Volunteers Valley
A supplement to the Jackson Hole News&Guide
April 15, 2015
Building our
future From hammering out housing to keeping disabled riders safe in the saddle, residents help one another, page 4.
PRICE CHAMBERS / NEWS&GUIDE
Don Cushman, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area, works on new homes in the Daisy Bush neighborhood east Jackson.
INSIDE Super-volunteer
Twenty years ago an old-timer gave Lani Matthews some advice about how helping others would add to her happiness. Today she aids organizations that shelter victims of domestic violence, help resolve disputes and make sick children’s dreams come true. See page 3.
4-H’ers pick projects
A group of girls within the Teton County 4-H organization choose a different cause every month and spend their time serving meals, raising money and collecting items for people in need. The Under the Stairs club has 21 members. See page 8.
Cancer care
Dave Mills makes coffee and holds hands. Nina Lenz and her golden retriever, George, offer comfort. Teenager Brianne Beale visits the chemotherapy suites. A cadre of helpers at St. John’s Medical Center make cancer treatment a little easier to bear. See page 10.
2 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS! Build a community
Build a future
E
Build a home
www.tetonhabitat.org - 307.734.0828
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Join Jackson’s #1 Women’s Service Organization Soroptimist International “The Best for Women” Thank you to our members for all you do!
Say thanks to a volunteer
very year reporters for the Jackson Hole News&Guide go out in search of volunteers to profile. The tough thing isn’t finding those volunteers, it’s narrowing the list down to a handful of individuals and organizations doing invaluable work to help their neighbors. In this edition of our annual special section celebrating the valley’s action-oriented philanthropy, you’ll meet people like Lani Matthews, who uses her listening skills on the crisis hotline for the Community Safety Network and in conference rooms for the Center for Resolution. She also makes dreams come true for children with life-threatening diseases with her work for Make-A-Wish Wyoming. You’ll become more familiar with groups of volunteers, such as those nailing studs and cutting trim for affordable homes built by Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area. Hundreds of parents roll up their sleeves each school year, stepping into classrooms to help with reading time, document events or raise money for extras by selling pumpkins in October. Retirees who have plenty of time on
their hands don’t spend it all on the golf course. They’re delivering meals to homebound seniors, caring for people hooked up to chemotherapy treatments and thawing frozen mice to feed to rehabilitating raptors. Even young residents get involved in making Jackson Hole a better place. At age 10 Shaeli Funk came home and informed her mother that she was going to start a club to help others. Five years later, she and the 20 other members of the Under the Stairs 4-H club are logging about 600 hours of service a year even though only a handful of the club members are old enough to drive. Beyond the tasks that care for the physical needs of valley residents, a huge cadre of people offer their talents to make music, enriching the spirits of people standing along the Fourth of July parade route, sitting in a concert hall or just tuning in to Jackson Hole Community Radio. Enjoy this small tribute to our valley’s volunteers, and thank your friends and neighbors for the work they do to keep us all living in harmony. — Johanna Love
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Special supplement written, produced and printed by the Jackson Hole News&Guide
AT SIMPLY HEALTH OF JACKSON HOLE, WHISKEY BARBER & GRAND TETON GALLERY
Contact Karen Brennan for more info 307-413-6772 290266
Do you have an hour a week to
HELP A CHILD? Looking to have fun and give back to our community?
If so, we are looking for adults to mentor children in Jackson Hole.
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OR, T N E BE A M E LIVES! G CHAN
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Publisher: Kevin Olson Editor: John R. Moses Deputy Editors: Richard Anderson, Johanna Love Valley Volunteers Section Editor: Johanna Love Layout and Design: Kathryn Holloway Photographers: Bradly J. Boner, Price Chambers Copy Editors: Jennifer Dorsey, Mark Huffman Features: Richard Anderson, Emma Breysse, Julie Butler, Jennifer Dorsey, Clark Forster, Ben Graham, Mike Koshmrl, Frances Moody, Michael Polhamus, Jason Suder
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Contact Annie at annie@tetonmentorproject.org or 307-690-2581
©2015 Teton Media Works Jackson Hole News&Guide P.O. Box 7445, 1225 Maple Way Jackson, WY 83002 , 307-733-2047 Fax: 307-733-2138, www.jhnewsandguide.com
Teton Literacy Center thanks and applauds our volunteers for their excellent service and dedication.
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Katie-Chloe Stock Cindy Knight Izzy Trott Claudia VanRemortere *Jade Walsh Kenzie Reed Colin Finlay James Mathieu Kris Gridely Becca Moll Courtney Kaye Jannette Garcia Kristen Piontek Lea Joannis Abigail Shockley *Bill Hoglund Dabney West JD Slattery Adele Farag *Bill Maloney Dawn Kimbrall Jessica Spaulding Lee Bauknight Adrian Croke Blakeney Spong * Debbie Schlinger Jim Hand Leila Sandlin *Jim Thorburn Liz Collins Alena McIntosh Bob Zelnio Doyen McIntosh Alex White Brian Hurtado Elizabeth Tyler Strandberg *Joannie Epstein Liz Poniarski Joe Burke Luke Dauner Alexandra Jajonie Brianne Beale Emily Dippel Alice Lubeck Carol Chesney Emily Jennings John Good Madeline Carlman Alice-Jane Walter Carol Maloney Emma Caulkins *Jon Scott Maria Sanchez Jordan Wilkes Marisol Hernandez Amy Bryan Carole Malia Schneider Emma Davis *Amy Staehr Caroline Berner Emma Sollitt Julia Kirby Marsha Wackerly Erin Nye Juliet Barns Martin Eby Analaura Robles Montiel Caroline Lundeen Andrew Carson Carrie Kruse Frederick Coombs Juliet Born *Matt Rodosky Ann Carruth Catherine Cabrera Vazquez Graham Trainor Katherine Lucas Matthew Grady Kathleen Doffermyre McKinley Shindell Anne Schuler Cathie Burkland Hadyn Peery Anne Stalker *Ceci Clover Harli Wood Kathleen Neiley Mike Lutz Hunter Dewell Kathy Cottam Mike Wierda Annie Friday Cheyann Galicia Annika Jorgensen Chris Frank Irene Poodts Katie Mannen Monica Bell
THANK YOU! Nancy Carson Sarah Kerr Nathan Watson Nesly Corona Perez Savannah Poinsett Scott Cooley Nina JoubertShannon Daileader Bousson Shawn Means Noah Barnhart Sloane Gordon *Patrick Trucco Stephanie Franco Paul Hansen Sue Ball *Peter French Sue Dennis *Petria Fossel Sue Hebberger Polly Warner Suzy Perez Andraca Randolph Doffermyre Randy Reedy Rhonda Watson Robyn Reedy Rose Novak Sandy Strout Sarah Dippel
For volunteer opportunities please contact, laura@tetonliteracy.org or call 307-733-9242
Sydney Meyers Teresa Griswold Tess Waldrop Thomas Hinkel Tom Ralston Tucker Carr Tyler Harlow Valerie Conger Zamantha Garcia *Board Members
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 3
Super volunteer strenghtens community Matthews’ work is vital, but for the most part it’s done out of sight. By Frances Moody
W
hen Lani Matthews moved to the valley 22 years ago she had no plans to stay for a long time. After meeting her soon-to-be husband and getting to know other people who live in Jackson Hole, Matthews knew she had found a place to call home. As her relationship with the town grew she felt the need to reach out to its people with volunteer work. The longtime Jackson resident now dedicates her time to three organizations: the Community Safety Network, Make-A-Wish Wyoming and the Center for Resolution. “Service is something you give, but it always comes back to benefit you in a fulfilling way,” Matthews said. “These organizations give hope to those they serve, and that gives me hope.” Matthews always felt the need to help people. But when she became friends with Ralph Gill, a former Jackson mayor who died last summer, she had an even stronger urge to reach out. She and husband Tony Matthews, who have been married for 20 years, met Gill shortly before they tied the knot. “He encouraged both of us to get involved with the community and to give service as often as we could,” she said. “He said that this would add to our happiness.” While Matthews feels that she always gets back what she gives, that’s not the point of her volunteer work, she said. In fact, she selected the three organizations she works with because they provide service that is behind the scenes and not out in the open. “Because of the nature of the work they do, they don’t receive
PRICE CHAMBERS / NEWS&GUIDE
Lani Matthews volunteers for the Community Safety Network, the Center for Resolution and Make-A-Wish Wyoming.
the same kind of praise other organizations in the valley do,” Matthews said. Partly for safety reasons and partly to create a circle of trust, the Community Safety Network promises confidentiality to every person it helps. As a volunteer for an organization that offers shelter and support to those who are affected by domestic violence or sexual assault, Matthews answers calls that go to the network’s help line. Matthews has helped the network since 2007 and gives
as much time to the organization as she can. She said she is lucky she can donate her service at least once a week. Matthews owns Advantage Testing and Professional Services, a company that provides employment services such as recruitment, background checks and training, and is able to manage her own work hours. Not worried about having to work early in the morning, she can sign up for late-night shifts, which is the time the help line receives the most calls.
Sharel Love, executive director for the Community Safety Network, said the organization’s volunteers have to set aside a lot of time just to train to handle the calls. “From the start we knew Lani was going to be a devoted volunteer,” she said. Now a seasoned volunteer, Matthews said the active listening skills she learned during training help her get through some stressful calls. Sometimes she takes calls from people who are in the middle of a violent dispute. In addition to listening to the caller, Matthews’ job is to offer support and to give the callers options. If the situation calls for it she will sometimes drive to the network’s shelter to meet with the person to provide solace and safety. Other times she will talk to family members who are concerned about a possibly volatile situation. To say the least, most of the circumstances Matthews deals with when volunteering for the Community Safety Network are not pleasant. Rather than letting the sad stories affect her, Matthews decides to appreciate the fact that she is able to help people who don’t have anyone else to turn to. She thinks it’s important to assist people who are struggling in any way possible. Her friends have experienced her kindness firsthand. Lori Kyle, who met Matthews when they both worked for the Jackson Hole Housing Authority, said Matthews was more than willing to take time out of her busy schedule to bring Kyle meals when she was in recovery after knee surgery. “Lani has always found time to step out of whatever busy projects she is involved in to come and help out,” Kyle said. Mary Obringer has also been helped by Matthews. When Obringer was going through cancer treatment Matthews made time to visit her as often as possible. Like she did for Kyle,
Matthews also delivered meals to Obringer. Obringer and Kyle agree that Matthews’ conversation skills make her a wonderful friend and a great volunteer. “You will never catch her mind wandering when you are in her presence,” Kyle said. Matthews has to be completely engaged in the conversations she conducts when volunteering for the Center for Resolution, which provides mediation for small claims court cases in Jackson. “It’s important that you go into the mediation without bias,” said Matthews, who has volunteered for the center for two years. “You have to keep an open mind when you listen to what each party has to say.” Similar to her decision to help out the Community Safety Network, Matthews decided to volunteer for the Center for Resolution because she wants to solve confrontations that exist in Jackson. Mary Martin, who works at the center with Matthews, said Matthews’ dedication to helping the community she is a part of runs deep. “She is somebody who if she says she will do something, she will do it,” Martin said. “She is really helpful with pointing people to resources. She is an excellent mediator.” While her work with the Community Safety Network and the Center for Resolution is about conflict resolution, Matthews’ time spent with Make-A-Wish Wyoming is much different. An organization that grants wishes to children with lifethreatening medical conditions, Make-A-Wish Wyoming undertakes many tasks to make kids’ dreams come true. “We’ve been asked to build a Cinderella-themed room for a little girl,” Matthews said. “We’ve also granted wishes to kids who are from warmer climates and want to experience the snow.” See super volunteer on 5
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4 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
PRICE CHAMBERS / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS
Volunteer Don Cushman works on affordable homes being built by Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area in east Jackson’s Daisy Bush neighborhood.
