Lawrence Business Magazine 2024 Q4

Fueling Growth, Connection, and Shaping Our Community

“ This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion, that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations. ”

George Bernard Shaw

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS

Volunteering is the backbone of thriving communities; nowhere is that more evident than in Lawrence. In this issue, we talk about the impact of volunteering and highlight several volunteers – we couldn’t cover every organization or volunteer – but we tried to create a cross-section of the community and the volunteers who make it run. These volunteers are often the silent champions addressing critical needs, from assisting with food drives and supporting educational programs to organizing community events and responding in times of crisis. Their efforts help bridge gaps that government programs or businesses cannot always fill, ensuring that vital services reach everyone who needs them.

In Lawrence, the spirit of volunteering runs deep. Local organizations and nonprofits depend on the dedication of these individuals to extend their impact. Whether it’s lending a hand at the Library, supporting Habitat for Humanity, or joining city-wide clean-up efforts, volunteers transform intention into action, making tangible improvements in the lives of those around them.

But volunteering isn’t just about giving—it’s also about receiving. Those who donate their time often find that the rewards far exceed the effort. Studies show that volunteering enhances mental and physical well-being, reduces stress, and fosters happiness. For many, helping others sparks joy and provides a profound sense of purpose.

Volunteering strengthens the social fabric of Lawrence. It’s an incredible way to meet new people, connect with neighbors, and build lasting friendships. Participating in shared activities, such as organizing parades or helping at JustFoods, creates bonds that extend beyond the events themselves. These connections are the foundation of a cohesive and supportive community.

For volunteers, the personal benefits extend even further. Whether it’s gaining hands-on experience in project management, honing communication skills, or staying engaged after retirement, volunteering offers unique growth opportunities. Young professionals, for instance, can acquire real-world skills that enhance their résumés, while retirees can apply their expertise to make a lasting difference.

Volunteering in Lawrence also fuels the local economy. Efforts such as mentoring students or supporting arts programs help develop a skilled and vibrant community. Environmental initiatives beautify the city, attracting businesses and tourism. This work generates networks and collaboration, fostering innovation and growth.

Perhaps most importantly, volunteering empowers people to live their values. Whether it’s advocating for social justice, protecting the environment, or supporting vulnerable populations, volunteering gives individuals a direct path to effect change. This alignment between values and actions cultivates a sense of agency and fulfillment.

Volunteers in Lawrence are not just contributors but creators of a brighter future. Their commitment builds stronger neighborhoods, fosters deeper social bonds, and elevates everyone in the community.

So, consider stepping into a volunteer role. Whether it’s an hour a week or a monthly commitment, your time and energy can shape lives—yours included. Together, through the spirit of volunteering, we can ensure that Lawrence remains a place we live and a community we cherish.

When we support local businesses and causes, we reinforce the very foundation of what makes Lawrence unique. By volunteering and shopping locally, we build a resilient, united community that will continue to thrive for generations.

Please note that all of our advertisers have a stake in the local economy. Whenever possible, shop locally and resist the temptation to order online. If you find something online, see if one of our local businesses has it.

When we Shop Local - Shop Baldwin, Eudora, Lecompton, and Lawrence (and use Local Services)we are supporting those businesses, giving back to our community, and building a future together.

Happy Holidays,

Ann Frame Hertzog Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Chief Photographer/Publisher

ON THE COVER

Sitting L-R

Laurie Comstock, Maren Ludwig, Darin Lutz, Carladyne Conyers, David Sain, Becky Catron Standing L-R Jude McDaniel, Doug Tilghman, Shania Lopez-Cabrera, Stacey Lamb, Karin Rexroad, Robin Gaschler, Caroline Trowbridge, Wayne McDaniel

Photo by Steven Hertzog

Mulligan

Tara Trenary

Darin M. White

Copy Editor:

Tara Trenary

Contributing Writers:

Lori Alvarado

Maren Ludwig

Amy Northrup

Contributing

Photographers:

Jeff Burkhead

Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Libraries

INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT: editor@LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com

Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC 3514 Clinton Parkway, Suite A-113 Lawrence, KS 66047

© 2024 Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC

Lawrence Business Magazine, is published quarterly by Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC and is distributed by direct mail to businesses in the Lawrence & Douglas County Community. It is also distributed at key retail locations throughout the area and mailed to individual subscribers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Statements and opinions printed in the Lawrence Business Magazine are the those of the author or advertiser and are not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.

IMPACT OF VOLUNTEERS

LAWRENCE & DOUGLAS CO IN PERSPECTIVE [ ]

Gone but not Forgotten

The history behind the building of Kansas Memorial Stadium and the Kansas Union includes memorializing those who served and died in World War I.

by Pat Michaelis, Ph.D., Historical Research & Archival Consulting photos courtesy Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Libraries.

Following World War I, The University of Kansas (KU) administrators felt it was important to honor the 129 students and alumni who died during that conflict. Some of them were killed in action, and some died from influenza. A KU graduate from the class of 1912, Lt. Dr. William T. Fitzsimons, was the first American officer killed in action. In the fall of 1920, the university launched its Million Dollar Drive to create a memorial to the KU students and alumni who had died. The Memorial Corporation was created to oversee the fundraising. A number of structures were considered, but the university ultimately decided on a football stadium and a student union. It was believed that the university needed these two structures on the campus rather than them being memorials.

Football was being played a McCook’s Field. It had wooden bleachers that were “not only unsightly and hazardous as to fire and decay, but they were exceedingly uncomfortable.” Clement C. Williams, a civil engineering professor, noted that “such leading universities as Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Michigan, had all recently built giant stadiums, so there were a number of different facilities KU could emulate.” Dr. Forrest C. “Phog” Allen was the director of athletics in 1920, and he toured the stadiums at a number of eastern universities. On his return, he proposed a U-shaped stadium that would include a track. The stadium would have seating for an estimated 32,000 fans.

To kick off the drive, the university developed a promotional brochure titled 'Why we need a stadium." It included a number of statements from prominent KU supporters about why the readers should support the Million Dollar Drive. James Naismith wrote that alumni should “act at once by backing the stadium project with their financial as well as moral support.” The brochure stated that a new stadium would “have an attractiveness and dignity that will justify on our part an attitude of pride.” It also encouraged KU students, faculty and friends to not be laggards, because “other schools throughout the country are rapidly swinging into line.” The financial campaign opened officially on Nov. 18, 1920. The timing was providential because it was just a few days after the KU football team, perennial losers to Nebraska, earned a 20-20 tie. The outcome of the game was enough to excite the student body and alumni to support the campaign for a new football stadium. In two weeks, students and faculty had pledged $225,000.

The University Daily Kansan, the student newspaper, wrote that a new mood was apparent on campus and that “not losing to

Memorial Union 1927

Memorial Stadium 1920

Nebraska was just the first sign that the University had entered a new era of growth that would end with KU becoming the biggest and best in the Middle West.” In the following weeks, the 4,226 students pledged $190,000 to the stadium project. Posters carried messages such as “every student a giver” and “the Alumni are watching us now.” Even the long-standing rivalry with the University of Missouri was noted on a poster as “Another way to beat Missouri.” KU faculty members pledged another $35,000.

The Million Dollar Campaign had received $850,000 in pledges by the fall of 1922. Of course, pledges were not actual donations. By September 1931, only $655,000 of the total amount of $965,000 had been paid.

In the spring of 1921, the first step in building the new stadium occurred with the destruction of McCook Field. Chancellor Ernest Lindley designated May 10 “Stadium Day” when several hundred male students volunteered to tear down the bleachers in 78 minutes. More than 4,000 people participated in the festivities, which included lunch, speeches and games. The conclusion of the day saw Chancellor Lindley, dressed in overalls, drive a tractor pulling a plow through the middle of the old football field.

