I work in the volunteer department, so I apologize for my bias, but we could not do our work at Girls Inc. without our fantastic volunteers! Of course the girls are our number one focus, but we would not be able to reach over 2,600 girls last year without the amazing volunteers who lead the programs. The benefits of Girls Inc. utilizing volunteers are enormous! The programs allow girls to meet successful woman in all types of careers. All too often, the girls have never considered becoming, for example, a chemist or an accountant. But by exposing them to the array of backgrounds of our volunteers, they realize new possibilities.

Also, by having two volunteers lead a program the girls see two women working together and communicating in a mature constructive manner. These benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. Without our volunteers, Girls Inc. could not fulfill our future goal to expand to other counties, and more schools. We are confident that our volunteers will continue to help us inspire more and more girls to be strong, smart and bold. 

January is National Mentoring Month and it reminded me that mentoring is a big part of leading a six week program. Even though a volunteer is only with the same group of girls for six weeks, that short time makes a meaningful impact and they walk away from the program feeling guided in the right direction. You can read more about National Mentoring Month here. 

Volunteering for Girls Inc. is not just a great opportunity for the girls of greater Indianapolis. We believe that the experience is meaningful for the volunteer, too. Our volunteers complete programs with the knowledge that they made a difference and became a role model to the girls. 

Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Girls Inc.