Hammering away at the housing problem
Volunteers’ elbow grease enables Habitat for Humanity to offer affordable homes to families. By Frances Moody
L
ast summer proved that people are willing to put up with a lot to live in Jackson. Unable to find places to stay, some slept in cars or pitched tents up Curtis Canyon. Once the tourist season ended, most were able to find places to rent. But when the warmer months roll around again it’s likely that leases will expire and rentals will overflow. And some people who find an apartment or house to rent will deal with unlivable conditions such as mold and poor insulation. It’s undeniable that Jackson Hole’s housing crisis is here to stay, but there’s one organization in town that has put blood and sweat into improving the situation. A nonprofit that builds homes for low-income families, Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area offers one piece of the solution to one of Jackson’s most talked-about problems. With a goal of constructing four or five homes a year Habitat for Humanity relies on brains and brawn to help the community. Offering a variety of skills are volunteers who build the homes and work behind the scenes. “It’s literally a grassroots organization that runs on volunteers,” said Veronica Mulhall, the nonprofit’s marketing and volunteer manager. “We have volunteers who work at the job site, at the office and at the ReStore. There are also volunteers who serve on our committees.” But when people visualize what Habitat for Humanity does they usually think of men and women hammering nails to construct houses for people chosen by the group’s Family Selection Committee. Habitat for Humanity volunteers, along with a team of construction experts, are currently working on two duplexes at the Daisy Bush property in east Jackson. Architect Jake Ostlind started working at the site in mid-October. He was required to complete 80 hours of community service to keep his license to practice architecture. “I was looking for opportunities to do something fun and interesting,” he said. In high school, as part of his construction tech
On Thursdays Cushman drives from his home in Star Valley to help on Habitat for Humanity builds.
class, he helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity. Built on location at his school in Big Horn, the houses were transported to Sheridan. Ostlind said building for the organization has reminded him of what piqued his interest in architecture. It also allows him to see his profession from the builder’s viewpoint. “It’s been fun for me to be on the other side of the drawings,” he said. “To be in the builder’s shoes and to have to interpret those drawings has been really interesting and insightful for me.”
Ostlind fulfilled his community service obligation in December, but he still volunteers for the nonprofit most Saturdays. “I just didn’t want to walk away,” he said. “I felt like I built connections. I wanted to see the project through.” Ostlind’s favorite part of working at the Daisy Bush site is getting to know the other people who volunteer their time and skills. He has formed relationships with people he otherwise would never have met. One Saturday he befriended members of a Latino family, who made tamales for lunch. “I don’t know where else I would experience something like that,” Ostlind said. “I get to see a whole different side of the community.” Another thing Ostlind likes about his work with Habitat for Humanity is that he will get to see an end product. “With other things we can show up to a meeting, voice our opinions and write letters,” he said. “To show up on the job site, work for a full day and then stand back and look at what you’ve accomplished feels like you are making a dent in a real problem. We put our thoughts into action.” Ostlind is excited to see the ribbon-cutting ceremony that will commemorate the day the four families move into their new Daisy Bush homes. Don Cushman has witnessed several such occasions. A Habitat for Humanity volunteer for almost 10 years, he now lives in Star Valley but drives to Jackson at least once a week to lend a hand. “I’m not aware that such a thing exists in the community where I live,” he said. “Jackson is still my social environment.” A former ranger for Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge, Cushman is now retired and has decided to commit his time to support a community he has been a part of. On Thursdays he drives to Jackson to build before he plays with the Jackson Hole Community Band. On March 5 he cut and installed window trim for the Daisy Bush complex. “We’re on siding and trim right now,” Cushman said. “I’ve done all parts of it. I’ve helped with the framing and with insulation installation.” In addition to enjoying working outside, Cushman — like Ostlind — likes the relationships he builds while building. When he was working on the organization’s Melody Ranch project he made contact with See HAMMERing AWAY on 5
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 5
HAMMERing AWAY Continued from 4
one of his former students from Central Wyoming College who happened to be the recipient of one of the properties. “Now her son, who was about 12 years old at the time of the Melody Ranch build, is coming out to volunteer,” he said. “It’s interesting to see how that value has been instilled in her children.” Volunteers for Habitat for Humanity don’t just build homes. They also dedicate time to serving on the nonprofit’s committees. In addition do pitching in at construction sites Kristin Ladd sits on the Women’s Build Committee. “We work to plan days when more than 50 percent of people on the job site are women,” she said. The committee also wants to plan workshops for women to teach the skills needed to build a Habitat for Humanity home. A preschool teacher at the Children’s Learning Center, Ladd likes to put herself in the shoes of the families who will soon receive homes. “I can’t imagine having four kids and being uprooted constantly,” she said, “or having mold on your walls.” Patti Roser also serves on a committee. The accountant has been on
super volunteer Continued from 3
Other tasks Matthews has completed for the nonprofit include making calls to plan outings for kids and picking up children and families from the airport. A Make-A-Wish volunteer since 2009, Matthews was recognized as the organization’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014. “Lani has been an important part of our team for many years and helped us grant numerous wishes in the Jackson area,” said Morgan Legerski, CEO for Make-A-Wish Wyoming. “Her passion
the Finance Committee for 12 years. “We talk about if we are going to have enough money to build and where are we going to put our resources,” Roser said. Habitat for Humanity recently repurchased three homes from owners who were moving. It needed the help of the Finance Committee to do so. Serving on the Finance Committee isn’t enough for Roser. She also offers her accounting skills to help the foundation prepare its annual financial statement audits and tax returns. “I can’t do anything but accounting,” she said. “I’m no good at pounding nails. I’m no good at the job site.“ In addition to building homes, serving on committees and offering math skills, Habitat for Humanity volunteers do office work, spend time at ReStore, which sells used furniture, fixtures and building materials, and salvage material from buildings that are about to be demolished. “The scale on which we work is so broad that there are always opportunities for people,” said Brendan Schulte, executive director of the Greater Teton group. “It’s never a situation where we have a square peg in a round hole.”
A Chapter of Disabled Sports/USA
Teton Adaptive Sports would like to thank
those who commit their time, energy, and support in the effort to provide year round outdoor sports and recreation opportunities for people of all abilities.
Volunteers Rock! tetonadaptive@aol.com • 307-699-3554 290351
Improving lives and strengthening Wyoming communities through
VOLUNTEERISM
Contact Frances Moody at 732-7079 or features2@jhnewsandguide.com. for our mission and the children we serve is insurmountable.” No matter how Matthews spends her time, she is always focused on making life in the community better. Love, from the Community Resource Center, said Matthews uses her listening and advocacy talents whether she is on the clock or not. “She personifies what it means to build a compassionate community, regardless of what hat she is wearing on any particular day,” Love said. Contact Frances Moody at 732-7079 or features2@jhnewsandguide.com.
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Looking for ways to Volunteer?
call (307)-234-3428 or visit servewyoming.org
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THANK YOU! Teton County Emergency Management would like to thank the volunteers of the following agencies for making Jackson Hole a more disaster-resilient community. Without your hard work and dedication we wouldn’t be able to provide the critical services the public truly needs in times of crisis.
THE AGENCIES AND WHAT THEY DO ARE:
American Red Cross of Wyoming, Jackson Team
Teton County Community Emergency Response Team
Sheltering and feeding of people in disasters, disaster mental health services, emergency preparedness training for the public, and disaster damage assessments.
Neighborhood emergency response in large disasters, public fire extinguisher training, emergency responder rehabilitation unit, and surge capacity for local emergency response agencies.
VOAD BOARD MEMBERS: Church of Latter-Day Saints | Cornerstone Church Jackson Cupboard | PAWS of Jackson Hole | Redeemer Lutheran Church | Rotary Club of Jackson Hole Teton Valley Seventh-Day Adventist Church
PAWS of JH Disaster Animal Response Team
Teton County Emergency Operations Center Support Staff
Sheltering, feeding and care of animals during disasters.
Volunteer staffing of Teton County’s EOC during emergencies.
Teton County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Collaborative group of critical voluntary agencies that have agreed to assist the Jackson Hole community with unmet needs such as food, clothing, emergency funds, volunteers, crisis counseling, and other services during disasters.
MEMBERS: Community Resource Center | Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area | JH Community Counseling Center | JH Horse Rescue | National Museum of Wildlife Art | Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole | Salvation Army | Shepherd of the Mountain Lutheran Church St. John’s Episcopal Church | Teton County Community Emergency Response Team | Teton County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services Teton County Systems of Care | WY Department of Workforce Services - Jackson Workforce Center SUPPORT: Teton County Emergency Management | American Red Cross of Wyoming | Teton County Public Health | First Western Trust
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6 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
To make a difference, get onboard
Serving on government boards makes residents feel they’re helping to shape the community. By Michael Polhamus
T
he county government may appear to take its cues from a handful of key elected officials, but most government functions actually depend on the nearly 100 volunteers who serve on oversight and advisory boards. The 18 boards include the solid waste and recycling division board, the historic preservation board and the airport and library boards. What attracts people to these positions? Many members say it’s a combination of a desire to give back to Jackson Hole and a recognition of the importance of those positions. Patricia Nichols serves on the Teton County Planning Commission and the Teton County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees. She invests both roles with a gravity that comes from her belief in the importance of what these boards do. For instance, she is convinced that a detail of Teton County’s planning regulations is responsible in some significant measure for the character of Jackson Hole. “It’s an unintentional consequence of the 8,000-square-foot limit,” Nichols said, referring to the cap on habitable floor area in Teton County’s homes. “We don’t get the kind of people who have 50,000-square-foot houses and 27 staff members. It defines the character of this community. “People here care about each other,” she said. “If you could point to one thing that has maintained the quality of life in this community and set the stage for the type of people that are drawn here, that’s it.”
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE
START has a seven-member volunteer board, one of nearly 20 county and joint boards. Serving on the START board “is a blast,” longtime member Frank Lane said. “Watching the growth of service, watching the growth of riders — I think it’s amazing.”
As a planning commissioner, if Nichols sometimes passionately argues a case it’s clear she does so from a conviction that planning decisions truly make a difference. And that’s also how she feels about being a school board member. Teton County, she said, remains “one of the few places where you can still send your kids to public school and know they have a great education.” That’s the case, she said, because “people care and people get involved. People have high expectations here, that’s for sure.” Speaking of her motives to join the board, Nichols said, “I care about our schools, and I think it’s really unique to have such a good school district, and I want to contribute to the success of that if I can. “I can tell you, one thing I never thought was that I’d run for public office,” Nichols said. “But I never lived in a small community before, so it never felt like something that could
County boards - Alta Solid Waste Disposal District (5 members) - Board of Health (7 members) - Building Appeals (5 members) - Fair Board (7 members) - Historic Preservation Board (9 members) - Housing Authority (5 members) - Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Board (7 members) - Library Board (5 members) - Planning Commission (5 members) - Weed and Pest Board (5 members)
Joint boards - Administrative Museum Board (3 members) - Jackson Hole Airport Board (5 members) - Jackson Hole Energy Sustainability Project (9 members) - Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Joint Powers Board (7 members) - Natural Resources Technical Advisory Board (6 members) - Parks and Recreation Board (8 members) - Pathways Task Force (7 members) - START Board (7 members)
actually make a difference.” That idea of making a difference stands out for others as a significant factor in their decision to serve on volunteer boards. Dick Stout serves on the board of the Teton County Housing Authority, a role that involves overseeing projects such as the Grove, a more than $20 million, 68-unit affordable housing development under construction on Scott Lane. Stout said his experiences with Boy Scouts taught him the value of volunteer work at a young age. For his Eagle Scout project he volunteered to build a log cabin at a park where he grew up in Shelbyville, Kentucky. “Little did I know how much work that would be,” he said. “Nine months later and about 1,500 hours of work later there was this beautiful cabin.” Many years later, when Stout first began dating the woman who is now his wife, he took her to see the cabin. “She thought, ‘If this works out this would be a nice place to have a wedding,’” Stout said. “Three years later we got married on the front porch. So to say it won’t come back to you really isn’t the case.” After moving to Jackson Hole he and his wife bought a house through the Housing Authority. Stout said the experience reminded him how much he enjoys volunteering. Landing a permanent place to stay in Jackson Hole, he said, was “a real motive for wanting to give that opportunity and that experience to other people. “I just love the valley and this community,” he said, “and it feels good to play a small role in making it what it is.” That is not an unusual sentiment among those who volunteer around Jackson Hole. Frank Lane, a 14-year Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit board member, said he feels called to volunteer. “You’ve got to give back,” he said.