Construction of the new stadium began on July 16, 1921, and it was dedicated on Nov. 11, 1922. In addition to honoring the 129 KU men and women killed during World War 1, it was also a commemoration of Armistice Day. Following a parade led by the Kansas American Legion, a rifle salute, the playing of “Taps” and speeches by Gov. Henry J. Allen and Chancellor Lindley rounded out the dedication ceremony. There was also a football game against Nebraska, which KU did not win.

The laying of the cornerstone for the Kansas Memorial Union occurred on April 30, 1926, and honored the 129 KU students who died during World War I. Approximately 3,000 people attended the event, including students, faculty, staff, families of those who were being honored and soldiers. A banner with 3,000 stars recognizing everyone in the KU community who served in World War I was hanging on the front of the podium. The center of the flag contained 129 gold stars for those who died during the conflict. The Crimson and Blue band played “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and the singing of it was led by the two university glee clubs. After an invocation, Thomas J. Norton, Chicago, who earned his law degree from KU, gave an address that stressed patriotism and upholding the U.S. constitution. An honor guard placed a copper box containing a copy of the Memorial Corporation’s charter; the school catalog for 1915 through 1926; a photo of Gov. Ben Paulen; two drawings of the Jayhawk; front pages of the Kansas City Star for Aug. 2, 1914, with headlines announcing war had been declared and for Nov. 11, 1918, reporting that an armistice had been negotiated; pages from 11 regional newspapers that had helped promote or had stories about the Million Dollar Drive to erect the Union; the Stadium and the Uncle Jimmy Green Statue; three issues of the Graduate Magazine describing KU history and traditions; and three roses. An honor guard of KU war veterans lowered the box into the cornerstone. A student representing all KU students believed the Union would be a place on campus for making lifelong friendships. Chancellor Lindley stated the “war dead would live on by being remembered by the living.” The ceremony ended with the singing of “Crimson and the Blue.”

The stadium was completed in 1927, but it took a number of years before the union was completed. The Memorial Corporation had adopted a policy of “pay as you build,” and the construction of the union was halted when funds ran out. The Great Depression impacted work on the Memorial Union, as well. In 1938, a small 80- by 135-foot union was completed. The name “Memorial” was discontinued in the 1940s, and the building was then known as the Kansas Union.

On Veterans Day 2019, the archway at the entrance of the Kansas Union was rededicated to honor the 129 students who died in World War I. The archway contains 129 stars. The stars would be lit that night at 11 p.m., the time that the armistice was signed. The director of the KU Union said during the rededication ceremony: “Those stars will shine, hopefully, eternally from here on out, recognizing that sacrifice for all. We’re proud and have a sacred obligation to fulfill here.”

The sixth floor of the union has a plaque listing the names of the 129 students who died. On the adjacent wall are photographs of all the students honored.

At the beginning of World War I, the United States Regular Army was small. Its numbers were increased by relying on volunteers and draftees. The National Army was created by the War Department in1917. It was a combined force of volunteers and conscripts. It included men who had volunteered to serve in units of the National Guard. These men were added to the Regular Army, which was in existence at the start of the war. The National Army was disbanded at the end of World War I. By that time, nearly 72% of American soldiers were draftees, with the remaining 27% of the force being volunteers. More than 80,000 Kansans served in the U.S. armed forces during World War I. 2,212 Kansans died from various causes during the conflict—569 were killed in action; 215 died from wounds received during fighting; 1,285 died from disease; and 143 died from accidents and other causes. The numbers of those who died were broken down by the classes of service among the National Army made up of draftees and volunteers, National Guard soldiers who were volunteers and the Regular Army whose soldiers were already serving in the army. Deaths for these groups were 1,463 for the National Army, 403 for the National Guard and 237 for the Regular Army. These citizen soldiers (volunteers and draftees) made great sacrifices for their country, as did the 129 soldiers from KU that were memorialized with the construction of a football stadium and a student union. p

LORI ALVARADO Chief Executive Officer DCCCA

What is DCCCA?

In 1974, a grassroots group founded DCCCA under the name Douglas County Citizen’s Committee on Alcoholism offering substance abuse treatment. Within three years, the organization secured statewide and regional contracts that grew quickly to include prevention and traffic safety (DUI, drunk-driving prevention, etc.). This local organization built a statewide business reputation known as DCCCA (pronounced “deck-uh”).

The board of directors adopted that name as its official name, dropping the words for which the acronym stood. Now the organization, with its headquarters in Lawrence, provides community and social services to improve the health, safety, and well-being of those we serve. Programs offered include substance use disorder (SUD) residential and outpatient treatment, prevention, traffic safety, family preservation and foster home support. DCCCA provides services in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

What is DCCCA’s most important priority?

DCCCA provides high-quality, evidence-based services focused on Improving Lives. DCCCA delivers its services with integrity, understanding the trust put into the organization by its funders (city, county, state, federal and foundation). DCCCA delivers services by valuing the people and communities we serve, respecting their experiences and treating them with dignity.

An important programming priority in Douglas County comes in the form of Transitional Housing. DCCCA will build five duplexes (10 units) to support women and their children as they transition from treatment into recovery. Residents will spend six to nine months in the transitional housing as they find employment and move to more permanent housing. DCCCA currently is involved in a capital campaign to construct the housing.

(L-R) Kathy Garcia-Chief Development Officer and Lori Alvarado-Chief Executive Officer

How does DCCCA make an impact on the Lawrence community?

The impact of our work can be seen in a variety of ways:

■ SUD treatment (First Step at Lakeview and Lawrence Outpatient) for Douglas County residents focusing on a life of recovery

■ supporting prevention in the county through Engage Douglas County with adults and youth providing mental health first aid training, alcohol and drug awareness education, traffic safety education and training, and coalition support

■ Naloxone (overdose reversal medication) distribution including vending machines, as well as training to administer naloxone, supporting the community and our first responders and medical providers

■ recruiting, training and supporting Foster Homes, caring for youth in foster care

■ through We Kan Drive assisting foster care youth in obtaining their driver’s licenses

■ providing Family Preservation services with the goal of strengthening families to avoid foster care

■ suicide-prevention work through implementation of school curriculum and support (Sources of Strength), and supporting communities in an effort to reduce the incidents of suicide

■ supporting traffic safety by providing training to properly install child safety seats, impaired driving and elder driving safety and more.

What have been some of the most important aspects of your success?

DCCCA approaches each opportunity with innovation and partnership. With any funding source, our staff seeks to step outside the normal way and find solutions that go beyond the status quo of service provision. In that process, DCCCA holds itself to a high level of accountability, delivering high-quality services that meet budget and produce quality outcomes. DCCCA’s commitment to agencywide Leadership Development instills in employees their valuable contribution to our mission, Improving Lives, which adds their perspective and strengths to the betterment of clients, families and communities.

Why did you become involved with DCCCA?

My particular involvement came quite by accident. I knew someone who worked in finance at DCCCA. After spending seven years as a newspaper reporter, I wanted to do something more, find a way to give back, so to speak. I applied for a position working with youth development. While I did not get that job offer, I was offered a prevention position. I instantly embraced the work and spent 12 years working in different programs at DCCCA. After leaving the organization to work at the state of Kansas, nearly 12 years later I applied for the CEO position and have served in that role since 2013. The innovative and powerful work of the organization energizes me to continually seek creative methods in service delivery while holding high standards for performance.

What do you see as your personal responsibility and the nonprofits’ responsibility to the community?

