Celebrating Rev. Cecil Williams and National Volunteer Week
Honoring Rev. Cecil Williams Legacy
In this month’s edition of Be The Change, the Volunteer Department is centering GLIDE’s core commitment to being celebratory, loving and hopeful. On April 22nd, the world lost a pioneer for social justice, and our department is grateful for the pathway Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani paved for us over the past six decades. This newsletter is dedicated to Rev. Williams for his exemplary work, and if you would like to learn more about our Co-Founders astounding legacy, we encourage you to read our two recent newsletters linked at the bottom.
Finally, if you would like to sign up for a volunteer shift to support GLIDE in honoring Rev. Cecil Williams legacy on May 14th, you can do that below.
You may find out more information regarding Rev. Cecil Williams celebration of life at glide.org/celebratececil or you may contact VOLTEAM@GLIDE.ORG to volunteer for his upcoming celebration of life.
A Deep Dive into the Volunteer Experience for April
As April draws to a close, the Volunteer Department is filled with gratitude for the amazing volunteers we had with us this past month. From the school groups including San Francisco Waldorf High School and Rooftop, to corporate groups including Salesforce, and all the amazing individuals that donated their time, the month has sparkled with bright volunteer faces. As a celebration of National Volunteer Week and the unique paths our volunteers follow to meet us here, the Volunteer Team interviewed over twenty volunteers to learn more about their GLIDE journey.
Make sure to read our online version to hear the adorable audio our team captured while interviewing 5th grade volunteers from a local San Francisco Public School.
VOLUNTEER GROUPS SHOW OUT
Exploring Varied Volunteer Experiences
By Tessa Stapp, Volunteer Coordinator
National Volunteer Week was a whirlwind of festivities. We played GLIDE trivia, let volunteers spin our infamous prize wheel, and held a competitive raffle for GIANTS tickets—donated by one of GLIDE’s own board members. Every month, GLIDE has amazing volunteers come through our doors—and we are grateful to each individual for their work.
I spoke with Alya briefly after she volunteered at GLIDE with her National Health Corps cohort. Alya’s group had a Friday morning prep shift where she supported with compiling the ingredients for bag lunches and cutting mixed vegetables for the next day’s meal service. The National Health Corps group was efficient and upbeat as they completed their varied tasks, so of course I was excited to interview one of their team members.
Tessa: What was your favorite part of volunteering today?
Alya: My favorite part of volunteering was getting to do it with my group! We were able to chat as we worked, and I felt like it was a great bonding experience.
Tessa: So—the big question is, would you recommend volunteering at GLIDE?
Alya: I would DEFINITELY recommend volunteering with GLIDE and I do hope to come back. The staff are very nice, and it is such a welcoming environment.
Of course—as someone involved in the public health sector, Alya also took care to highlight our emphasis on hygiene while Volunteers work hard in the kitchen!
“I just want to say that the attention to cleanliness was great as we all wore protective gear and washed our hands thoroughly. I was happy to see that!”
VOLUNTEERS SPREADING THE LOVE
Volunteer Spotlight: Tiffany Meyers
By Tessa Stapp, Volunteer Coordinator
I was introduced to Tiffany by her sister Ariel. Ariel reached out after reading a previous newsletter and was excited to share her appreciation for Tiffany’s ability to rally their family to donate their time to the daily free meals program on a regular basis.
Tessa: What brings you here?
Tiffany: I originally volunteered 13 years ago with the company that I was working for and after that I wanted to go myself.
Tessa: What do you enjoy about volunteering at GLIDE?
Tiffany: I have been wrangling the family to go every time I go. I think my favorite part of volunteering is getting the family together and making a difference.
Tessa: Do you have a favorite volunteering memory?
Tiffany: My favorite memory is when my 9-year-old daughter joined us for the first-time serving weekend lunch. She saw the impact that she was making with the first meal that she served, and everyone was so happy to be receiving a meal from such a cute kid.
Volunteer Group Spotlight: Rooftop School
By Tessa Stapp, Volunteer Coordinator
We also welcomed Rooftop’s 5th graders who made sandwiches and served lunch. I had the honor of chatting with about 15 students and their group leader. A portion of the interviews is written below but we will be posting the full audio on our web version of the newsletter.
Tessa: Hi everyone, can you state your first names for me?
M: My name is Maxton.
Tessa: Was today your first-time volunteering here?
Maxton: Yes it is!
Tessa: What was your favorite part?
My favorite part of today was when we all put the sandwiches in the bags because we all kinda [sic] worked together!
Tessa: Do you want to volunteer with us in the future?
Maxton: Definitely!
Tessa: Can you please state your name and favorite color for the record?
Malika: My name is Malika and one of my favorite colors is purple.
Tessa: What was your favorite part?
Malika: I packed stuff in sandwich bags, and I talked to my friends, and it made me feel good to work at GLIDE because I helped!
Finally, I had the privilege of interviewing Sue Mocklin, Rooftop’s fifth-grade teacher.
Tessa: What was your role in the dining room today?
Sue: I pretty much tried to make sure all the kids in the dining room were organized and doing what they were supposed to do.
Tessa: Did you have a favorite part?
Sue: I loved seeing how well the kids interacted with the community.
Tessa: Do you think that the students want to come back and volunteer?
Sue: OH! They already said they want to come back tomorrow!
Tessa: Hahaha—anything else you’d like to share?
Sue: I’m bringing this back to our principal, and I want to suggest that we organize a monthly care crew!
Tessa: Well– we would love to have you back!
Student volunteers, like the fantastic youth we had from Rooftop School, are a crucial part of our volunteer base. Volunteering introduces students to issues prevalent in our community, and at the same time reminds them of their own power to create change, empowers youth by giving them important tasks to manage, and reminds our youth to build the world they want to live in.
If you would like to schedule to bring your class or youth to GLIDE, send us an email at VOLTEAM@GLIDE.ORG and we can coordinate all the logistics to provide them with a 🌟 transformative experience 🌟.
Thank You Again!
Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter! It’s engaged volunteers like YOU who make all the difference at GLIDE.
If you would like to donate books to our GLibrary initiative, we appreciate books in new or gently used condition across all genres. If you have any questions or would like to coordinate dropping off books, please contact our GLibrarian, Waverlee Craig, at: Wcraig@glide.org .
You may contact me at Tstapp@glide.org; if you have a story suggestion, please put Volunteer Newsletter Story in the subject line and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
This edition of Be The Change is dedicated to GLIDE Foundation’s Co-Founder Reverend Cecil Williams. Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani were glowing examples of our Volunteer Departments motto of “Be The Change”, and we are honored to uplift and celebrate their legacies through our programs.
