heart House is the perfect organization for him to realize his goals.
It is obvious to all that Joseph loves kids!
Joseph
is from
Dallas
but was raised in
Stockton
,
CA
.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1983 and retired in 1998.
He has always been an active community member and has been part of
other non-profits: the Combined Federal Campaign, Coordinator for the
Adopt-a-School Program in
Tennessee
and a member of Adopt-a-School
Program in
Virginia
.
When he has spare time he enjoys playing basketball and chess and
catching up on college football games.
Joseph’s
other goals are recruiting more volunteers for Heart House as he says,
“Heart House is the best organization that I have given my time to, as
it took one visit to realize that everyone there loves children.
Heart House is also a haven for adult volunteers to escape the
everyday pressures of the world because kids have a way of putting things
into perspective”. He feels
the more volunteers we have the more children we are able to reach and
help guide them through difficult periods in their lives.
Joseph’s final thought is, “If you have a love for children,
Heart House is the place to volunteer”.
We
want to thank Joseph Ellis for all the time he gives to Heart House.
He is a very giving person and a wonderful role model for all our
children. He has even shown up
and volunteered after working for 36 hours.
That is dedication! Thank
you Joseph from the bottom of our hearts.
Whether
working directly with the children or providing technical or
administrative expertise in the background, your help is needed!
Check out our website and volunteer
opportunities or fill out an on-line
application today!
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more Volunteer Spotlights
|