My personal responsibility lies in three primary areas: 1) fiscal accountability ensuring that DCCCA maintains the public trust of funders and citizens; 2) quality programming adhering to evidence-based practice that produces outcomes focused on Improving Lives; 3) supporting employees by providing training and encouragement to provide quality programming. I absolutely love nonprofit work, as it allows flexibility to provide the support needed to those who seek our services. Our responsibility to the community involves seeking partnerships to address pressing issues, implementing programming aimed at improvement and tracking results.

What is the biggest challenge your industry is facing now?

It’s not surprising that the need of citizens, families and communities continues to grow. It’s also not surprising that the funding to provide services to address this need does not grow at the same rate. Providing quality services means keeping pace with the growing costs of providing services (labor, facilities, support, etc.). Advocacy becomes a key skill for CEOs to develop to articulate the need, while understanding the balance of funding available.

What

inspires

you? Is there a specific thing, person or incident?

My inspiration comes from the stories of those we serve. I’ve witnessed many successes, but here are just a few:

■ A woman whose 10-year addiction brought her to residential treatment with her two young children. After completing residential treatment and moving to intensive outpatient treatment, she sought employment, housing and supportive services in the community. Five years later, she works as a supervisor of a manufacturing company, raising her children in a strong recovery and giving back to the community that supported her.

■ A letter from a police chief thanking us for providing naloxone to his officers because it saved a police officer’s life who became fentanyl exposed while sorting through evidence laced with fentanyl.

■ A foster family supporting a very medically fragile infant, providing love and support, and having that child live five years beyond life expectancy because of the services and training provided by our staff.

■ A community reporting that teenagers have significantly increased their seat belt usage and addressed impaired driving (as evidenced by collecting data) through our Seatbelts Are for Everyone teen-led project. This coming after the community suffered the tragic death of four seniors in a traffic crash six years before.

What seed might we plant today that could make the most difference to the future of DCCCA?

Stigma around substance use prevents so many people from seeking help and finding recovery. Addiction, like other medical issues, is a brain disease. It takes over one’s life until the choice to stop using is no longer their choice. A community that understands this begins to support the treatment/recovery and prevention efforts through funding, donations and volunteers, leading to recovery for those with an addiction, support for families to keep their children safe, preventing addiction through work with children and youth, reducing the incidents of drunk/drugged driving providing safety on the roadways, and supporting foster families as they attempt to provide love and support to reunify families affected by addiction. p

“ Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. ”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

It Takes a Village

O’Connell Children’s Shelter is able to provide emergency care for community youth in need because of the help of its many generous volunteers.

by Maren Ludwig, O'Connell Childrens's Shelter, photos by Steven Hertzog

At O’Connell Children’s Shelter, we have just finished the 38th annual Festival of Trees, where hundreds of community volunteers create and then donate trees, wreaths and other works of art to be auctioned off in support of our agency and those we serve. The Festival of Trees is such a special time for us because it brings our entire community together around the holidays for such an important cause.

O’Connell Children’s Shelter was formed in 2021 through a merger between two long-standing Lawrence nonprofit organizations: O’Connell Youth Ranch (established in 1976) and The Shelter Inc. (established 1981). Today, our services include those of both originating agencies and so much more. We provide emergency care for children in our community, usually involving serving a family in one of their most desperate times. It could include placing a youth who needs care when their family has been in an accident, keeping a child abuse victim safe while an investigation occurs or helping to intervene for a short-term stay when family tensions are high.

We also provide long-term and short-term care in our residential and foster homes for youth in the child-welfare system. These are usually youth who have had multiple placement disruptions, and we aim to stabilize their living situation and provide necessary support to prepare them for the future.

What you might not know, however, are the services we provide to children, youth and families to keep them together and strengthen the family unit. We believe healthy families make a healthy community and have made a significant investment in meeting families’ needs in our community in whatever way necessary. We can help determine Medicaid eligibility for families who meet income standards so they can access health insurance immediately.

■ Knowing that successful school attendance and a high school diploma are critical to bright and prosperous futures for youth, we provide truancy case-management services to help youth stay in school and be successful.

■ We provide intensive in-home therapeutic and casemanagement services aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect, and to provide specific targeted help to families impacted by poverty, hoping to change the generational hold and effects it can have on families.

■ We also offer services where behavioral-health challenges result in young people engaging in criminal behavior, seeking to change their behavior and the pipeline from youth offender to adult offender, ultimately making our community safer.

We cannot do any of this vital work without our volunteers. You will find a number of volunteers supporting us on our Board of Directors. Most of our Board has served numerous terms, but none more than Wint Winter Jr. Winter just retired after serving 43 years on our Board. We have our master gardener, Susan Andersen, who joined us after her retirement. She now volunteers nearly full time, leading a team of our youth in

our garden program, teaching them to grow healthy food and helping to create a sustainable future. We also have volunteer Susan Stuever, a retired nurse who comes every week to our homes to help us manage the multiple aspects of health care for the youth we serve. We have Cindy and Kevin Harmon, and Dan Koehn, who have organized the Summer’s End Cruise-In Car Show for the last seven years. They chose to give the money raised to support our prevention programs. Then there’s the Kaw Valley Quilters Guild, which ensures our youth feel loved and supported by creating a beautiful range of handmade quilts for them to select as a treasured keepsake. Finally, we have several folks who show up at the holidays to guarantee our youth feel loved—Garber Enterprises with their duffels of essentials, Lawrence Sunshine Foundation fulfilling wish list requests for the youth, Norine Spears leading a group of friends to create jacket packets (with gloves, hats, warm socks and candy) for each young person and The Eagles taking the youth holiday shopping each year. These are just a few of those who mean so much to our organization as they give of themselves year after year.

When a nonprofit has close to a 50-year history of serving its community, it is built on the good works of so many who have come before us and have shared their time and talents. As the holidays approach, we are so grateful to all those who give. As we look to the future and seek to expand on our services with a special focus on crisis services for youth, we will continue to need our community’s commitment. Our promise to you is to continue to be there for our community’s most at-risk children, youth and families. p

Ensuring Longevity

LMH Health Foundation donors contribute to the long-term success of the hospital with their financial contributions.

by Amy Northrop, LMH Health Foundation, Annual giving manager photos courtesy LMH Health

Since 1969, donors to the LMH Health Foundation have generously supported access to high-quality, compassionate care in Douglas County and beyond. Benefactors have financed leading-edge technology and more for the community’s not-for-profit, safety-net hospital.

“Support by donors, corporate partners, physicians, associates and community members ensures we carry on the spirit of Elizabeth Watkins, whose founding gift led to the construction of the first iteration of this hospital,” says Rebecca Smith, executive director of the LMH Health Foundation and the hospital’s vice president of strategy and communications. “By investing in our community hospital, donor support makes a real and meaningful difference in the lives of our families, friends, coworkers and neighbors.”

Many donors recognize the importance of investing in initiatives focused on advanced technologies that provide exceptional, state-of-the art health care at our community hospital. They know their support leads to greater hope and healing close to home.

In early 2020, Dana Anderson and his late wife, Sue, made a significant gift to the Foundation to support two MAKO robots for outpatient joint replacement surgery and two new da Vinci robotic surgical systems used by general surgeons, urologists and obstetricians/gynecologists.

“The work our doctors do is important to our entire community,” Anderson explains. “We are happy to do what we can to provide them with the very best technology they need to perform at the highest level.”

Other donors may direct their gifts toward a specific unit or program. Carol Schaub and her late husband, Sherry, made a special gift to the Cindy Murray Family Birthing Center.

(L-R) Ribbon cutting - McKain, Bartuccio, Guastello, Sloan, Yulich, Johnson, Grillot, Reineman, R Smith

“We had four children together, but two of them passed away very young,” Schaub says. “I feel [through my gift] I’m doing my small part to help alleviate stress or even agony for new moms.”

