Thursday, April 7, 2016

Reynolds Cares with Betsy Edwards, Admissions Specialist


In an effort to encourage more Reynolds employees to get involved in volunteering and to highlight some of the valuable community service efforts that our employees are already engaged in, the Reynolds LEADS team recently interviewed several Reynolds employees about their experience as volunteers in the local community. This is the third installment of the "Reynolds Cares" series.

 
Q: Can you describe your volunteer effort(s)? What group do you serve? What’s their mission? What kinds of things do volunteers do for this group?

BE: I volunteer with Post 6364 Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary. The mission of this group is to serve all veterans of foreign wars in honor of their sacrifice and commitment and I want this to be a legacy to my father’s memory.  I have had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to serve as a volunteer Guardian for a WWII veteran five times on Honor Flight, a one day trip to Washington DC to see their monument.  Other ongoing activities include assisting with Bingo at McGuire VA Center, handing our goodies bags to veterans in the hospital during the holidays, making cookies for special distribution during the year, an annual wheel chair wash for residents in local assisted living housing.  I also attend/participate in parades, special events, fund raisers, Toys for Tots for Marines each Christmas, and yard sales. Sometimes visiting with a veteran is the most rewarding time of all. 

I also thoroughly enjoy volunteering with Sports Backers RVA.  This group is dedicated to the mission of making greater Richmond a physically active community. They sponsor events that include families, individuals, and groups. (Also, many events are dog friendly.) Recently helping with the event for local people during the UCI bike races was an exciting volunteer activity. 

Q: How or why did you get involved in volunteering?

BE: I moved to Richmond from another state and this gave me an opportunity to learn about the community, meet people, and to establish a feeling of connection.  The flexibility of scheduling my volunteer time afforded me freedom to choose activities I like and am good at.  It also helped me cope with feeling isolated after the move. I became a lifetime member of Post 6364 Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary because my father was a WWII veteran and had actively served in the American Legion for 50+ years.  He instilled in me a continuing interest in veterans by allowing me to participate in activities with him.

Q: How long have you been involved?  How much time do you devote to volunteering?  

BE: I have been a member of VFWA for fourteen (14) years and have volunteered with Sports Backers four (4) years.  My time fluctuates depending on activities I am involved with but about 1-2 hours a week and at least 100 hours a year is a normal amount of time I volunteer.

Q: Do your volunteer efforts impact your job at Reynolds?

BE: I utilize [the college’s] volunteer leave to assist at the McGuire VA Medical Center for Stand Down each year.  Veterans come and receive free clothing, food, haircuts, and counseling.  I often have opportunity to recommend Reynolds Community College to veterans and people I come in contact with at all events.  Once I was able to follow up with an individual I met who became a student here.  Most of my volunteer time is during the evening or weekend.

Q: Do you have any tips for others who want to get involved?

BE: I would recommend anyone interested in becoming a volunteer to first attend an event as a spectator.  You will get caught up in the enthusiasm and want to become more involved. It would be helpful to look for volunteer activities that hold an interest to you as a way to meet a personal need/desire.  Maybe you want to meet people, or learn something new.  Look for events that will provide opportunities that also can meet your schedule.