I was recently invited to a Christmas party hosted by a group of volunteers from the Junior League of Indianapolis. I arrived at the party, fully decorated with a beautiful tree and festive wreaths, and started talking to some of the incredible women, many of whom have now led more than three programs. Their stories brought tears to my eyes. I listened to them talk about the last week of their session and how their girls really grasped the material. From knowing the difference between supply and demand to realizing that the images on TV are often unrealistic depictions of women, this group of volunteers had touched so many lives through their continued participation in our programs.

As a relatively new employee on the volunteer team, I’m still getting to know many of our volunteers. I discovered that this group of women makes time in their very busy lives to go the “extra mile” for our girls. Whether it’s meeting with their co-facilitator in advance to strategize a way to make their activity more active or compiling goody bags for their last session, I was amazed at the extra steps these women took to make sure that they were delivering an effective program.

Perhaps the best part of meeting with our volunteers is hearing what a gift the girls are to them. At the Christmas party, many told me how much seeing their girls smile or apply the lessons they learned in a Work It Out program meant to them. I often reflect on what a gift our volunteers are to our organization and the girls of greater Indianapolis. Yet some of my favorite realizations are when I hear about the fulfillment our volunteers get from these breakthrough moments and how a program can completely change the tone of their week for the better. The gift of being a mentor is truly inspiring and reciprocal.

Learn more about inspiring girls as a volunteer.