The Schaubs’ philanthropic support, plus that of other donors to the Family Birthing Center, came just in time. When a jaundice meter broke on the unit requiring repair parts that would take an unknown amount of time to arrive, the Foundation made funds available immediately to quickly purchase a replacement.

“Our team is so thankful and appreciative to our donors,” says Cynthia Weidl, director of Maternal Child Services.

Hundreds of donors also contribute toward advancing staff education. The Foundation offered more than 60 scholarships this year to employees and their dependents to offset the cost of their education.

Other donors find joy in supporting the LMH Health Leadership Academy, a leadership and professional development program for area students that provides hands-on learning experiences in health-care administration and local government. “We are proud to support the LMH Health Leadership Acad -

emy, an incredible program that empowers students from all backgrounds with essential leadership skills,” says Jason Hoover, longtime donor along with his wife, Lindsey, to the Academy. “Each year, it provides invaluable opportunities that help launch careers and shape future leaders.”

Foundation donors regularly contribute to fill the gap for patients who may be uninsured or underinsured. Many donors also choose to include the Foundation in their estate planning so their support can continue in perpetuity. One community member recently shared why they chose to include the Foundation in their will:

“I knew this was one way I could help change a life, or even save a life, well beyond my own life.”

Finally, there are specific giving opportunities for employees and physicians to donate to the Foundation that provide emergency funds that directly support staff members and their families during times of hardship.

“It takes every person in every type of role to provide quality medical care to this community. Our ability to care for others and perform our role at our best are impacted when life happens to us or a family member,” explains Sandra Dixon, director of Behavioral Health Integration and a Foundation donor.

“I take ‘partner for lifelong health’ seriously, especially when it comes to being a partner with my colleagues. I am fortunate to be in a position to take care of my family and help others who may need some additional support. My hope is others do the same and be available if I ever need that support in the future.”

The LMH Health Foundation, a board-governed 501 (c) (3) organization, has transferred more than $15 million to the hospital in support of LMH Health priorities and programs since 2017. It is estimated that the Foundation will transfer an additional $8 million in 2024.

While the Foundation has received seven of its nine largest gifts in the last six years, the majority of gifts are $100 or less.

“When donors come together to support high-quality, patient-focused, health-care services, they make so much possible for our hospital and our community,” Smith says. p

To become a part of the generous history of giving to the LMH Health Foundation, please consider making a tax-deductible gift through our secure website at lmh.org/donate. You can also mail a check to the LMH Health Foundation, 316 Maine St., Lawrence, KS 66044, or call 785-505-3317 to discuss a giving opportunity that is meaningful to you.

CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY

“ Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a battle. ” Plato

Visiting Nurses Association

By Emily Mulligan,

photos by Steven Hertzog

These local organizations could not provide their services without an army of volunteers behind them.

In Douglas County, volunteers are essential for some organizations to carry out their mission. No volunteers means not accomplishing the purpose the group has set out to do.

Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) has a network of volunteers who spend time as companions to homebound and hospice patients in between visits from skilled nurses and other professional staff. The Lied Center deploys a cadre of volunteers at every event and performance to usher and guide the public around the building and auditorium. The LMH Gift Shop is staffed by a slate of volunteers.

Without their collective army of volunteers, these organizations could not perform their functions. It’s accurate to say that the quality of life in Douglas County is uplifted by volunteers.

Hospice Companion

Laurie Comstock began volunteering for VNA about 15 years ago when her kids were in college. She had participated in Leadership Lawrence and learned about VNA and its continual need for volunteers. She says she always has enjoyed spending time with the elderly, so VNA seemed like a good fit for her spare time.

Here she is, a decade and a half later, having logged hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours with people and families of Douglas County in one of the most tender and difficult stages of life. Comstock typically volunteers with one or two patients at a time when a family makes the decision to utilize hospice care. She spends time with the patient weekly at his or her home or care facility to provide companionship and comfort.

“When I’m old, I want someone to be patient and caring with me,” Comstock says. “I’ve had really great experiences developing relationships over many months. I can add to their lives, and they add to mine.”

Comstock freely admits she’s a talker and a people person, so it’s easy for her to appear in patients’ lives and find out what they have in common for topics of conversation. Often, people are slow to warm up, and some are experiencing dementia. Comstock has a good sense for making them comfortable with her presence. Usually, that builds up to them asking her to do particular activities with them on her visits. She says she has played card games, read stories, played Scrabble and talked about the patients’ lives with them.

VNA volunteers select their patients, and Comstock chooses elderly patients who are in hospice care. She has learned a great deal about the end of life through VNA’s training and her own now-vast experience.

“I try to be comforting, stable and understanding. My visits help me be the eyes and ears for the hospice nurses, social workers, etc. Hopefully I’m helpful to them, too,” she says.

Hospice care started as a voluntary care group, and Medicare-certified hospice programs such as VNA are still required to incorporate volunteers for 5 percent of the service hours provided to patients, according to the Accreditation Commission for Health Care. So volunteers like Comstock are built into VNA’s business model, which enhances patients’ experiences, VNA hospice volunteer coordinator Sarah Rooney says.

“The volunteers provide a real human-to-human connection during hospice. They aren’t a part of the team that has a job to do; they aren’t taking the patient’s pulse, for example,” Rooney says. “For families who can’t afford home health care, the volunteer is there when someone just needs a break from caregiving—and it gives the patient a break, too.”

At any given time during the year, VNA has 25 to 30 volunteers regularly serving hospice patients. Most patients request volunteers for weekday hours, particularly late mornings or early afternoons, when caregivers need a respite to attend their own medical appointments or run errands. Rooney says hospice volunteering isn’t an exact science; each patient’s needs vary, and volunteers bring a range of experience and skills.

“The best volunteers are self-motivated, self-sufficient and willing to go ahead and just try. Some of it is really hard; creativity and humor definitely help,” Rooney says.

Comstock is unique because she always finds a way to connect with the patients and caregivers, she adds. And if the patient is grumpy or doesn’t seem receptive to her, Comstock knows not to take it personally.

“When she’s present with people, she’s really paying attention. She’s really concentrated on that person,” Rooney says.

VNA volunteers receive group emails from Rooney that give a general overview of each patient’s scenario, and the volunteers select which patient they think will be the best fit, whether it’s scheduling, location and/or other circumstances.

“When a caregiver really needs a break, that’s what draws me right away,” Comstock says. “I can be helpful right off the bat, and then maybe we’ll get along. Then, it’s really fun to get to know them.”

“ Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others? ”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Lied Center

Lied Center Usher

When Carladyne Conyers’ husband passed away in 2007, a friend suggested she try to be an usher at the Lied Center. So Conyers checked into it, and not long afterward, she started becoming a fixture at Lied Center events and programs.

“People that are retired and don’t do anything, that doesn’t fit my category,” Conyers explains.

Ushering at the Lied Center gives her a place to be where her presence is valued and needed. Not to mention that she can absorb and participate in the arts community while she’s at it.

“I absolutely love the Lied Center. I enjoy all the programs. It’s kind of my home away from home. I sign up for almost every event, and pretty much all the time I stay because I want to see it,” Conyers says.

Longtime ushers get first pick of the events at the Lied Center, and all ushers who work an event are invited to stay and watch once their duties are completed. Conyers says she researches the slate of programs ahead of time so she knows about the artists and activities.

Ushers report for duty an hour or an hour and a half before the show, depending on the size of the crowd expected. They wear a uniform of black slacks, a white top, a black vest or jacket, and a name tag. The Lied Center’s house manager conducts what is a called an usher briefing once the ushers arrive, providing any important information the ushers may need to enforce or to pass along to guests. Ushers are at their posts when the doors open, usually one hour before the program begins, and they must remain on duty until 15 minutes after the show starts. Once they are released, if they choose to stay for the show, they may have an end aisle seat from which to enjoy the program.