“You read about it, [that] you should give 5 to 10 percent. I live in Jackson, so I can’t afford to give 5 or 10 percent of my income, so I give my time.” Between about a dozen volunteer roles — from ski coaching to firefighting to serving as his homeowners association president — Lane gives a lot of his time. The former START bus driver said he was drawn to the organization’s board in part by his own past reliance on public transportation. “When I was a kid I always used to ride the bus,” Lane said. “I lived in suburban Hartford, Connecticut, and I’d ride the bus in to watch the Whalers play.” He speaks with pride of what START has accomplished: “Being on the board is a blast. Watching the growth of service, watching the growth of riders — I think it’s amazing.” It’s not just his belief in the value of public transit that keeps Lane volunteering as a board member. His drive is to serve in a more general sense. If he weren’t on the START board, he said, he would join “something else I’m connected to and have a passion about.” For instance, Lane volunteers as a coach for the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club. One evening he got into a conversation with some racers’ parents who volunteered with the fire department. “They said, ‘Hey, why aren’t you on the fire department?’ And I didn’t have a good reason,” Lane said. He’s now a volunteer firefighter. “The more time I have away from work, the more time I’ll continue to volunteer,” Lane said. He’s already eyeing several boards he might like to serve on in the future. Odds are he’ll end up on all of them. “I don’t golf that much,” Lane said, “so when I’m retired I’ll be sitting in board rooms.” Contact Michael Polhamus at 732-7076 or county@jhnewsandguide.com.
It’s bigger
than banking.
It’s giving back to the place we call home. Last year we gave over $2,500,000 to community causes and organizations. It’s you and together.
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PROUD TO SUPPORT NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK
firstinterstate.com Name: Size: Ink:
Jackson - Volunteer Week Ad 10.167” x 4” color
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 7
Bringing the world to Jackson
Many visitors to the Hole are here not just to relax but to learn something.
Jackie Skaggs said. Over the years that has meant showing visitors how the park deals with many issues, from wildlife protection to interagency relationships, she said. Many of the countries have people who live in their parks and preserves, Skaggs said. That leads to worries about how native people use resources. Grand Teton has a somewhat comparable situation with its inholdings, Skaggs said.
By Ben Graham
M
any people who live in Jackson Hole would be quick to claim the valley as one of the greatest places on Earth. Some have doubled down on that belief by volunteering their time to show Jackson Hole to people from around the world. Take Teton County Clerk Sherry Daigle, who has shown foreign delegations how the voting process works here. When a group of bureaucrats visited from Afghanistan, Daigle and her team pulled out the ballot-counting machine and put the visitors through training as if they were election judges. “We got our election equipment out and we programmed a mock election,” Daigle said. “They were looking at processes to try and make their elections more streamlined and available to the public.” She has done the same thing for other visitors, including a delegation from China and a women’s group from Israel. “I love elections,” Daigle said. “That is probably the most passionate thing I do with my job.” It’s rewarding to exchange ideas about how the voting process works and to potentially help others streamline their own, Daigle said. “I’m not saying our process is infallible, but it works pretty well,” she said. The trips were organized by the Wyoming Council for International Visitors, a Jackson Hole nonprofit that works with the U.S. State Department to coordinate itineraries. “We use a lot of our local organizations as role models for emerging leaders worldwide,” said Holly Pratt, the group’s executive director.
“We use a lot of our local organizations as role models for emerging leaders worldwide.” – Holly Pratt council for international visitors
COURTESY PHOTO
Jenny Lake climbing ranger Jim Springer, right, shares mate with Hector Alcano of Argentina’s Aconcagua Mountain Rescue Patrol during a day of training in Grand Teton National Park. The exercise was organized through the Wyoming Council for International Visitors.
Grand Teton National Park officials have stepped up to help with international guests. “It’s fascinating work because it’s an
opportunity for us to be an ambassador on behalf of the National Park Service, but more importantly, the United States,” Grand Teton spokeswoman
Officials are able to swap ideas with the foreign delegations, and show them around. All kinds of government agencies and nonprofit organizations around the valley have chipped in to help in similar ways. Teton County Commissioner Melissa Turley has helped work with women’s groups. The National Elk Refuge hosts guests, showing them the ins and outs of wildlife management. Refuge spokeswoman Lori Iverson said she often helps expose guests to ideas about tourism development, poaching and environmental education. “Despite the language barrier I think the groups come away with quite a bit of information,” Iverson said. Contact Ben Graham at 732-7074 or town@jhnewsandguide.com.
A StAnding OvAtiOn fOr
our Volunteers AnD BoArD oF DIreCtors!
Thank You, VOLUNTEERS!
BoArD oF DIreCtors Don Opatrny - President, Peggy Gilday - Vice President, Pamela Gibson - Secretary, Stephen Adamson -Treasurer, Valerie Brown, Agnes Bourne, Jenny Felsinger, JJ Healy, Laura Huckin, Patricia Lummis, Jim Moses, Larry Perlman, Steve Ryan, Gary Silberberg, Keith Stoltz, Susan Thulin, Bill Waterman, Brenda Wylie, Nona Yehia
•
2014-2015 Volunteers Reid Bauer Susan Blasko Emily Boespflug Jeannine Brown Bari Bucholz John Buhler Sarah Burstad Kathy Byron Jill Callaway Jane Chapman Dennis Conley Ceci Clover Robin Christensen Leslie Cook Laura and Amelia Davenport Grace Davis Chris and Lauren Dickey Ellae Elinwood Jean and Dick Ferguson Summer Ford Laurie Fukawa Kathleen Godines Nick Grenoble Sharon Gunberg Chelsea Harvey Steve Jansen
With your investments of time and energy, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is able to stretch our membership dollars. Our community is strong because we work together. •
VOLUNTEERS makE ViTaL CONTRibUTiONS to Special Events, Board and Committee Leadership, Visitor Services, Internships, the Howdy Pardners Ambassador Club, and more.
Would you like to get involved? Call 307.733.3316 or email info@jacksonholechamber.com to learn how you can join the team.
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Sam and Rebecca Jewison Susan Jones Pamela Kearns Mary Lou Klene Marlene Lang Jordan Lister Robyn Lunsford Liz Machalek Kathleen and Michael Mague Karen and Jasmine Marinaro Georgia Mayer Patty McDonald Vickie Memmer Therese Metherell Wyatt Moore Annie Mostkoff Dorothy Neckels Galen Parke Karen Priebe Thelma Quasdorf Cynthia Riedel Grant Rogers Lisa Rung-Kolenich Amy Russian Brielle Schaeffer Amy Schlinger
Claudia and Michael Schrotz Carol and Craig Schwender Ronna Simon Dana Smith Megan Smith Lisa Sprague Robin Steinmann KO Strohbehn Deborah Supowit Laurie Thal Elizabeth Thebaud Holly Thomann Shirley and Dan Thomas Juniper Lopez Troxel Jackie VanZanten Ashley Watson Rob Weed Nancy Wilbrecht Jeff Wilcox Cindy Williams Lesley Williams Katie Wilson Celeste Young Jeannie Yurgalewicz
www.jhcenterforthearts.org
8 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
GET INVOLVED Be a foster parent Dog walking Care for cats
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www.animaladoptioncenter.org
175 N. Glenwood Ave. | Jackson, WY 83002 307.739.1881 | adopt@animaladoptioncenter.org for latest news, events and available adoptions
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE
Clara Delahaye of the 4-H club Under the Stairs serves Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole parishioners at last month’s Wednesday Night Fellowship Dinner. The group of self-motivated girls ages 9 to 16 logged 600 hours of service work in 2014.
4-H’ers harness girl power
JULY 17 - JULY 26, 2015
Under the Stairs club’s 21 members aim to serve Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the world.
Thank you to the many volunteers that continue to contribute their time and effort to the Teton County Fair. Your hard work is truly appreciated. If you are interested in volunteering at Fair this year, please contact the Fair Office at 733-5289.
By Jason Suder
W 290276
head heart hands health “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” -John F. Kennedy
Teton County 4-H Volunteers are inspiring the next generation! Thank you for all you do for our community!
We would like to thank our outstanding volunteer leaders: Erin Abel Chance Abel Marty Anderson Carolyn Auge’ Anjie Beard Kayla Bonilla Dave Brackett Diana Brown Jay Buchner Joey Budge Cola Budge Joe Burke Kelly Clark Rob Clark Carmen Clarke Amy Collett
Chris Collett Jeff Daugherty Liz Devine Josh Dieckmann Stacey Dieckmann Trudy Funk Mary Gove Kerry Grande Tiffany Grant Wade Grant, Jr. Becca Griber Pat Hardeman Barb Huhn DeeHunter Cindi Jacobsen-Brinton Jared Kuhns SaraLee Lanier Justine Logan Kathy Lucas Deb Lutz
Deirdre Morris Allison Neely Krista Nethercott Shannon Owens Tamara Rammell Paul Raube Pam Romsa Gayle Roosevelt Audie Schultz Diane Temple Ilene Wagner Todd Wagner Amy Wilson Dana Wilson Janice Wilson Meredith Wilson Brandi Wilson Buck Wilson Andrew Wilson
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact the Teton County 4-H Office at 733-3087
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hat do you do with a group of 4-H girls who don’t wear cowboy boots? Nothing. They do it on their own. Every month the 21 members of the Under the Stairs 4-H club work to improve the community. In 2014 the group of girls ages 9 to 16 logged 600 hours of service work, and only a handful of club members are old enough to drive. Shaeli Funk came home from school one day in 2010 and proudly announced to her mother that she was going to start a club. Her fifthgrade teacher had just shared the story of a girl who had raised money for charity by holding a bake sale with her friends. So Shaeli told her friends to give her all the junk they found in their homes and they would give it to the needy. Clothes, food, work boots and stuffed animals began pouring into the Funk home. That’s when Trudy Birkemeyer Funk knew her daughter was serious. “I started putting down everything they brought under the stairs,” Funk said. Hence the organization’s name. By November that year the girls were organized. For their first endeavor the original cast of Under the Stairs collected 81 cans of food for the Jackson Cupboard. Fast forward to 2015, when the young women have contributed to more than 30 causes around Wyoming, America and the world. “Our mission is to help people throughout our community and world,” said Shaeli’s 11-year-old sister, Ashlyn. She was close. “We’re making a difference one stair at a time,” said Shaeli, who is now 15 and was recently voted loudest of the group. “Small things add up, and you see as you go up the ladder how you’ve made an impact.” Once a month the girls meet and in diplomatic fashion decide which organization deserves their dedication. Club members will throw out ideas such as making Christmas cards for families with loved ones on active duty with the military or partnering with the 4-H Quilting Club to make blankets for residents at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt
Lake City. In February the girls met to select their beneficiary for March. Everyone brought ideas to the table, but they backed 15-year-old Claire Radda when she suggested the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole’s Wednesday Night Fellowship Dinner. “My dad volunteers there,” she said. “They need help cleaning up and serving.” They went to the church March 11, ready to assist. Although they weren’t allowed to prepare food, the girls had a good time goofing around while giving back: setting the tables, pouring lemonade and cleaning up. If the preteens had gotten to pick the dinner menu, the church would have served sushi as an appetizer, steak and lobster for the entree and chocolate to finish it off. Ryley Hasenack said it was just as well they weren’t in the kitchen. “We’re not allowed to cook,” she said, “because we would burn each other or light each other on fire.” Her cohorts had a laugh at that, but not a single dish was broken and only one cup was dropped that night. “This is the fourth year,” Trudy Funk said. “These girls know what to do.” Funk, the only adult in the group, mostly stayed back and monitored members of the crew as they refilled pitchers and cleaned dishes. “The older ones are big enough they pretty much take care of everything,” she said. “I’m just kind of along for the ride.” At the end of the evening these girls are still just that: girls. They snuck extra cookies and chatted about Russian Christmas songs on iTunes radio. But what has become a standard outing for the motivated youths helped senior pastor Ben Pascal immensely. “We’re short a few hands a lot of the time,” he said. “Ten, 12, 15 of them. … If we didn’t have it we wouldn’t have the dinner.” Under the Stairs does not exist for awards or recognition. As 15-year-old Abby Brazil said, the reward for club members is “to see your work come out and help people.” It’s watching what the Animal Shelter and Adoption Agency can do with $700 raised by selling doggie treats or knowing that their efforts helped a few women and children in Uganda buy flip-flops or drill drinking wells. “It’s nice when someone says thank you from the bottom of their heart,” Abby said. Contact Jason Suder at 732-7062 or schools@jhnewsandguide.com.
