June’s Volunteer of the Month
Our newest Volunteer of the Month comes to us by our partner agency, Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama. Kelly Hendricks, Special Events/Volunteer Coordinator for Salvation Army, was so impressed by this volunteer she couldn’t wait to send in the nomination. Congratulations to Maribeth Dennis, our June Volunteer of the Month!
Kelly had nothing but great things to say about Maribeth and we can certainly see why she is deserving of this recognition. Here is what Kelly had to say:
“Even though Maribeth was a volunteer, I truly felt as if she was part of our staff. She went beyond and above as the Chair of our first Mother/Daughter Tea. For three months prior to the event, Maribeth was out in the community making contacts, attending board meetings, visiting the Center for Women and Children, securing sponsors, and more. Her goal was to raise money for the center, but most importantly, awareness. Her heart and passion was evident throughout the entire event. Maribeth went from being a volunteer to being an advocate for Salvation Army.“
Each person at the Mother/Daughter Tea were given a quilt square to write something inspirational, a quote, a picture, etc to remind our residents Center for Women and Children to never give up and that they have a community supporting them. Maribeth’s mother-in-law is quilting the pieces together for us to hang at the Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama’s Center for Women and Children.
We caught up with Maribeth to give her a chance to tell us about her experience volunteering with Salvation Army.
UWSWA: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Maribeth: I was born and raised in Mobile. I then went to high school at St. Paul’s and then off to Auburn where I graduated in 2004. My husband, Daniel and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary this June and we have two sweet babies. Asa is our son, who is 6 and Cecil Grace is our daughter and will be 2 next month.
UWSWA: What made you want to begin volunteering?
Maribeth: I wanted to start volunteering because I have been taught to love one another. I want to show my children how important it is to love and support one another. It’s important to me that this huge life lesson gets carried on.
UWSWA: What types of work have you been doing?
Maribeth: I have been volunteering with the Salvation Army. My latest event was the Mother Daughter Tea that benefitted the Salvation Army’s Center for Women and Children.
UWSWA: What do you enjoy about volunteering?
Maribeth: I enjoy helping others. I really always have loved helping people. Whatever the situation-me being there for them is really something that I enjoy and have realized how important it is to truly be there for someone. And again, the importance of my children seeing their parents being involved and helping others is huge!
UWSWA: Is there a moment that stands out in your mind about your volunteer experience, as interesting or noteworthy?
Maribeth: A recent moment that stands out in my mind is when we visited the Center for Women and Children and my 6 year old went with me. Asa played right along with the children at the center…no questions asked. I said this at the tea too…he didn’t see homeless children…he saw friends.
UWSWA: Why would you recommend volunteering to others?
Maribeth: I would recommend volunteering to others] because it’s supporting our community and helping others. When you think about, your small or big hand in volunteering could totally change someone’s life for the better. That’s pretty amazing!
We want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to Maribeth Dennis for her service in the community and to The Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama. We hope you will continue to support the community and help others through volunteering!
If you are interested in volunteering please browse our list of available volunteer opportunities. Contact Kristin Woods for more information.
Kristin Woods I Volunteer Coordinator I United Way of Southwest Alabama I 251.433.3624