Conyers has fun with the social aspect of ushering.

“I need to be doing this. I am a very outgoing, friendly person, and I love seeing the people,” she says.

The Lied Center boasts 125 active volunteers who provide 2,750 to 3,000 volunteer hours per season, Lied Center Executive Director Derek Kwan says.

“Volunteers are so critical to how we operate and critical to the success of the Lied Center. Volunteers are the first faces patrons see when they come into the building,” he continues.

The ushers, greeters and ticket-takers see one another regularly during the busy event seasons, and Kwan says they become like their own version of a family, checking up and checking in since the last time they were together. And with many volunteers who have been at the Lied Center for two decades or more, they grow close over time. They also come to know the patrons who regularly attend events.

LMH Gift Store

“Just as important to the business as the nuts and bolts, the numbers, the bottom line and all that are the relationships,” he adds. “Our volunteers are building meaningful, trustworthy relationships that become friendships.”

Conyers brightens her fellow volunteers’ and the Lied Center staff’s day when she comes to volunteer at events, Kwan says. Her positivity is infectious, and it extends among everyone, including the patrons.

“We joke around during intense event times, ‘Carladyne, your cot is ready for you,’ since she spends so much time here,” he explains. “What we appreciate is that she finds value and satisfaction in the experience, too.”

Conyers’ favorite events at the Lied Center are the daytime field trip events for local school children to see a performance, part of the Lied Center’s free school-only performances for preschoolers through high schoolers, featuring national acts. She says she likes ushering for the school performances so she can watch the reactions of the kids coming into the auditorium, looking around and taking it all in. She can overhear them talking to their friends about seeing the space and, often, saying they haven’t been there before. Conyers’ late father was Carl Knox, the superintendent of schools for 22 years, so the schoolchildren remind her how thrilled her father would be to know they get to experience the arts in the Lied Center, too.

Hospital Gift Shop Staff

The hospital gift shop at LMH Health is not only a bright and cheerful place to be, it is also a nonprofit venture. Proceeds from purchases fund needs at the hospital to the tune of more than $100,000 annually. Other than the gift shop manager, the staff are all volunteers.

Robin Gaschler retired from being an audiologist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in 2020 and moved to Lawrence to be near her aging parents. Her father has since passed away, and now while she looks after her mom, she volunteers weekly with regular shifts in the gift shop at LMH.

Cindy Kruger manages the gift shop and schedules the volunteers. She has about 20 volunteers right now, but she is always looking for more.

“We promote an atmosphere of joy. Our customers are patients, staff, visitors and the public,

LMH Gift Store

which is a customer base we are trying to grow. When you shop with us, your dollar makes a difference, because the money goes back to the hospital,” Kruger says.

Gaschler didn’t have retail experience, but she now runs the cash register, prices inventory, restocks shelves and sorts displays in between assisting customers. Many customers are families visiting someone at LMH, but people coming for doctor’s appointments and even the doctors and nurses themselves shop the store’s unique and appealing variety of gifts.

“We have some frequent fliers,” she says. “We know what time to expect them and what they buy. They come in to see the shiny things in the shop under the bright lights in the store.”

Gaschler also helps out in Mario’s Closet, the cancer-focused space founded by University of Kansas and NBA basketball player Mario Chalmers to provide wigs and other cancer-related products to those undergoing cancer treatment. It is attached to the gift shop, run by volunteers and managed by Kruger.

A visit to Mario’s Closet was what drew her to learn about the gift shop volunteer opportunities in the first place. She went to buy something for a friend who was having a double mastectomy, but Mario’s Closet was closed because there weren’t enough volunteers to staff it that day. She went to the gift shop to ask about it and found out about the need for volunteers.

Gaschler admits to being a “sucker for fundraisers,” so she says working in the gift shop assuages her desire to give; she gives her time toward the cause so people will spend money and fund the hospital’s needs.

“Our volunteers are amazing women, and I can’t say enough good things about them,” Kruger says.

Volunteers Are Everywhere

Whether people go into a home to care for a loved one, attend a Lied Center event or shop in the LMH Health gift shop, they may not know the person they’re talking to is a volunteer. Clearly, people relish the opportunity to help others—and to get their hands dirty while doing so. These three organizations, and many more throughout the county, could not function and serve without active, consistent volunteers. p

“ What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good. ”

Aristotle - 2300 years ago

A PENCHANT FOR SAVING LIVES

Baldwin City Fire Department

by Bob Luder, photo by Steven Hertzog

BALDWIN CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

At a young age, this Baldwin City Fire volunteer knew what she wanted to do and is now able to give back to the community through her passion for medical care.

Though she was born in Baldwin City and has lived there with her children and mother the last 11 years, Becky Catron says her volunteer work with the Baldwin City Fire Department has its roots in a Southwest desert town nearly 900 miles away.

It was there, in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Catron lived 25 formative years and fell in love with emergency medical services and fire service.

“Around the age of 12, I took a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) course,” Catron says. “I was fascinated by that.”

She also points to a car accident she was in with her older brother when she was 14 and the interactions they had at the scene with the ambulance crew there to help them. Those interactions got her brother interested in obtaining a paramedic’s license. As a young sister who always looked up to her brother, it only seemed natural that young Becky wanted to follow suit.

Catron earned her license as a basic emergency medical technician (EMT) in 1995 and an intermediate EMT designation in 1996, and worked 15 years with the Las Cruces Fire Department before deciding to return to her hometown back in 2013. She began working full time as an emergency room technician at Lawrence Memorial Hospital but was still itching to get back into EMT work.

The Baldwin City Fire Department, with its volunteer staff of Fire Chief Terry Baker, Assistant Fire Chief Tim Silvers and a crew of firefighters and EMTs, was just the avenue Catron was looking for.

“It basically comes down to recognizing a real need in the community,” she says. “First response is such an important role. The better the response time, it makes a huge difference in the outcome of an event.”

Obviously, Catron performs her volunteer work when she’s not working her full-time hospital job. She says she reserves Sundays as “family day” and makes herself available for calls from Sunday night through Thursday morning.

“There’s no typical day,” she says. “Some days we get no calls, some we’ll get nine or 10 calls. The other day, we took three calls, one on top of the other.”

Catron’s shifts at LMH Health run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. So life can get hectic.

“If you sleep, you sleep. If you don’t, you don’t,” she says.

One of the things that makes her volunteer job so interesting is the wide range of calls she takes, Catron adds, which forces her to utilize different emergency response skill sets.

“Sometimes, you have true emergencies and make a big difference,” she says. “But whether it’s life-saving care or emotional support … simply providing comfort and stability in someone’s life … it’s very fulfilling just being there when someone needs you most.”

Working for a volunteer fire department in a small town can provide more personal experiences than those an EMT in a big city might encounter, Catron explains. “Sometimes, you run into people you know, and your presence can give (an accident victim) a lot of comfort and emotional stability. It just gives me an overall sense of fulfillment.”

Understandably, she says, “The (calls) that stand out in my mind are ones I really don’t like to talk about.” However, there was one call she remembers when the victim of a fall went into full cardiac arrest—an event she says rarely has a positive outcome. But through her job at LMH, she was able to see that patient several days later sitting up and moving about in the hospital.

“That just made my day,” Catron continues. “That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s such a boost.”

Her true passion is riding in an ambulance and answering EMS calls. In fact, she says she remains best friends with her old riding partner back in Las Cruces. For now, though, that kind of schedule just doesn’t fit into her schedule as a mother and a daughter. She’ll simply have to feed that passion with her volunteer duties in Baldwin City.