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 9
Unpaid work builds nonprofits’ success
From board members to laborers, volunteers are key to valley organizations. By Mike Koshmrl
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t can’t be written off on a tax return like a cash donation, but people’s donated time is arguably just as essential to the basic operations of Jackson Hole’s approximately 200 nonprofit organizations. Volunteers help groups such as Friends of Pathways keep the region’s trails clear of brush and downed logs. At the Teton Raptor Center eager unpaid workers often do the dirty work of cleaning out enclosures that house injured birds of prey. It’s the volunteers, from gradeschoolers to retirees, who help organize and supplement paid staff at countless benefits, celebrations and other events and then stick around to help clean up afterward. At the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance volunteers are used not just as helping hands but as citizens who can advocate for and influence community planning and wild lands policies. In a sense, volunteers are an extension of the organization’s voice and reach. “Really, from my perspective, we couldn’t do anything without volunteers,” said Skye Schell, the alliance’s community engagement director. “What we’re trying to do is ask them to take on more leadership. “We’re using more of a community organizing model,” Schell said, “and distributing leadership and delegating it outwards instead of concentrating all of the leadership in my hand or our hands as an organization.” Volunteers, for instance, have
PRICE CHAMBERS / NEWS&GUIDE FILE
Volunteers Keith Goudy, Tara Meyer, David Lewis and Martha Whitmore nail new top rails onto an Elk Ranch Flats Ranch fence in 2013, replacing barbed wire that was hazardous to migrating wildlife. The Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation’s fence-removal and -modification projects are some of the more labor-intensive volunteer opportunities in the valley.
guided how the Conservation Alliance puts social media to use, he said. They have also pressed the town and county to fund a wildlife crossing master plan by speaking at public meetings, staffing information tables and writing letters to the editor. Unsung unpaid heroes of the nonprofit world are the people who sit on boards of directors. It’s a purely volunteer job, and in return for their time board members get little more than camaraderie and the opportunity to help direct a group — and ideally an issue — that they care about. “Amazingly the Snake River Fund has been incredibly successful while using almost no volunteers except for our board of directors,” said Margaret Creel, the fund’s program direc-
tor. “Boards are critical to the functioning of nonprofits.” At Friends of Pathways volunteers are calling the shots at the director’s table, but more often they are found out in the field. Katherine Dowson, the group’s executive director, said 323 people put in unpaid time last year, accounting for a total of 830 volunteering hours. “Most of our volunteers are working labor on our trails,” Dowson said. “It’s amazing, really, how many volunteers we use. I think really it’s in support of the Bridger-Teton as much as Friends of Pathways.” The people who clean out and open up the valley’s trails pro bono range from Jackson Hole High School students to military veterans, she said,
and they are often associated with organized community service trips. The Teton Raptor Center’s legion of 93 volunteers, called “ambassadors” within the organization, logged nearly 2,500 hours last year. They helped the Wilson sanctuary’s limited staff do just about everything, Executive Director Amy McCarthy said. A typical Raptor Center volunteer duty could be rolling up one’s sleeves to clean out a coop, preparing a tasty dead quail for a raptor’s dinner or picking up a bird from the veterinarian, she said. “We are fortunate to have them, and we wouldn’t exist without them,” McCarthy said of her faithful volunteer helpers. Volunteers have also come out of the woodwork to help where McCarthy wouldn’t have expected. “This past year we had Danny’s Lawn Care show up one day, and they said, ‘We would love to come volunteer to do your lawn for you guys,’” she said. “It was totally unsolicited. I almost fell over.” At the Cougar Fund, a small organization with a staff of two, volunteer experts are brought in to lead educational presentations. They also assist with staffing booths and blogging and even get zipped up in a full-body cougar suit to entertain children at community events, Managing Director Penny Maldonado said. “Wearing the cougar suit is a unique experience,” she said. “You can’t see and it’s so hot, and you can’t really take it off because the little kids think it’s scary. I wore it at Old Bill’s, and it was a sauna. “Next year,” she said, “I’m going to make a volunteer do it.” Contact Mike Koshmrl at 732-7067 or environmental@jhnewsandguide.com.
St. John’s Medical Center thanks our dedicated volunteers
WHEELIN’ FOR HEALIN’ CART Brianne Beale Marlise Combe Diane Hanson Mallory Harrower Denise Joy Julie Matzke Danicia Quezada Izzy Trott PET PARTNERS Lisbeth Beise and Godiva Andrew Byron and Hoback Carolyn Daily and Sam Erin Downey and Clover Suzie Kirvinskee and Zeta Nina Lenz and George Robin McGee and Roxy Karla Pendexter and Rufus Amy Rojo and Tika and Finn Pam Sather and Ozzy Amanda Soliday and Otis Bayless Sword and Hoback Ellen Wilson and Tracy FRONT DESK Franz Camenzind Anika Holmquist Olga Johnson Dave Mills Hadyn Peery Jamie Pruess
625 E. Broadway
SPIRITUAL CARE Missy Crosby Verena Cushman Carolyn Daily David Dominik Bill Hill Larry Jorgenson Suzie Kirvinskee Maralyn Larson Elizabeth Masek Trent Moore Stuart Palmer Rev. Ben Pascal (Clergy Representative) Jim Radda Louisa Sandvig Ed Schmitt Judith Schmitt De Schoonover Mary Carol Staiger Chuck Webber
307 739 7541
MISCELLANEOUS (MUSIC, PAPERS, ADMIN) Vickie Giles John Huff Barb Huhn Jane Kusek Elizabeth Philbrick Fontaine Souther Casey Stout HOSPICE Bette Caesar Dori Cote Elizabeth Gerhard Christine Goodman Karen Jerger Jean Jorgensen Linda Judge Dedre Mills Debbie Phillips Karin Ralph Ellen Rein James Riley Ellen Sanford Becky Schell Carol Schneebeck Patty Pappas-Staley Rebecca Studer Jane Sullivan Rick Walls Sue Wolff Barbara Zelazo LIVING CENTER Janet Anderson Tisch Brown Doris Bystrom Bette Caesar Carol Connors Missy Crosby Elizabeth Drapela Ellae Elinwood Vickie Giles JoAnn Grant
Sue Hall Grace Hammond Diane Hanson Yvonne Henze Deacon Bill Hill Pam Hill Earleen Horn Lisa Jennings Amanda Kinley Marlene Lang Maralyn Larson Robin MacLeod Susan McCracken Rosanna Mitchell Sylvia Raumaker Sally Ruosch Sean Russer Craig Schwender Carol Schwender Nikki Thompson Naomi Tonkin Mycah Yocum Ilene Zwerin ST. JOHN’S AUXILIARY Nancy Adams Sandra Audyova-Keatley Judy Basye Sue Bybee Doris Budge Barbara Butterfield Stacey Caesar Kerry Carr Lorri Carson Laurie Christian Donna Clark Karen Connelly Emily Cooper Marcia Craighead Linda Criswell Susan Critzer Addie Donnan Ruth Ellefson
Robin Evans Donna Glass Valerie Goettler Connie Hansen Stephanie Harper Margaret Hochheiser Kristen Irvine Shay James Paige Jannssen Jeannine Karns Becky Kimmel Lynn Kirman Kathy Kjellgren Emily Knobloch Michelle Kren Maralyn Larson Mary Ann Lawroski Kattie LeMieux Carol Lewis Sally Linhardt Mary Lohuis Katie Long Julie Matzke Joan Palmer Linda Rode Vicki Rosenberg Suzanne Salzmann Linda Scott Laurie Squillaci Regina Schultz Janine Teske Bonnie Vorhees Jean Webber Nancy Wilbrecht Janet Wood We apologize for omitting any names. To learn more about volunteering at St. John’s, call 739 7541
tetonhospital.org/volunteers
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ONCOLOGY Donna Clark Becky Frisbie Marge Glick JoAnn Grant Patty Hartnett Jane Kusek Diana Larsen Dave Mills Rene’ Woodmencey
10 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS
St. John’s Medical Center patient Nina Finnegan, 7, gets a little love from George. As part of the Pet Partners Program George and his owner, Nina Lenz, go to St. John’s once a week to visit patients, including people coping with cancer. “Oncology is actually George’s favorite area,” Lenz said.
Pitching in to help cancer patients
Volunteers spread cheer and help people cope with the logistics of treatment. By John R. Moses
C
oping with and accepting a cancer diagnosis is only part of what is invariably a physically and emotionally grueling process. The logistics of getting to, receiving and recovering from cancer care present an array of unanticipated challenges. They can strain a family and its support group and overwhelm people with no friends or relatives nearby. There’s a group of people in Jackson Hole who rally to the sides of those being treated for cancer at St. John’s Medical Center and other facilities. Some give rides to other towns where patients receive specialized treatment, some volunteer in the oncology center, and others bring pets to the hospital to visit with patients.
A personal perspective After six years piloting a C-130 cargo plane for the U.S. Air Force and 24 years active in the reserves, Dave Mills brings a variety of skills to his volunteer positions at the hospital. He calls his job there “whatever they need.” Mills was pouring juice on a recent Thursday when he took a break for an interview, but later he was found sorting files to prepare for an out-oftown oncologist’s twice-monthly visit to St. John’s. He makes coffee, delivers meals and carries pillows and blankets. He also mans the front desk, where people come with questions, billing problems and a host of other matters. People visit the hospital, but “nobody really wants to be here,” Mills said. Dealing with the public from that perspective, he said, forces him to “be a little more personable.” His experience with cancer is personal: His wife died seven years ago of ovarian cancer. How, after living through a spouse’s
Volunteer Dave Mills says he does “whatever they need” in the St. John’s oncology department. His wife’s death from ovarian cancer enhances his understanding of patients and families.
battle and losing her, did he become an oncology department volunteer? How can that not be too much to bear? “I actually wondered about that,” Mills said of the period before he started volunteering. It was a tough year, he said, with remission and recurrence, hope and then loss. Overall, he said, he thinks his personal experience makes him “a little more empathetic, from an outsider’s perspective.”
Comfort in a furry package It takes a special kind of dog — and dog owner — to go through the training necessary to volunteer in a hospital. They’re some of the most disciplined volunteers around. Volunteer Nina Lenz and her serene golden retriever, George, didn’t just walk into the hospital and start saying “hi” to patients. They’re part of the Pet Partners Program, and while volunteering George wears a halter bearing the program’s name. What kind of specialized training does a dog need to get along in a busy hospital environment? Think of the opposite of fetch with
tennis balls, Lenz said. Tennis balls are often used on the bottoms of walkers, and a mistaken game of fetch could produce dreadful complications. Pet Partners are trained to ignore tennis balls. Lenz said dogs are evaluated for temperament and exposed to an environment where there are people using walkers, wheelchairs and canes. After the human half of the Pet Partners team gets an orientation from the hospital, he or she receives a clipboard with the names and room numbers of people who want a pet visit. “Oncology is actually George’s favorite area,” Lenz said. Away from the hospital Lenz and George go to work together. She manages trusts, along with her co-worker and another work-a-day dog who are also in the pet volunteer program. There are victories, such as the crying child who stopped when he looked into George’s eyes, much to the relief of those in the room. “It was the first time he had smiled all day,” Lenz said of that encounter. Some patients want George to lie next to them. Others are happy with a quick pat. Lenz said people who love
dogs already share a common bond. “It’s a good icebreaker,” she said. From talk of dogs, conversations can migrate to other topics. The pets don’t just help patients. “The staff is very responsive to George,” Lenz said. “A lot of them know George’s name and not mine. And that’s how it should be.” The 8-year Jackson resident said George spends a lot of time outside on the trails, where he gives a warning if moose are near, and on skiing trips in the backcountry with her husband. “We love the King,” she said. As for why she was drawn to volunteering, Lenz said, “A little bit of it is selfish. I love to show George off. ... It’s been really fun for us.” Although dogs are the only pets at St. John’s, Lenz said a variety of animals, some of them unexpected, show up in other pet therapy programs. “There are some very strange animals,” she said.
