March Volunteer of the Month - A Tie!

Hey folks, in a too-close-to-call finish, we have two winners for the Volunteer of the Month award for March! A big congrats to our co-winners Carol Loforte and Melissa Redding!

Carol



Melissa

Here's what some of our staff had to say about Carol and Melissa who have both volunteered with New Beginnings at the Transitional Housing Program for over three years(!):

"Each of these women are incredibly reliable, hard-working, great fun, and skilled with the kids. Carol specializes in helping the children who have homework to do in childcare, and Melissa is awesome with the babies. Both are adaptable to all circumstances (even when entirely new sorts of issues present themselves!) and always make a point to call or email me on the off-chance that they are sick. Carol recently got a new job out on the Eastside and she has managed to take a 45-minute bus ride so she can make it in to childcare on time! These women are not just great help to us, they are what make childcare enjoyable week after week. They have great attitudes, funny stories, and a ton of respect for New Beginnings."

We had a chance to sit chat with both Carol and Melissa and here's what they had to say:

Q: Who are you and what do you do (outside of New Beginnings)?

This is actually Carol's car. Not really.

Carol: My name is Carol Loforte and I am originally from the Chicago area. After college I jumped around in the country a bit from New York to Denver until landing in Seattle nearly (gasp) 11 years ago. When not spending time with friends and family, I am a project manager working on Xbox Live.

Melissa: My name is Melissa, and outside of volunteering at New Beginnings, I work at Seattle Children's Hospital doing administrative work for the Gastroenterology department. I also play the violin in the Ravenna Strings community orchestra.
Q: Why is it important for you to volunteer for New Beginnings?


Park!

Melissa: I enjoy working with the children and the other volunteers and advocates. Even when it's a bit chaotic, we still have a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to nicer weather so we can start doing more stuff outside, like going to the park.

Carol: I first learned about New Beginning when I volunteered there for Day of Caring. I had a wonderful time setting up an apartment one year and gardening the next. When I decided I wanted to devote some time volunteering on a regular basis, New Beginnings was an obvious choice for me. It has been a great opportunity to help out a wonderful organization. Not to mention it is pretty fun to hang out with all of the kids.

Q: What’s something you’ve learned during your time as a volunteer?

Carol: I have realized what is really important. While having the latest and greatest toy is nice, the kids really seem to enjoy just having someone to draw with or help with their homework.

Melissa: I've learned to have a lot of patience for rambunctious kids and crying babies. I've also relearned various craft projects and games I used to play when I was a kid.
Q: If Jamba Juice named a smoothie after you, what would be in it?

Strawbana

Melissa: Probably something simple and classic like strawberries and bananas.


Carol: I am not sure of the name but it would have be a green smoothie. I am always talking about my favorite spinach, celery, apple, pineapple and mango smoothie and trying to bring others over to the “green side.” Trust me, it is much better than it sounds.

Q: Do you buy anything from TV infomercials? If so, what was your last purchase?

Carol: When watching them, I am almost always convinced they are selling something that I MUST have. Fortunately 5 minutes after the commercial I usually forget about it. I did once purchase “Turbo Jam” after a friend raved about it. Needless to say it is a dusty reminder of why I shouldn’t purchase from infomercials.

Melissa: I never buy anything from infomercials because I assume if it's actually a good product I'll see it in stores soon enough.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Seattle during the summer?

Melissa: I'm a fan of playing frisbee golf. I specifically enjoy the course at Terrace Creek Park in Mountlake Terrace.


Carol: Anything outside. I love spending the day walking around all of the different neighborhoods and stopping at cute outdoor cafes.
Q: Anything you’d like to share with the millions watching from home?

Carol: New Beginnings is a fabulous organization and I am very proud to be part of it.

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And we're proud to have wonderful volunteers like Carol and Melissa! We're going to cut the Volunteer of the Month trophy in half and send it your way soon!