“It’s definitely a good place to be now,” Catron says. p

USHERING IN A NEW SEASON

by Julie Dunlap, photo by Steven Hertzog

“ If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever. ”

Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations

The Lied Center

THE LIED CENTER

Volunteering at the Lied Center not only allows people the ability to connect with community members socially, it also offers a direct connection to the arts.

Three seasons into their tenure as Lied Center volunteers, Erika and John Dvorske are just as excited to greet audience members as they were the first time.

“Every season feels like a new adventure,” says Erika, COO of SCC CPA + Advisors, in Lawrence.

The Dvorskes are two of the more than 125 people who donate their time through the Volunteer Usher Corps for the many dozens of live performances annually at Lied Center, now in its 32nd season on campus at The University of Kansas. The Dvorskes’ experience with the volunteer program has impacted their relationships within and outside of the community in ways they never imagined.

“I get to do an activity for something I care about, which is the arts,” says John, an independent legal researcher and writer, “and the bonus is getting to see the shows. We sometimes pick (shows) we didn’t think we’d normally buy a ticket to and end up surprised at how much we enjoyed it.”

“We love going to shows we don’t know much about, and our world gets a little bit bigger,” Erika adds.

From scanning tickets of longtime patrons to seating first-time audience members, volunteers are the warm-up act for every performance. Erika says she and John land differently on the extrovert-introvert spectrum, yet they each find the service-level interaction as a volunteer usher highly fulfilling.

Erika, who previously worked as the executive director of the United Way of Douglas County, fully understands the impact volunteers can have on a community. Her time as a volunteer has only strengthened her connection to the community, with each show offering the chance to engage with old friends and acquaintances around town in a new and helpful way.

“It’s so nice to have so many of the members of our usher corps who are involved so deeply in the community,” says Lied Center Executive Director Derek Kwan. “It’s really meaningful and fulfilling to see patrons being greeted by name when they walk in the door.”

John recalls one special volunteer shift that allowed him to reconnect with a friend he had lost touch with during the pandemic.

“I have an older friend that I hadn’t seen for about three years because of COVID,” he explains. The friend happened to make his way to John’s volunteer post at a Lied Center show, and the two enjoyed a long-awaited, spontaneous reunion. This chance, face-to-face encounter restarted their relationship, and the two now enjoy meeting up regularly to catch up.

“Our volunteer usher corps is about creating a stronger sense of community,” Kwan says, noting the impact a diverse and inclusive usher corps has on the way patrons feel welcome at the broad range of events and performances the Lied Center presents each season. “We are so fortunate that so many individuals are willing to donate their time and their people skills to be the first face that patrons will interact with when they attend a show.”

Kwan is proud of the growth of the volunteer program throughout his 11 seasons at the university’s nearly 2,000-seat performing arts center.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure every single person in our community feels welcome here,” says Kwan, adding that “there’s been more of an intentional effort to broaden the base of volunteers. So many of them have such incredible life experiences, the Volunteer Corps is like a family.”

As the Dvorskes eyeball a rapidly emptying nest, the chance to get to know a flock of fellow arts lovers of a variety of ages and backgrounds is especially welcome. But there is no bad time to start volunteering at the Lied Center. “Don’t wait until you’re retired; this is a great opportunity right now,” Erika emphasizes. “I love this gig.”

For more information, contact Jake Gillespie at LiedUshers@ku.edu. p

“

We let a river shower its banks with a spirit that invades the people living there, and we protect that river, knowing that without its blessings the people have no source of soul.

Thomas Moore

”

A SOURCE OF PRIDE

Friends of the Kaw

by

Darin White, photo by Steven Hertzog

FRIENDS OF THE KAW

Volunteers with the Friends of the Kaw not only take care of the Kansas River but help keep the water safe for the nearly 1 million Kansans who utilize it.

David Sain paddled the rivers in his younger years growing up in north-central Arkansas. Little did he know that years later, he would end up as integral part of the Friends of the Kaw organization, which monitors and takes care of the Kansas River.

The Kaw, as the river is known, runs from Fort Riley, Kansas, just outside of Junction City, through or near various cities such as Ogden, splitting Manhattan and Fairmount, south of St. George, north of Wabaunsee, south of Wamego, by Belvue. It continues adjacent to St. Mary's and Rossville, by Willard, south of Silver Lake, before cutting to the north edge of Topeka, through Lawrence and past to Fall Leaf, Eudora, Linwood, DeSoto, Bonner Springs, Edwardsville, Shawnee Heights and Kansas City, Kansas, before emptying into the Missouri River at the state line.

It wasn't Sain's intention to get involved in an organization and dive in headfirst, not only volunteering his time and resources, but also gathering deep friendships along the way. Sain initially got involved in 2016 to channel his frustrations with the direction the country was going into a way to make a change “instead of complaining or throwing money at things,” he says.

Friends of the Kaw longtime board member and his next-door neighbor Lisa Grossman had made him aware of the organization previously. The group seemed like a good fit being he likes to stay fit and be physical, as well as enjoys kayaking. Sain had already paddled the Kaw in college with a dorm-sponsored event that had University of Kansas versus Kansas State University canoe races from Manhattan to Lawrence.

In the back of his mind, he remembers his architecture professor telling him how water issues were going to cause the next worldwide war, and this thought stuck with him. “At the time, I thought that it was a good cause to get involved in—volunteer work that would make me feel better—but it became way more,” Sain explains.

This group of friends has paddled all 173 miles of the Kaw River (a designated nationwide water trail) in eight days together, camping on the sandbars and navigating the changing waterways. In addition, they spend time together around town and paddle other rivers around the country, as well as hiking various challenging and unique trails across the United States. It's not all fun and adventure, but it is important work protecting the Kaw riverways.

Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper and Friends of the Kaw executive director, says, “We have four full-time staff and over 300 volunteers. We are responsible for a 61,000-square-mile watershed and a 173-mile-long river. That is a lot of area to cover.” She says the group does cleanups, provides education and advocacy, performs conservation work and development of the Kansas River Water Trail, and volunteers are the heart and soul of the organization.

“They spent countless hours removing trash, litter, dumped items that have been revealed by the river’s path, such as boatloads of battery casings and thousands of tires, which were failed attempts at holding back the erosion,” she explains. “The more people who get involved, the more they understand the importance and necessity of safeguarding and advocating for the cleanliness of the river.”

Sain has used his architecture and construction background as a linchpin to help with fixing up a building that is rented by the Friends of the Kaw in DeSoto. This building has become a great storage and workspace, as well as his studio for his own company, Sain Works. As Sain Works, he has designed and built a number of different projects for Friends of the Kaw.

“One of my favorite things about David is his kindness and willingness to help anyone solve problems,” Buehler says. “David has been so instrumental to our work for the Kansas River. [He] also built a new kayak trailer, upgraded our jon boat trailer, built a kayak and canoe storage locker, and he manages our boathouse, including routine maintenance. ... I find the funding, and David builds it.”

She adds that it is a great partnership that will provide benefits to the Kansas River Water Trail for decades to come.

“Together—with our partners, volunteers and staff—we are making the Kansas River a healthier place for all of us. As a drinking water source for over 950,000 Kansans, the river is critical to our daily lives,” Buehler says.

For more, visit www.kansasriver.org and find out about the Kaw River Guide Workshop, held every May. p

“ What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead. . ”

Nelson Mandela

THEY ARE OUR FUTURE

by

Bob Luder, photo by Steven Hertzog

Helping out USD 497 is a top priority for this local business owner, whose children have all attended its schools.