Teen lends a hand Volunteers at St. John’s aren’t all retirees or working with flexible schedules. A program called “Wheelin’ for Healin’” puts teens in the wards with a cart full of things patients might need but have forgotten. That’s what 17-year-old Brianne Beale does four hours a week. “People are usually thankful for having someone coming to check on them,” Beale said, and to make sure they have what they need while away from home. The other facet of Beale’s work is in the marketing office, where the hospital’s electronic communications coordinator, Shawn Klomparens, said she does a great job at everything from moving files to being enthusiastic and self-motivated. Beale, who is on the Jackson Hole High School swim team and in the National Honor Society, also volunteers at Teton Literacy Center helping younger kids with reading and writing. Anyone interested in helping at St. John’s can call Volunteer Services Coordinator Kathy Kjellgren at 739-7541. John R. Moses can be reached at 7327063 or john@jhnewsandguide.com.
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 11
Finding joy in taking folks for a ride
Dedicated volunteers get ‘emotional pay’ at JH Therapeutic Riding Association. By Julie Butler
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elping creatures great and small is what volunteers at the Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association are committed to. The nonprofit association, now in its 22nd year, has attracted thousands of volunteers over the past two decades. “We get at least 150 people a year to volunteer,” volunteer coordinator Christi Yannelli said. “Last year there was an average number of 134 volunteer hours put in each week.” In 1993 three women got together to create a program based on the value of horses as therapy for children with any number of physical and mental disabilities. Starting with just a few horses and a handful of volunteers, physical therapist Dede McDonald, parent Elaine Infanger and horsewoman Robin Lightner began channeling the therapeutic power of horses to help people. For five years they moved their program around the valley from arena to arena. In 1997 they raised enough money to build their own riding center the following year on Moose-Wilson Road behind the C-bar-V Ranch residential campus. From April through October the program serves riders from 3 years old to 70 and averages 90 riders a week. Participants have a range of conditions, including muscular dystrophy, visual impairment, learning disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Although the Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association has a paid staff of eight it depends on its volunteers to keep the lessons going six months out of the year. They also help maintaining the facility and caring for the 10 horses the other six months. “They are what make our program work,” Yannelli said of the volunteers. “While the majority work from April to October as lesson volunteers, there are a few that help us year round. “Typically those people help with office assistance, and we have a few that
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE
Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding volunteers Elena Hooper and Danielle Petriccione assist rider Sydney Robinson. “Whenever I walk in I know something special is about to happen,” Petriccione said. “And you can see how attuned the horses are to the kids.”
come to help with cleaning up the tack or the arena in the offseason.” Enthusiasm seems to be the hallmark of the folks who donate their time year after year. “We volunteers are a loyal lot,” said Sue Morriss, who has been lending a hand for nine years. “I came in for one reason — a love of horses — and just got hooked,” said Morriss, whose husband, Steve, began volunteering at the facility a year after she began. “There are so many nonprofits and volunteer opportunities in Jackson Hole,” Morriss said. “Here you really feel that you are doing something that makes a difference, and you get to see the reward. You are not just donating money.” The volunteers are trained on how to make everybody safe — from rider to helper to horse. It takes at least four people to give a child a lesson: an instructor and three volunteers per rider. There is one to lead the horse and two on each side of the animal in case the child starts to fall sideways. “You can imagine the safety issues with these children,” Steve Morriss said. All the volunteers take their safety duties seriously.
“We all move with the punches because sometimes things can be incredibly unexpected,” Sue Morriss said. “It is an overwhelming responsibility to be the safety net for these riders. I think we play an integral role in making this a safe experience for them.” Yannelli said each volunteer is asked to dedicate at least one hour a week. But typically volunteers give more than that because they love it. Monica Bell moved to Jackson Hole a year ago from Virginia and has been a volunteer with the therapeutic riding group ever since. “Originally I picked my one hour, but as soon as I began coming here I would turn around and it was four hours later,” Bell said. “This year I will come two days a week. I want to do more. I would be here every day if I could.” Bell’s motivation for donating her time was that she always wants to contribute to whatever community she lives in. “I researched various things to become involved in here in Jackson,” Bell said. “Horses have always been a big interest of mine, and I wanted to help people who have some sort of challenge — physical, cognitive or otherwise. Being able to marry all of
that with a volunteer opportunity put Therapeutic Riding Association at the top of the list, and it has far exceeded my expectations. “If I come in and have not had a great day, within minutes of being here I feel happy and uplifted,” she said. That feeling of joyous amazement appears to be a running theme among the volunteers. “It’s hard to have a bad day after seeing what happens here,” Steve Morriss said. “To see what these kids have to go through and to see their smiles ... it’s incredible — they are small miracles.” Richard Rice, a volunteer for five years, said he was in construction for most of his career and only a handful of times did he hear a “thank you.” “Here you get more than your share of thank-yous,” Rice said. “It is so satisfying and so much fun to work here. The experience changes your attitude towards life.” Seven-year volunteer Danielle Petriccione said that when she first showed up for training, “the place had good energy and I was hooked.” “Whenever I walk in I know something special is about to happen,” Petriccione said. “And you can see how attuned the horses are to the kids.” The horses are volunteers, too, of course. “Horses are definitely our partners in teaching,” Executive Director Donna Johnsen said. “They are intuitive ‘people.’ We are all helping to change lives in a tangible way.” Johnsen began volunteering for the association in 2001, eventually becoming an instructor. She was named to her current position in 2014. In fact, the majority of the staff started as volunteers, including Nealy Angell, program coordinator and certified instructor, and Yannelli. “After 13 years as a volunteer I decided to become part of the staff last year,” Yannelli said. “When you start scheduling your paying job around your volunteering here, it’s time to switch jobs.” The consensus that the volunteers get more out of it than they put into it might be summed up best by Sue Morris, who said, “We get emotional pay.” Contact Julie Butler at 732-5909 or entertainment@jhnewsandguide.com.
Brian, age 10 Brain Tumor I wish to have a BMX bike
CONSIDER JOINING
The Relay for Life Planning Committee Last year Relay for Life Teton County
RAISED OVER $90,000 for The American Cancer Society.
HELP IS NEEDED IN ALL AREAS, BIG AND SMALL. Only give as much time as you can leading up to the event and/or for the event itself. Head a committee or be a committee support person.
AREAS NEEDING HELP:
Event Chairperson, Survivorship, Sponsorship, Luminaria, team development, logistics, silent auction, food and beverage, activities and entertainment, promotion, setting up and breaking down.
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Relay is about supporting the FIGHTERS, admiring the SURVIVORS, honoring the TAKEN and never giving up HOPE! for more information on volunteering please contact: Janell LaBelle | janell.labelle@cancer.org | 512-490-8780 Barbara Wogoman | bwogoman@mac.com | 307-690-5992 www.relayforlife.org/tetoncountywy | www.facebook.com/JHRelayforLife
The first wish granted by Make-A-Wish® Wyoming in 1985
Thank You to our Jackson Area Volunteers! Amy Golightly, Audrey Sorensen, Kevin Pusey, Lani Matthews, Michelle Kren, Randall Woodford and Tyler Schwab
Join us in celebrating Make-A-Wish Wyoming’s 30th anniversary by referring a child you know with a life-threatening medical condition or becoming a volunteer today! Call 1.888.WYO.WISH for more information or learn ways you can help online at wyoming.wish.org. 291274
12 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
YOU VOLUNTE N E ER H W , ROW TOGE G L TH L A ER E W ! Fellowship Dinners
Small Groups Family
Wranglers
Little Lambs Preschool Choir Mission ASHLEY WILKERSON
Stephen Ministers
Readers
Sharon Wiley, of Jackson, delivers meals to elderly and temporarily homebound Jackson Hole residents through a Senior Center of Jackson Hole program.
Sunday School
Delivering more than a meal
Snack Providers Deacons
Elders
Youth J.O.Y Summer Camp
Children
Volunteers who transport food to homebound also provide essential contact. By Jennifer Dorsey
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Thank you, volunteers for helping us all to grow in God’s love! 290269
Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole
307-734-0388
1251 South Park Loop Rd
Thank you for
SAFETY
Thank you for
HOPE
CSN’s volunteers help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking find safety and hope. Any time of the day or night. Thank you to the many women and men who help as volunteers, colleagues, donors and board members.
ood nutrition is key to healthful living, but preparing a balanced meal isn’t so easy if you’re elderly or disabled. Thanks to Senior Center of Jackson Hole volunteers, more than two dozen valley residents get a hearty and nutritionally balanced lunch brought to their homes on weekdays. “They are very special people,” said Mary Ann McLeod, a resident of Pioneer Homestead. “It takes a certain person to be that selfless.” The volunteers who bring her food are men and women. Some are young, others up there in years. There’s an au pair from South Africa, she said, and a young man with a disability. Though McLeod supplements her midday meal with other items, “it’s my primary food source,” she said. And that friendly face at the door is its own kind of sustenance. “It adds a little spice to my life,” McLeod said. “There’s a very special relationship that develops.” Volunteer Sharon Wiley understands that the human touch is part of what she provides as she goes from home to home. It’s a “feel-good thing,” she said. “Sometimes we’re the only contact they have all day,” Wiley said. “They’re so glad to see you and so appreciative of what you’re doing.” Lana Crabtree, who brings McLeod her Wednesday meal, gets that same reward. “It is an honor to see the smiling
faces when I deliver a hot meal,” she said. “For some folks, especially in the winter, I am the only face they will see all day. Of course, I like to visit and see if I can be of any help to them.” The senior center has about 100 volunteers who perform a variety of tasks, not just taking meals to homebound seniors, said Bettie Taylor, the center’s activities and volunteer coordinator. In addition to lending a hand at special events they help keep the senior center running. They man the lunch desk, answer phones, clean bathrooms, water plants, empty garbage cans and vacuum carpets. One hundred volunteers sounds like a lot, but Taylor still finds herself shorthanded at times, especially when people are going out of town. “Volunteers are always needed,” Taylor said. “It doesn’t have to be anything consistent. I always have a sub list or on call, especially for home-delivered meals.” The meals program is Monday through Friday except holidays. Frozen meals are available for holidays and weekends. Volunteers sign up for the dates on which they can do deliveries. It’s important that volunteer meal deliverers believe their services are truly needed, so Taylor makes sure people on the receiving end meet the criteria. Home-delivered meals are for “homebound, frail seniors 60 and older and temporary outpatients,” she said. “I evaluate their situation and make sure they’re eligible.” The suggested contribution is $4. New volunteers get a packet of information outlining their duties and the need for confidentiality. In addition to Jackson, meals go to locations all the way south to about Horsethief Canyon and Melody Ranch, north to See meal on 17
Senior reflections on volunteering After retiring two years ago Lana Crabtree plunged into volunteering. She shared some thoughts on being a “senior” volunteer: “I have been happily married for 35 years, very blessed with two daughters who are assets to society. I have two wonderful sons-in-law and two adorable grandchildren who complete my world. I still had time on my hands. I asked myself, ‘What do you want to do today?’ “I bought a self-help book called “How to Retire, Happy, Wild and Free.” The book gave me direction on this new chapter in my book of life. I asked myself, ‘What on Earth am I here for?’ “I finally figured out that community service would fill the void in my life. One Monday morning two years ago I hesitantly walked into the senior center for the Leslie’s Fitness
CSN Celebrates it’s Volunteer advocates at the 2014 Advocate appreciation Dinner at the Spur Restaurant
Join us: next training begins July, 2015 Call for details 24-Hour Help Line: 733-SAFE (7233) Office Line: 733-3711 www.communitysafetynetwork.org 290268
exercise class. Of course I knew everyone in the class, since I have been in Jackson Hole for 39 years this coming May. “Since I love people I decided to volunteer to deliver meals one day a week on Wednesdays. It is such a joy (see story above). I volunteer at the Presbyterian Church on Tuesday. Thursday mornings I pick up food for the Jackson Cupboard. Hospitality is my middle name, so I joined the Howdy Partners so I can serve mimosas at the airport and do traffic control for the parades. I get up every day with a purpose in mind. “I would suggest you take a look at your life and try to find a little bit of time to serve the community. The opportunities are endless. I reaped the benefits of this community while raising my family, and now I am giving back. I enjoy this rewarding lifestyle.”
