August HOPE Hero

Carol - HOPE Volunteer

About our HOPE Hero: 

Carol was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She found herself in Bradenton after retiring from her job, of 24 years at Universal Orlando. Carol began helping at HOPE during the Children’s Group sessions. She listened to music with the kids, played games, and helped with homework. Her role at HOPE now is working in the Outreach office, where she helps staff with reports for local, state, and federal agencies.

 

What have you learned while volunteering?

HOPE does amazing things for survivors and their families. I’ve learned that domestic violence is widespread and while there are many resources available to participants, there is a need for even more. 

 

What motivates you to volunteer with this organization?

I worked with a sister domestic violence agency in the Orlando area before moving to Bradenton and wanted to continue to give back.

 

What advice would you give to a future volunteer?

The biggest advice I can give is to be committed to the organization. It isn’t always easy to find the time, but you must be willing to give some of your time to helping others.

 

Tell us about your most memorable accomplishment with this organization.

One evening while I was helping with the Children’s Group, I was asked to help with a homework assignment. The student needed to invent a product and describe its use, using some words provided by the teacher. Extra credit would be given if they used words from another list. We selected a product, completed the outline, and the child finished the rest of the essay at home. The next time I saw the child, I asked what grade they received and they told me it was the first "A" they had ever received!

 

We truly appreciate all of your hard work & dedication to our mission!