Civic duty aside, Darin Lutz has three very personal reasons for offering his services as a volunteer for activities and events related to Unified School District 497. He’s had two sons matriculate through district schools and a third son who’s in his freshman year at Lawrence Free State (LFS) High School.

Giving back to this community has seemed a natural fit not only for Lutz but for his immediate family and, as owner of Alpha Roofing, his work family.

“Once we established our business, I realized the importance of giving back,” says Lutz, who celebrated 20 years of Alpha Roofing in October. “Utilizing the knowledge I’ve gained understanding the needs of athletic departments and schools … I just felt it was the thing to do, not just for schools but for the community as a whole.”

All during the boys’ childhood, sports were a big presence in the Lutz household, not only for the boys, who all played for school teams up through junior high and high school, but also for Lutz, who coached youth baseball for 15 years or so while he and wife, Cindy, raised their family.

It only seemed natural for him, and as an extension, Alpha Roofing, to lend time and resources to Free State and the school district, particularly its athletic programs.

“I’ve always felt like it’s extremely important to give back,” says Lutz, whose volunteerism includes but is not limited to fundraising that includes selling T-shirts and blankets, helping carry equipment to a playing field before games and buying tables at fundraising events such as silent auctions. “We’re so blessed with the success we’ve had. Giving back to the community that’s given so much to us is just the right thing to do.”

As mentioned, Lutz’s benevolence with the school district is a family affair. His wife, Cindy, is president of the LFS Gridiron Club and is every bit as involved in fundraising events for Free State’s football team. The Lutzes have made it evident they’re ready to help out—not just with Free State and the football team— wherever and whenever they’re needed.

“I try to be available when I can,” he says. “We all have a deep sense of pride in our community, and I feel very lucky we can provide this service for people in the community every day.

“There’s a lot of self-fulfillment,” Lutz continues. “Sometimes, people just need a little help. Being able to do so … it just makes me feel good. It’s part of who I am.”

The volunteerism extends to Alpha Roofing’s 19 in-house employees, as well as many of the 50 to 60 subcontractors the company works with regularly. He says he remembers a football game not long ago where there was a leak in the roof of the press box, and a rainstorm was imminent. Lutz and his crew were on the scene almost immediately and fixed the roof before rain arrived.

“It’s easy for us to go out together and help,” Lutz explains. “With the school district, it’s a given. It’s my directive that they’re taken care of, but my guys will also volunteer on their own for their various schools where their kids go. It’s our culture.”

That’s why when his youngest son, Brandon, graduates from the district in 3½ years, he doesn’t see his altruism slowing.

“We always aspire to do more,” Lutz says. “With the work we do and are so busy all the time, we always strive to do more.”

He says that drive comes in the form of collecting donations or making offerings of their own by way of purchasing tables at fundraisers or T-shirts for cheerleaders, which Alpha Roofing did recently.

“I think donating to causes where kids are involved … they are future leaders of our community, if not future leaders of our nation,” Lutz says. “We have no reason to stop helping, and we have no plans to stop helping.” p

MINDING MENTAL HEALTH

by Darin White, photo by Steven Hertzog

“ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others..”

Mahatma Gandhi

BERT NASH COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

Helping others get access to and manage their mental health can be a process for some Bert Nash volunteers, many of whom have had struggles of their own.

At an early age, Shania Lopez-Cabrera had an interest in volunteering, with a special focus to help women and children. When she joined Youth Action Council (YAC) in middle school, they provided “well-meaning kids like her” opportunities to serve her community. She continued to volunteer with YAC through high school.

Donating her time was already a part of her life and has continued to be something she commits to practicing. “Volunteering has changed my life, full stop. As a teen, engaging in volunteerism gave me opportunities to improve my self-confidence and leadership skills. My desire to volunteer stems from numerous personal experiences of poverty and violence, which greatly affected my mental health. I have also witnessed young people become self-destructive as a way of coping with the really hard things they've experienced. If I hadn't been able to get the care that I needed, my life would look very different from the way it does today. I want to ensure that our community continues to have access to this resource in the future,” Lopez-Cabrera explains.

After many years of hoping for therapy but not able to being able to afford the care, Lopez-Cabrera was able to attend therapy at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center (BNC) as a young adult. This delay in receiving care set back her recovery process. Her firsthand view of the families, and most importantly, children, whose lives were negatively affected by a lack of access to care prompted her to volunteer for BNC and remove barriers to care, she says.

Not only does Lopez-Cabrera take pride in doing her part to help improve access to mental health care, she says it has helped her to lead and be confident in herself, and meet other like-minded people who have become some of her closest friends. “It's also helped me professionally; my résumé has been built just as much by volunteerism as by the work I have been paid to do. It's been immensely fulfilling. Every Bert Nash success story feels personal to me, because I know how much receiving this necessary care can change someone's life.”

Lopez-Cabrera currently works for a nonprofit, the Western History Association on the KU campus. She organizes an annual conference for historians of the North American Wests. Previously, while volunteering at BNC, she worked in sales for a private bank. She is involved in a number of networking groups, such as Jayhawk Breakfast Rotary Club and Lawrence Women's Network (LWN), which help her stay connected to the community and provide an opportunity for her to introduce others to BNC.

Emily Farley, who has worked at BNC for 10 years and is chief advancement officer, says, “Shania has been a standout volunteer at the Bert Nash Center, serving as an ambassador and a table captain at our annual fundraising breakfast. As an ambassador, she hosts Discover Bert Nash tours, giving community members an intimate look at the impactful work we do. In her role as a table captain, she not only invites guests to attend but also encourages them to contribute financially, significantly boosting our fundraising efforts.”

She says over the past three years, Shania has introduced over 50 individuals to Bert Nash through her roles, facilitating critical conversations and opening doors to mental health discussions. “Her dedication and energy make her a true asset and a source of inspiration.”

Lopez-Cabrera leads by example and tries to encourage others to reach out for the help they need. She believes, “the majority of us experience difficulties with our mental health, but we don't discuss it, oftentimes due to shame or fear of being judged. I feel like we're reducing the stigma around mental health with each conversation.”

Farley reveals that the Discover Bert Nash tours have significantly raised awareness about the services and have connected with more than 3,860 community members. “This support is vital for enhancing the accessibility and affordability of mental health care.”

“My fondest memory of her involvement was when she served as the welcome speaker at our annual fundraising breakfast,” Farley continues. “There, Shania shared her personal mental health journey and the profound impact that seeking help has had on her life. Her openness and authenticity provided a platform for others to understand her role as a supportive and safe figure within our community. This moment was particularly powerful in breaking down stigma and reinforcing the importance of community support.”

For more information on volunteering, visit the Bert Nash Center's volunteer page at www.bertnash.org/volunteer.p

B I G C I T Y A B I L I T Y

w i t h h o m e t o w n v a l u e s

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART

VAN GO

by Darin White, photo by Steven Hertzog

“ What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good..”

H. Jackson Brown Jr

A good mix of art, young people and hope make Van Go an ideal volunteer opportunity for many community members.

If you see a yellow Volkswagen Beetle (named Sunny) driving around Lawrence, there’s a good chance it’s passionate volunteer Stacey Lamb. “The first thing I think of with Stacey is her sunshiny personality,” says Van Go office and development coordinator Sarah Humbert. “[Lamb] once donated a retired ‘Sunny’ to one of Van Go’s reunions—a very grateful graduate who desperately needed a vehicle won the car. That’s just one instance of Stacey’s generosity.”