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 13
Musicians bring harmony to the valley
People toot horns, tickle the ivories and croon tunes for their pleasure and yours. By Richard Anderson
T
hough he lives in Teton County, Curt Haws commutes to Pinedale to serve as Sublette County judge for the 9th Circuit Court. It’s not what you’d call a 9-to-5 kind of job. Plus he and his wife, Cherise, an attorney, have a daughter in grade school and one in college. Nevertheless, for the past seven years the Star Valley native has made time to rehearse, practice on his own and perform with the Cathedral Voices chamber choir. “What I love about Cathedral Voices,” he said, explaining why he devotes any of his precious free minutes to the volunteer ensemble, “is it’s an opportunity for me to continue to learn and grow as a musician. I learn something new with every piece, and the other participants are so capable.” And Director Laura Huckin “is so brilliant that it’s a chance to continue my education.” Cathedral Voices is one of seven community musical organizations — eight if you count nonprofit community radio station KHOL, 89.1, where the volunteer DJs undergo fairly rigorous training before being unleashed on the airwaves — that meet most weeks throughout the year to plan and prepare five dozen or more usually free programs for the Jackson Hole community. There’s also the all-female Treble Voices choir, also led by Huckin, and the Jackson Hole Chorale, which at 32 years old is the oldest existing community ensemble in the valley.
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE
The Jackson Hole Community Band plays from its mobile platform during last year’s Old West Days Parade. The band is one of seven community musical groups bringing dozens of mostly free programs to Jackson Hole throughout the year.
In the instrumental realm there’s the Jackson Hole Community Band, which was founded in 1989. Year-round it’s probably the valley’s busiest group, said Jennifer Levanduski, leader for the past three years of the band that still includes a few of its original members. “I think we’re more in the community in the summer,” Levanduski said.
The band is the featured musical entertainment at ElkFest and the Old West Days Parade in May, and throughout the Fourth of July, when it performs for thousands along the parade route through Jackson and later at a concert on Town Square. It also does a popular annual Halloween concert, various Christmas jobs and a spring concert.
The main project of the Jazz Foundation of Jackson Hole is a big band — often 18 pieces or more, plus vocalists — that plays dances most months throughout the year. Its most recent gig was a Valentine’s Day collaboration with Cathedral and Treble Voices in the Center for the Arts theater lobby. See HARMONY on 14
Thank You 2014-15 Volunteers! This list reflects anyone who has given volunteer hours in the past fiscal year. D = Docent | W = Wyoming Sage Society (>500 Hours Volunteered) Cathy Adkins
Natalie Goss - W
Anne Lippold
Carol Schneebeck - D, W
Don Alsted - D, W
Ashley Grella
Jordan Lister
Regina Schultz - D
Maria Anselmi
Charlotte Gross
Kip MacMillan - D
Colleen Sosnicki
Jodi Armstrong
Marilyn Gschwind - D, W
Jane Malashock - D
Claudette Stern
Vickie Atwater
Sharon Gunberg
Steve Malashock
Ron Stevens
Jan Benz - W
Gigi Halloran - D, W
Bob Martin - D, W
Caroline Taylor - D
Sally Berman - D, W
Marianne Hammersley
Carina Masuelli
Cathy Teig
Greg Brondos - D, W
Madora Hance
Frank Masuelli
Bobbi Thomasma - D, W
Susan Brooks - D, W
Diane Hanson
Dan Matzke
Martha Van Genderen - D, W
Jim Byrne - D, W
Lauren Harris
Julie Matzke - D, W
Sally Byrne - D, W
Jan Herbst - W
Nancy McCarthy
Marsha Wackerly - W, 2014 Volunteer of the Year
Jill Callahan
Bill Holmes
Reggie McNamara - W
Mary Waid - W
Catherine Campbell
M.A. Holmes
Teddie Lou McNamara - W
Donna Watkins
Lisa Carlin - D, W
Barb Huhn
Bill McPeak
Matthew Wegher
Terrie Castillo
Mercedes Huff
Greg Merrell
Mary Willis
Jane Curtis
Des Jennings
Ann Nelson
John Wilson - W
Patricia Dempsey
Alison Jones - D, W
Milessa Ortiz
Jamie Dunphy
Ann Keller - D
Claudia Perry
Andrea Evans
Diane Key - W
Judy Pilgrim - W
Colleen Fitzgerald
Charlotte Kidd
Cynthia Quast - D, W
Lisa Claudy Fleischman - D
Jules Kirby
Elisabeth Rohrbach
Juanita Flores
Louise Koegler - D, W
Ben Roth
Pamela Flores
Harry Lawroski - W
Pam Sanders
Walt Gerald
Mary Ann Lawroski - W
Ellen Sanford - D
2.5 Miles N of Jackson | Open Daily | 307-733-5771 | WildlifeArt.org Sculpture: Bart Walter (United States, b. 1958), Wapiti Trail, modeled 2005, cast 2007. Bronze. Lifesize. Purchased with funds generously donated by an anonymous benefactor, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Bart Walter. 290638
14 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
OUR
VOLUNTEERS Thank You!
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE
The Jackson Hole Chorale, seen here at a spring concert, doesn’t shy from difficult music even though it basically accepts all singers, regardless of experience, who commit to rehearsing.
Without you there would be no show. 289897
HARMONY
Most people who participate in these groups cite similar reasons for doing so: to be involved in the comThen there’s the Jackson Hole munity, to make friends, to maintain Symphony Orchestra — which dates their musical lives and to share their back to 1999 and gives the region’s love of music-making with other playstring players an outlet for their tal- ers and with audiences. ents and tastes — and its spin-off, the Jay Wright is president of the board Jackson Hole Brass Quintet. of the Jazz Foundation, with which Through the orchestra “we raise he sings and plays baritone sax, and money to pay for rehearsal space also of the community band. He joined and once in a while buy music,” said both groups soon after moving here French horn player Amanda Flosbach, about four years ago out of curiosity by day the development director for and as a way of getting introduced to Dancers’ Workshop. “And as part of Jackson Hole. that agreement we do all kinds of out“In the community band I play reach and performances for free.” the alto, which I hadn’t played in 10 Among those are playing at the years,” he said. “I just showed up and farmers market on Town Square, everyone was very welcoming. ... We showing up at big summer events and like to stress that it doesn’t matter embarking on what she calls the or- how long since you last played, we chestra’s “annual holiday tour” of the welcome anyone to give it a shot.” St. John’s Living The groups inCenter, Jackson variably represent Hole Senior Cena cross section ter, MorningStar of the Jackson Assisted Living Hole community, and other such with high school venues. students playing “It’s why I’ve right beside rebeen able to stay tirees, outfitters in the valley so beside scientists, long,” said Flosteachers beside bach, who once businessmen and entertained the – Jason Fritts -women, and pro idea of being a saxophonist, jazz band director and semipro musiprofessional mucians beside weeksician. “Making end enthusiasts. music is a critical part of my identity “That’s one of the really cool things here.” about it,” said Jason Fritts, a profesThree of Flosbach’s quintet-mates sional saxophonist and music teacher — trumpeters Al Bergeron and Dean who has directed the jazz band off and Scofield and trombonist Al Young — on for more than a decade and also also perform in the community band. had a stint leading the community And tubaist Ron Maassen is a triple band. “You get to meet all these people threat, playing with the quintet, the ... and they bring that knowledge and band and the jazz group, carving out experience with them. And then you time for weekly two-hour-plus re- see the other side of the spectrum: hearsals for each group even through- local students coming and playing in out the summer, when he works sev- groups for a challenge and because en days a week as a driver and river they love music. guide for Jackson Hole Whitewater. “It’s awesome to listen to all your “Everything else takes a back seat” people play really well,” he said. “It to work in the summer, said Maassen, makes you feel proud.” who also plays bass trombone, “exCommunity bands are part of cept the jazz band, community band Jackson Hole’s pioneer do-it-yourself and brass quintet, which meets every heritage. This far off the beaten path week no matter what.” you had to make your own fun back The quintet tends to take on chalin the days before paved roads and lenging classical music, spending up airports. That attitude lives on in the to half a year to ready a work for pergroups, and it also sets the stage for formance, Maassen said. The symphony orchestra and the two chamber the national performers who put the choirs also present advanced reper- valley on their tour itineraries. “And then there’s another level of toire and accept members by audition value,” said Cathedral Voices/Treble only. The jazz band, community band and chorale are more open, accepting Voices director Huckin, “the social elmusicians more or less regardless of ement of it. You come together with experience, though some competency people you would otherwise never see, is expected and none of them shies people you would never know, people with whom you have completely opaway from difficult music. “Come see our concert,” said Ron posing viewpoints — political, reliFabry, leader of the chorale and the gious, philosophical — but you come organist and choir director at Our together to rehearse and then sing Lady of the Mountains Catholic or make music all of that is stripped Church, “and if you enjoy it, come away, all those barriers, those differences are suddenly gone. ... and sit in.” “It brings people together in a harAnyone willing to commit to making most weekly rehearsals (the group monious way.” takes most of the summer off) is wel- ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– come, he said. The chorale’s next con- Contact Richard Anderson at Rich@ cert is May 3. jhnewsandguide.com or 732-7078. Continued from 13
VOLuNtEERS WANtED! help o t e Lov ers? oth
No ex p nece erience ssary !
Volunteer questions? Contact Christi @ (307)733-1374 or jhtra.volunteer@gmail.com 289523
MORAN VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS
Serving Northern Teton County since 1983. Cpt. Mack McFarland | Lt. Phillip Lamoureux | Lt. Cam Preuss Giovanni Tabacchi | Logan Steffens | Jim Warren Recruit: Andy Johnson
L-R: Logan Steffens, Mack McFarland, Phillip Lamoureux Jim Warren, Cam Preuss, Giovanni Tabacchi
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“It’s awesome to listen to all your people play really well. It makes you feel really proud.”
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 15
It takes a village to run Ski Club events Volunteers logged 4,500-plus hours this past winter. By Clark Forster
T
he Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club is a well-oiled machine. To serve more than 500 kids and put on 43 events this past winter, it has to be. But a team that has just a handful of employees on the payroll needs all the help it can get to hold events and offer affordable opportunities to families. That’s where parents and an impressive number of helping hands come into play to keep a 76-year-old tradition of service thriving. “We have about an average of 20 volunteers a day, most of which are parents within the club,” said Patrice Kangas, the club’s volunteer coordinator. “If they’re planning on watching their kids race they’re more than happy to help while they’re at the mountain.” This past winter ski club volunteers logged more than 4,500 hours during 700 volunteer shifts. Two hundred and eighty volunteers assisted with Nordic and alpine ski races and favorite annual valley events such as the Town Downhill and the Pole Pedal Paddle. Club parents are asked to volunteer one to four days a season, but not everyone chooses to simply meet the requirements.
