Bonnie Erdheim List: Giving Back as A Family

What inspired you to start volunteering at JFS?I have always wanted to give back and I think it is important that both my children, Dylan and Lindsay, realize how fortunate we are. I have always known about Jewish Family Service growing up. My kids were both exposed to Jewish Family Service from their temple as well.

When the opportunity arose for my son to join an organization, Boys Team Charity, whose mission is to donate their time and services and to give back to the community, I saw an additional opportunity for our family not only to support other organizations, but to give more of our time to JFS. Also, it was a great way to expose several new families to an organization they never heard of and didn’t know about what it did in the community.

What three words describe your JFS volunteer experience?Incredible, rewarding, and fulfilling.

Can you share a memorable volunteer moment?There are so many memorable volunteer moments. Volunteering with both of my kids for the Lunchbox Express program where I am the liaison for Boys Team Charity is where I see the biggest impact we make in the community. Handing out food to children so that they get a balanced meal, which might be their only meal for the day, and giving them a book to keep as their own so that they may read is memorable to me. I love seeing the smiles on their faces. We also make sure we donate our own books for the kids. As we drive home from our time volunteering, we all talk about how fortunate we are to have the material things and food that people can take for granted.

When you’re not volunteering, what’s your favorite way to spend a few hours?Spending time with my husband, Steve, and my children, Dylan and Lindsay, and just doing something fun together.