December Volunteer of the Month
We are excited to introduce our December Volunteer of the Month, Alan Y., who volunteers with our adaptive bike program during the summer months, helping people with disabilities increase mobility, enjoy the benefits of improved physical and mental health, build social connections, work on bike and safety skills and have fun in their community. When not volunteering as an adaptive bike companion, Alan volunteers at JFS Altius Farms and with our Arts and Community Exploration program, helping with honey bottling.
Alan was nominated by a staff member who shared:
"Alan has stepped up big time to help out the Adaptive Bike Program. He comes twice a week and has even come out on additional days to help out when needed. Despite not having much prior experience working with individuals with disabilities, he has been so open to learning and meeting our participants where they are. His thoughtful kindness and ability to empower participants has allowed individuals to achieve goals and work hard while biking. He is such a special person, and I feel so lucky to have him as a bike companion!"
Read more about Alan's volunteer impact below:
Q: Tell us about yourself and your background.
AY: I am the proud father of four wonderful kids and am so fortunate to have such an incredible wife. I've recently retired from working in the energy industry for more than 35 years. I like to spend time outdoors and have been fortunate to spend extensive time on my bike after moving to Colorado at the end of 2009. I've been wanting to spend more time volunteering and was so pleased to see the opportunity to support the Adaptive Biking Program. Maria has been great to work with and I've learned so much from watching her work with the participants. It's such a gift for me to give time and watch the participants progress and push themselves. Most importantly they show their appreciation of me giving time which makes the experience so meaningful. I look forward to continuing supporting JFS and trying to do my small part to making the programs successful.
Q: What volunteer role do you have with JFS, and what roles have you had with JFS?
AY: My wife and I delivered meals to the JCC during Covid and I did spend some time with the Honey Bottling program. These have been very enjoyable for me and I'm planning to support Altius Farms.
Q: What motivated you to begin volunteering with JFS?
AY: I've been wanting to focus on helping others for quite some time and the programs tied to JFS fit my interest level. The onboarding was very easy and I appreciate the flexibility JFS provides for my time.
Q: What's your favorite part about volunteering with JFS, and how has being a JFS volunteer impacted your life?
AY: My favorite part is engaging with the participants. Answering their questions, seeing them smile, and watching them support everyone is very special. It's a gift to be a part of this and volunteering has helped me learn to slow down a bit and appreciate each day a little more than what I was working.
Q: Do you have a memorable story about your JFS volunteer experience to share? If so, please share below.
AY: I do have a very good story to share. This pertains to a participant who at first was very reluctant to bike and limited his riding to the parking lot. I continued to push him a bit to try to expand outside the parking lot, but he was always a bit cautious. Finally I got him to ride on the bike path which he really enjoyed. After biking on the path several times and becoming very comfortable, he pulled me aside at the start of a session and told him exactly where we were going to bike on the path that day and where he wanted to take his breaks. I followed his lead, and it was a great day to see him with such high confidence.
Q: What would you say to someone considering volunteering with JFS?
AY: I would highly recommend taking the time to try out a program or two with JFS. The staff is engaging, enthusiastic, supportive and clearly wants to be there. I think the impact it can have on someone is so meaningful, and it's easy to see how small gestures of kindness and support can go such a long way.
Are you interested in volunteering? Learn more and sign up today.