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE
Rich McDowall mans the timing and scoring booth at the Wyoming State High School Alpine Ski Meet in early March. He volunteers for the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club as well as high school alpine meets. Volunteers help the club keep its programs affordable for 500-plus young athletes.
“Many of them go above and beyond,” Kangas said. In fact, 20 volunteers notched more than 40 hours each this past season, and two volunteers logged nearly 120 hours each. The help doesn’t come only from current club parents. Mothers and fathers whose children have moved on and people who are just generally in love with ski racing are always happy to help. Heather Noble has volunteered at races for “probably 10 years,” she said, even
after her daughter left the club. Noble put in 14 days of volunteer work this past season, mainly because she loves to lend a hand and enjoys a race. “I think racing is fun,” she said. “It’s always interesting to watch the little kid races when your kids are beyond that stage and see the parents who are so excited about whether their kid came in fifth or 15th.” Noble has watched her daughter Breezy Johnson ski all over the world and even
THANK YOU TO OUR
compete for the United States ski team. Having attended and worked countless races she understands all that goes into putting on the events. “I know they need the help, and there are things I can do,” Noble said. “A lot of these jobs have to be filled. They’re required by the rules and necessary to make the thing work.” Timers, gatekeepers, bib sorters and many other roles must be filled not just to make a race work but also to make it affordable to the ski-
Contact Clark Forster at 732-7065 or sports@ jhnewsandguide.com.
We really appreciate all of our volunteers “When I grow up I’m gonna be a volunteer at the History Museum”
VOLUNTEERS! DUE TO YOUR DEDICATION AND SERVICE
ers and their families. Sue Bybee has volunteered with the club “forever,” she said. “I probably volunteered years and years and years ago,” Bybee said. “I volunteered pretty continuously since about 1989, but I volunteered prior to that when they had big events here a long time ago in the ’70s.” So what has kept Bybee lending her services for 30plus years? “You volunteer because you love putting on a program for the kids,” she said. “The people at the ski club: That’s the reason people do it. Those guys work very hard for not very much pay, and it’s a great program.” Bybee has daughters who skied for the club. She sees what her girls gained from their experiences and wants to do her part to help the ski club serve Jackson Hole’s young people. “When you volunteer you realize how many people it really takes to put on a race,” Bybee said. “In order to make the program sustainable it takes volunteers.” If the club employed help at a rate of just $9 an hour, it would have spent more than $40,000 this year. Because assistance is so readily available those funds stayed with the club, allowing each and every one of the 500-plus athletes and 43 events to prosper.
307.733.2414 | 225 N. Cache | Jackson WY
290283
d cat purrsers n a s e s is k te Dog loving volun
e and love m ti r u o y g n for shari e Shelter! th t a ls a THANK YOoU im meless an ber Jones with the h K ROW: Kim nimal
to ALL our a
Jackson Hole Horse Rescue is now an internationally recognized horse rescue
BAC da n Fish, Aman (Staff), Madise y ile Ha , Tucker Ryan, Becky ne Ellingson, Wilkinson, An , a, Ali Noland sk du Tracy Po lle ne Ja ce, Ariella Spen with f), Tara Coyle Holden (Staf
To find out how you can help or donate to save the lives of horses, visit www.jacksonholehorserescue.org
Poncho n : Keri Jamiso FRONT ROW cker with Tu e ci ra G , with Sissy e Peck with Caesar, Dian Biiou
IN MEMORIUM Dorothy Hammond
“The most dedicated volunteer ever” 291272
289258
Join Us! Call 733-2139
16 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Thank you
to all our community volunteers
Price Chambers file
Teton County Search and Rescue Team members face away from a departing helicopter destined for an avalanche near Cody Peak south of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 2008. Search and Rescue volunteers must undergo many hours of training every year.
Training for crisis situations
B
ank of Jackson Hole would like to thank every volunteer who contributes to our community. The countless generous acts of kindness performed by members of our society make Jackson unique. Over the past 6 years our message has focused on bringing attention to the people who make living in this Valley truly wonderful, and we’re proud to be sponsors of many of these honorable causes. We are lucky to consider this terrific community our home and serving as your locally owned, operated, and managed bank. Wherever your philanthropic goals take you we are here to support one person: YOU.
Rescuing people in danger outdoors or at home requires a large time commitment. By Emma Breysse
Headquartered in Jackson Locally Owned and Managed 10 Branches 17 ATMs Commercial Loans Real Estate Loans Mortgage Loans Main Branch 990 West Broadway 733-8064
Town Square Branch 10 East Pearl St. 733-8067
Teton Village Branch 3285 West Village Dr. 734-9037
Aspens Branch 4010 W. Lake Creek Dr. 733-8065
T
Invest in Our
Smith’s Food & Drug Branch 1425 South Highway 89 732-7676
We answer to no Community one but you. Bank Local
www.bojh.com 307-732-BOJH 291298
Hillside Facility 975 West Broadway 734-8111
Wilson Branch 5590 West Highway 22 733-8066
here is at least one phone call in Teton County that takes 40 hours to answer. That’s the amount of time it takes before you are legally allowed to work as an advocate with the Community Safety Network.
THE JACKSON CUPBOARD
The Board Members of the Jackson Cupboard would like to thank the following volunteers and businesses who have made it possible to provide food and daily necessities to our neighbors in need: Albertsons Al Zuckerman Andrea Evans Ann Carruth Bert Polkinghorne Boy Scouts of America Jackson District Bridger Teton National Forest Employees Cathy Teig David Nichols Deirdre Herbert Dorthy Neckels Flicka Scott Georgie Still Herb Brooks Hole Food Rescue Volunteers Jackson Whole Grocer Jane Sullivan
Jennifer Jacobsen Jett Thompson Jill Callaway Josh Hall Judy & Dick Greig Julie McLaurin Kathy Cummings Kathy Harrington Kay Benson Kay Farmer Keith Mader Lana Crabtree LDS Missionaries LDS Young Adults Les Jones Leslye Hardie Linda Merigliano Liz Gilmour Liz Lockhart Loretta, Cliff & Craig Kirkpatrick Louis Armstrong Margaret Creel Marge Ryan Martha Gilmore Matt Hall Meridith Medlock Michael Schrotz Mike Keegan
Miki Holding Mike Cloherty Mike Conlin Monica Sahasrabudhe Ned Thomas Nina Luxmoore Patty Staley Patty Tucker Polly Warner Richard Rice Sara Lee Murphy Sarah Kerr Smith’s Food & Drug Suellen Carmin Susan Hall St. John’s Episcopal Church for housing the Jackson Cupboard Teton County School District for all the food drives Thompson Palmer & Associates Tom Windle Tracy Frankovich Valerie Goettler WYAPP Studios – Adam Romines & Andy Zimmerman
Volunteer Board Members: Mike Randall, Amy Brooks, Amy Wierda, Sonia Capece, Shirley Craighead, Kathy Cummings, Ali Dunford, Therese Metherall, Evan Molyneaux, Cathy Poindexter, Jim Ryan, Paul Vogelheim Please forgive us if your name was mistakenly omitted but know that your help is also greatly appreciated! To volunteer please email: jacksoncupboard@gmail.com
Jackson Cupboard P.O. Box 1622 170 N. Glenwood Jackson, WY 83001 www.jacksoncupboard.org 291231
The nonprofit, which benefits victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, runs in part on the work of the volunteers who answer the crisis hotline and are available for support and advocacy 24 hours per day. Before they’re ever given a hotline shift, volunteers at Community Safety Network must go through 40 hours of training, including role-playing activities, videos and instruction in appropriate crisis responses. Working directly with the network’s clients in any capacity requires that much training by state statute. But Education Director Shannon Nichols said that even if the law wasn’t in place the nonprofit would still require that commitment. “Above all, you never want to revictimize a victim with your response,” Nichols said. “It takes understanding both of the different situations you might find and the appropriate ways to respond to be that first person a victim reaches out to.” There are several volunteer gigs in Jackson Hole that require a heavy training commitment before someone can even begin helping out. The stakes of that kind of work tend to be higher than those of sorting cans or walking dogs. Advocates for Teton County Victim Services have the same legal requirements as the Community Safety Network, and Program Coordinator Tracey Trefren said much the same as Nichols when it comes to the reasoning behind it. “People who are coming to us are having one of the worst days of their lives,” Trefren said. “That’s something you need to be prepared to respond to.” Victim Services works to protect the rights of county residents who are the victims of violent crime. Advocates are sent to the Jackson Police Department, the Teton County Sheriff ’s Office and Wyoming Highway Patrol to meet with victims and inform them of their rights and any resources available. The Community Safety Network and Victim Services have regular refresher training sessions, with Victim Services going so far as to implement monthly sessions. For the volunteers with Teton County Search and Rescue and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, the stakes are even higher and the training is even more rigorous. “Training the way we do saves lives,” Fire Marshal Kathy Clay said. See training on 17
VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 17
training
plications and interviews, a group of provisional members is selected. ProContinued from 16 visional members attend both special “I put a lot of our response in incidents introductory training and regular like the AmeriGas explosion down to operational training. After a one-year our training.” period, each provisional member’s No one was killed or injured by the suitability for the team is evaluated AmeriGas explosion, which occurred and the new operational members in November 2014, and property dam- are selected.” age was minimal given that it also The operational training alone is a burned down a Gregory Lane propane daunting proposition. dealership and briefly risked setting Search and Rescue’s most recent off a 10,000-gallon tank. semiannual report shows 28 trainThe blaze, which could be seen as ing days between June 2014 and Nofar as Grand Teton National Park, vember 2014, several lasting a week was under conor more. trol within two Those trainhours. Clay has ing exercises are credited training even more varexercises with ied than those keeping the team undertaken by sharp not only on Fire/EMS, rangfirefighting teching from techniques but also niques using on seemingly a helicopter to minor skills, inbring an injured cluding cooperarecreator to – Shannon Nichols medical care to tion with other Community safety network retrieving someagencies. Those training one in trouble exercises form a in swift water, formidable training calendar. trapped under an avalanche or lost Volunteers staffing at least one in a cave. of the fire stations have training reAll four agencies, when asked sponsibilities every Wednesday night whether the large time commitment where they brush up on such varied without pay keeps them from attracttopics as pediatric emergencies, wild- ing as many volunteers as they need land safety, hose handling and ropes said that sometimes it does, but that and rigging. Several also have a train- the training and screening processes ing calendar entry for Saturday and allow them to know that the volunMonday. Fire/EMS also participates teers they do have are truly commitin large-scale training exercises put ted to the work. on by Teton County Emergency Man“Having the right response when agement and the various law enforce- someone comes in and asks us for ment agencies. help can literally save their lives,” For Teton County Search and Res- Nichols said of the Community Safety cue, once the call goes out for new vol- Network volunteers. “If someone in unteers, it takes a year before hopeful an abusive situation is reaching out rescue team members find out wheth- and changes their mind, it can have er they will be allowed to donate their serious consequences. It’s really imtime and skills. portant that we give our volunteers “Applicants submit resumes of out- the tools to do what our organization door, medical, rescue, and other perti- does.” nent experience,” according to the application process listed on the Search Contact Emma Breysse at 732-7066 or and Rescue website. “Based on ap- courts@jhnewsandguide.com.
volunteers are our heart beat
“Having the right response when someone comes in and asks us for help can literally save their lives.”
Continued from 12
just before the National Museum of Wildlife Art and west to Wilson. “Usually on the first day I go over the route with them with a map,” Taylor said of new volunteers. As for time commitment, “it’s really based on their schedule,” she said. If she’s asking for someone to fill in on a particular day, for example, “I ask them to block 11:30 to 1:30 out.” About 25 people get home-delivered meals now, but last winter 35 were being served, Taylor said. She expects the program to get bigger, particularly given the aging baby-boomer generation. “There’s a growing population that needs it,” she said.
interested in volunteering with Seniors? Call 733-7300
290821
We Donate We Participate We Care Rocky Mountain Bank is committed to paying it forward: our employees volunteer their time locally, and our organization participates as an Old Bill’s Fun Run co-challenger.
For volunteers who deliver meals “we offer mileage reimbursement,” Taylor said. “We want them to stick around and know they’re valued.” During April, which is National Volunteer Month, the senior center makes a point of recognizing those who give their time to helping older folks. An annual dinner in June fetes volunteers, and there are treats at Christmastime. “I find a lot of volunteers are working with seniors because they have a parent or are a caregiver right now,” Taylor said. “They love to give back. “This community is so giving. I’m so grateful for the volunteers we do have. This community has so many nonprofits. They could volunteer anywhere.”
B A N K I N G • T R U S T • W E A LT H M A N A G E M E N T P E R S O N A L , R E S I D E N T I A L & C O M M E R C I A L L OA N S ROCKY MOUNTAIN B ANK IS LOC ALLY OWNED AND OPERATED IN JACKSON HOLE
Contact Jennifer Dorsey at 732-5908 or jennifer@jhnewsandguide.com.
890 W. BROADWAY, JACKSON • 307-739-9000 • ROCKYMOUNTAINBANK.COM
291132
meal
Thank you for all you do!
WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEER CORPS
When you set out to
GIVE
TO OUR SENIORS
you
GET
so much more
“MorningStar residents are the most appreciative audience ever. I get energized here.” (John, Musician)
ASSISTED LIVING of JACKSON HOLE formerly River Rock
307.734.0500 | 3000 West Big Trail Drive | MorningStarSeniorLiving.com
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18 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Working for equal access
Volunteer attorneys allow organization to offer free or low-cost legal services to qualified people. By Emma Breysse
S 291210
Thank you to our generous volunteers, donors and board members who give an extraordinary amount of their time and treasure back to our community.
P.O. Box 1232 • 170 N.Glenwood Jackson, WY 83001 • (307) 739-4500 • Crcjh.org • crc@crcjh.org
The Snow King Ski Patrol was founded in 1939. The patrol is comprised of community volunteers that have dedicated themselves to providing a safe environment for Jackson Hole’s recreating community on and off the slopes. The members of the patrol have undergone rigorous medical training through the Outdoor Emergency Care Program. This program is very similar in curriculum and time commitment to a Wilderness EMT course. In addition to OEC training, they are trained in avalanche hazard reduction, emergency patient transportation, on and off the snow, and wilderness survival techniques. We hold OEC classes every fall. This year’s course starts on September 15th. Contact Kevin Johnson at Nordtroller@aol.com or (307)690-1891 for more information. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization. Our efforts are primarily funded by generous donations from our community through Old Bill’s Fun Run. This years donations will be directed towards continuing education and upgrading our avalanche rescue equipment so that we can continue to provide the highest quality service to our community. Please contact the Jackson Hole Community Foundation if you would like to make a donation to our cause The Snow King Volunteer Ski Patrol is looking forward to expanding their quality medical support to our community for another 75 years. 291098
even of the clients nearest to Jackson lawyer Molly Dearing’s heart are not paying her. Lawyers famously work by the billable hour, making their assistance a pricey proposition. Dearing, who owns and operates the Dearing Law Firm on Cache Street, is one of a handful of Teton County lawyers trying to counter that by offering their services to Teton County Access to Justice. “Our volunteers are really what keep us going,” Executive Director Lauren Browne said. “We can offer the services we do because of the time they’re willing to put into Access cases. Without them we’re pretty much a library and a referral service.” Access to Justice provides free or low-cost legal services to clients who meet income requirements, and consultation-style clinics for all comers. Attorneys are on contract for a nominal fee, but almost no Access case is completed without several hours of unpaid work. “It’s a good use of my skills as an attorney,” Dearing said. “It helps bridge what I see as a justice gap in this community.” Browne considers cost one of the most prevalent barriers to legal services nationwide, but particularly in Teton County, with its seasonal work cycle and high rents that eat up a high percentage of even full-time, year-round salaries. When people are charged with a crime, federal law requires that they be given access to a public defender. For civil matters there is no such option. “It just made sense to help out,” said Jackson and Victor, Idaho, attorney Pamela Parkins. “With a lot of these folks, they’re getting bullied by someone with deeper pockets. There’s not a lot of people that can help.” Dearing said much the same. Nearly all of her clients, she said, are facing situations they don’t have the knowledge to fight on their own. “Someone is threatening them with losing their kids, and that’s a really scary prospect,” Dearing said. “They just don’t have the expertise and familiarity with the courts to know what they can ask for or how to make their point to the judge.” Parkins, like Dearing, became in-
PRICE CHAMBERS / NEWS&GUIDE
Jackson attorney Molly Dearing volunteers at the Teton County Access to Justice Center to help people with legal matters.
volved after meeting the founding director of Teton County Access to Justice, Betsy Bernfeld. Parkins dropped in to the center’s free link to Westlaw, an online legal resource, and found Bernfeld putting together the law library that Access to Justice now offers. She offered to help out with the job and then began taking on cases once she opened her firm, Parkins Law Office. She is now Browne’s go-to attorney for consumer, collections and employment law. Dearing, too, was a friend of Bernfeld’s and said yes to her request to help. She now handles family law, divorce and protection order cases for Access. Along with Jackson lawyer Alex Freeburg, of Freeburg Law, who is the primary volunteer handling housing clients, they form the core of Access’ volunteer base. “I take on as many cases as I have time for,” Parkins said. “I can’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t do this. I’ll do what I can till I retire.” Though Dearing works in an area of law with even more forms than a typical lawsuit, she said she wouldn’t trade her volunteer work either. “Being generous with my time and expertise like this is one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” Dearing said. “I think the whole community is made better when everyone has equal access to the protections of the courts and the justice system.” Contact Emma Breysse at 732-7066 or courts@jhnewsandguide.com.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT CONCERT
“A Kaleidoscope of American Music” SUNDAY MAY 3RD, 3PM at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church
The JH Chorale would like to thank its volunteers for over 33 years of dedication to music!
photo credit Teri Quigley
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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 19
Classrooms count on parent helpers
Administrators, teachers rely on help to keep the wheels of education turning. By Jason Suder
S
chools keep running with the help of classroom volunteers. They repair library books, raise money, organize activities and, for every school in the valley, they are an integral part of keeping the schools open. Robby Kuhlman, Jackson Hole Classical Academy headmaster, said he has lost count of how many volunteers come to school each day. “It’s a pretty long list that is continually growing,” he said. Parents volunteer in a variety of capacities, from delivering snacks to the younger grades to supporting the schools’ media. And while a big part of education is developing memories, hiring a photographer to capture them, especially one who is at every event or in the building regularly, can cost hundreds. One parent regularly snaps shots at the Classical Academy “capturing important memories throughout the year that we are going to use in our yearbook, as well as our website.” “We see parent volunteers as an important part of our school community,” Kuhlman said. “We never want to see that taper off or diminish.” Colter and Davey Jackson elementary school parents save money in other ways. Through-
PRICE CHAMBERS / NEWS&GUIDE FILE
The Rendezvous Parent-Teacher Organization raises funds through activities such as the annual pumpkin sale.
out the year the Rendezvous Parent-Teacher Organization hosts fundraisers to help the schools meet their needs. In past years the Rendezvous PTO Pumpkin Sale and several other annual events have helped raise money to supply Colter with three new water fountains, a television outside the cafeteria, lunchroom tables and a movie screen. Davey Jackson has been able to bulk up its library. Following spring break PTO president Cathy Blount and the all-volunteer organization will help students buy yearbooks. On average the PTO
raises $20,000 every year to improve the schools. “We’re raising money to buy things that might make the school a nicer place but might fall outside the school budget,” Blount said. “Without teachers and parents and community members stepping up, none of this would happen.” Without the help of middle school parents, Jackson Hole Middle School librarian Karla Swiggum and her paraprofessional Pam McIntosh would have to forgo sleep to shelve books, repair them, maintain the collection and teach classes. “They do everything but the
cataloging of the collection,” Swiggum said. The library’s 10 volunteers work in two-hour blocks on a weekly basis, and allow Swiggum to manage the library while also teaching students how to use the library. Parent-volunteers often go well beyond what is asked of them. Lisa Johnson, Swiggum said, is exceptionally talented at repairing worn books. With hundreds of kids handling popular ones like the Harry Potter series, books are torn, come unglued and generally become beat up. Johnson repaired one Har-
Total Hours Trained:
11,500 EMS Calls:
These names represent the men and women who give up time with family and friends to volunteer for their community.
TOWN OF JACKSON STATION 1
MORAN STATION 4
Lt Bobbi Clauson Michael Bentley Zach Berlin Greg Chooljian Teresa deGroh Lori Ann Donellan Jim Fifles
Capt Mack McFarland Logan Steffens Lt Phillip Lamoureux Giovanni Tabacchi Lt Camden Pruess James Warren Andy Johnson
TOWN OF WILSON STATION 2 Capt Robert Moomey Ian Cranston Timothy Harland Dean Jarvie Mary Kamstra
Heath Kuszak Michael LaRosa Cody McInnes Chris Mommsen Brian Moore
Steve Poole Shris Schweitzer Hunter Verde
HOBACK JUNCTION STATION 3 Capt Todd Fitzgerald Capt Mike Trumbower Lt Chris Betsinger Lt Bernhard Sieber Chance Abel
Frank Becker David Cernicek Jack Hutcheson Jordan Lister Janet Palermo
Lisa Potzernitz Forrest Sandberg Eric Schneider Melissa Thomasma
1,239 347 Fire Calls:
THANK YOU! Jenn McGrath Carl Pelletier Leo Sanchez Amanda Soliday Ben Thurston William Van Gelder Meaghan Wheeler
Contact Jason Suder at 7327062 or schools@jhnewsandguide.com.
IN 2014...
“VOLUNTEERS DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE TIME; THEY JUST HAVE THE HEART.”
Harry Fish Matt Goewert Tyler Harlow Frank Lane Cody Lara Nate Levinson Daniel Long
ry Potter book so many times, Swiggum said, that she decided it was time to buy a new one. She left a brand-new copy on the library desk. “I don’t know what we’d do without their services, frankly,” Swiggum said. “We’re already kind of maxed out with our responsibilities in the library, I think we would have to cut some of our services or change our schedule.” Wilson Elementary would have cut many of its programs if parents were not there to volunteer, physical education teacher Kim Hunt said. “I could not run my program as efficiently without my volunteers,” she said. “Some of them wouldn’t even be possible.” The swimming program would be cut because there are not enough teachers to supervise in the locker rooms, as per rec center regulations. “I need parent volunteers, otherwise the pool wouldn’t even let us come,” Hunt said. Without parents, the students would not be supervised while exercising along Fish Creek Road during the program called ACES, which stands for “all students exercising simultaneously.” Without the volunteer help of moms and dads, students would not be able to take advantage of all the opportunities that Jackson offers them. “It’s a crucial part of our school culture,” Kuhlman said.
TETON PINES/WILSON STATION 6 Capt Steve Moomey Jack Delay Louise Gignoux
Jinmo Kim Remy Levy Connor Quinn
ADAMS CANYON STATION 7 Capt Rob Dearing Capt Mike Mayer Lt Clay Geittmann Jim Tucker Carlo Acacio Ray Brence Nick Brosnan Jacob Henrie
Brad Larson James LIttle Ben Mateosky Matthew Somers Maggie Stewart Mike Sullivan
2014 New Recruits
Personal Sacrifice for the Good of the Whole
Austin Sessions Brenda Sherwin Kelly Stirn
20 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
INSPIRE I NVE ST ENRICH
VOLUNTEER When we invest our time as volunteers and enrich our community, we are all philanthropists. Whether you want to answer a hotline, inspire a young reader or plan an event, you will find the perfect match at Volunteer Jackson Hole. Connect with the organizations you care about. Visit www.volunteerjacksonhole.org, the Community Foundation’s free online service.
IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH PHILANTHROPIC LEADERSHIP 245 East Simpson Street • PO Box 574, Jackson, WY 83001 • 307-739-1026 www.cfjacksonhole.org • www.volunteerjacksonhole.org • www.oldbills.org 291140