Lamb says at age 5, her daughter Emily got her interested in volunteering. At this young age, Emily discovered what it meant to be homeless and wanted to do something to help. Lamb and her husband took their daughter to Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (L.I.N.K.) to help serve lunch with the hope that

VAN GO

“... volunteering might ease her mind and heart.” She continues, “Our family became quite involved, and we all began to experience the benefits of volunteering. It is putting into action what your heart knows is the right thing to do. I found that volunteering fueled my soul. ... not only was I helping others, I was getting fed, too.”

Volunteering at Van Go was “the perfect equation. I love art. I love young people. I love to encourage others. I love doing something for the greater good,” Lamb explains. “Smash those all together, and it is the perfect volunteer opportunity for me ever. Simple as that.” She also says that founder Lynne Green is a dear friend who inspired her to get involved.

Lamb is a creative and designer who graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor of arts degree and worked with Hallmark Cards for 30 years. Humbert personally went through the Van Go program in 2007-2008 and has a direct understanding of the good the program does in the community and how much volunteers help the program. She remembers Lamb's help and encouragement for her during this time, and continued help with career advice for the youth going through the Van Go program.

“Stacey is a working artist who was employed by Hallmark for years and now has her own successful business,” Humbert explains. “We hold career fairs and employment panels for our youth at different points during the year, and Stacey is always willing to come talk about what it really takes to make a living in the arts.”

She’s also a great resource for youth interested in applying to the Kansas City Arts Institute or other art programs who need help building their portfolios, she continues. “She’s so encouraging to our young people and knows how to give them honest advice in ways that are setting them up for success. Above all else, Stacey is a cheerleader.”

Van Go has a staff of fewer than 10 full-time employees working with local youth ages 14 through 24, and volunteers are invaluable in helping provide the depth of service, Humbert explains.

Lamb is hopeful that her help has positively impacted others. “I hope my encouragement, my listening ear and welcoming smile make me a good volunteer where others feel validated and definitely seen,” she explains. And she is grateful for all the new relationships she has built. “The Van Go graduates especially stick out in my head. They have become very dear friends who have left their thumbprints on my heart. I never would have met them if I did not come to Van Go on a regular basis. I feel so lucky that our paths crossed, because my life seriously is better because of them. It is because of volunteering that my life continues to get richer.”

Humbert believes that without volunteers such as Lamb who help on the art floor, educate the youth, share career paths, conduct mock interview or employment panels, and teach nutrition education or healthy communication skills, Van Go couldn’t share what it does with the community at large, as these are all vital parts of the overall services provided to Van Go youth.

Lamb not only volunteers at Van Go but at other community services such as Family Promise, as well. “Volunteering comes straight from the heart. When I work alongside other volunteers, it shows me that people really do care about helping others. I get a real feeling of hope ... It fuels me and feeds me.”

For more information on volunteering, visit the Van Go volunteer page at www.van-go.org/volunteer. p

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

by Bob Luder, photo by Steven Hertzog

“

This

is

something that brings together people who have everything they need and those who don’t have so many things we take for granted. We come to know the homeowner and love the homeowner and their family. It makes you aware and care about the people and hope they have good lives and good homes. It has made

me a better person. . ”

Carter

Rosalynn

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Some options for volunteering, such as with Habitat for Humanity, offer those who prefer to use their hands and get physical the opportunity.

The way Doug Tilghman sees it, he worked alongside volunteers and was closely involved with volunteering long before he officially became one. A native of Topeka but a Lawrence resident since 1968, Tilghman worked with volunteers in his job as assistant director of the Spencer Museum of Art. As the executive director for the East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corp. (ECKAN), a social services organization in Ottawa that covered six counties, he worked with volunteers. And at various times during that period, he volunteered himself at different civic organizations.

So when it came time to retire in 2015, becoming a volunteer came naturally.

“After you retire … you have to find a way to stay busy,” Tilghman says.

Initially, he served as a volunteer flying rescue dogs for an organization called Pilots N Paws. But eventually, he found his volunteer sweet spot with the Lawrence chapter of Habitat for Humanity and has helped build that organization’s last seven homes.

“I’m not sure why (I chose) Habitat for Humanity,” he says. “I was looking for something that would give me a feeling of accomplishment, and I thought building houses would do that.”

Tilghman says he started with the organization building its 99th home and just recently completed house No. 106. He says he and fellow volunteers do all the framing, roofing, siding, painting and trim on the outside. Inside, they hang drywall, paint, install tile, trim and flooring—anything that doesn’t require a license.

“I’ve learned a lot by doing all this,” he says. “We have a core team of 10 to 12 people who continue to show up that just enjoy doing this several days a week.”

Tilghman says his work schedule typically runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. For the most recent house, No. 106, built in Eudora, he served as construction manager and has also used his financial background to aid the organization in working within budgets.

“Doug has so many amazing skills,” says Erika Zimmerman, executive director for the Lawrence

chapter of Habitat for Humanity. “He’s served us in many ways. He’s the chair of our finance committee, the treasurer of our Board. He helps with project management.

“He helped us when we were at a standstill in construction,” she continues. “He stepped up and helped get a project finished. He just kept saying ‘yes’ every day and was able to overcome every barrier. He’s just very versatile, thoughtful and willing to do what’s needed to get a job done. And his fellow volunteers respect him enough to follow his direction.”

Tilghman says he always has a favorite day during the process of building a home as a volunteer for the Lawrence affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. On the final day of construction, when a house is finished, the Habitat crew always holds a dedication ceremony, where the family for whom the home was built gets to stand in front of the volunteers and speak about what having a stable, permanent home means to them.

Many of those awaiting a Habitat for Humanity-built home haven’t enjoyed the security of a permanent home in years, if ever. This moment in the building process, Tilghman says, is the moment volunteers see in real time and face-to-face the difference they’ve made in changing lives and helping fellow citizens.

“That’s when you can see the results in our efforts, not just in the house but in the faces of the people you’ve impacted,” he says.

“The owner of the last house said they’d moved eight times in the last five years,” Tilghman continues. “Each time, the son has wanted to paint the wall of his bedroom. He knows now that this will be his bedroom. That feeling of having a permanent home … she talked about that. It’s theirs to do whatever they want with it.

“That’s a huge change,” he adds.

Now 74, Tilghman says he plans on continuing his work with Habitat for Humanity as long as he’s physically able. The work is great exercise, he says, and the self-fulfillment he gains is more than he ever felt as a salaried employee.

“It’s better in a lot of ways,” he continues. “You choose to do it because it makes you feel better. Each house is a little different; you can get creative.

“It’s more fulfilling to do something because you choose to and want to instead of doing something for a paycheck,” Tilghman says. p

MAKING AN IMPACT

by

Tara Trenary, photo by Steven Hertzog

“ If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. ”

Booker T Washington

LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY

LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Using experience gained during years working in a particular field can be helpful for retired volunteers.

Becoming a volunteer in the community offers many positive ways for people who want to improve their lives and enhance their overall well-being. Whether you want to simply share experiences and get to know others, advance your career by networking or learning valuable new skills, or simply feel a sense of purpose by giving back, there are many ways this meaningful work can be beneficial while making a real difference in the lives of others.

As a former elementary school librarian, spending time giving back to the Lawrence Public Library (LPL) was a nobrainer for Jane Imber. “As a retired person, I feel I have time to give back to the community in a way that was difficult when I was employed. I knew I wanted to do something meaningful that would benefit children and adults. The public library serves everyone and was a natural fit for me …” she says.

Imber volunteers in the Children’s Area of the library with materials that people in the community donate for the Friends & Foundation Book Sales, which generate much-needed funds for summer reading programs and other special events sponsored by the library. These sales are usually held in April, July and October, with smaller sales occurring each month. They raise more than $100,000 a year for library programs.

“I don't think I can accurately convey the awe-inspiring way Jane quickly organizes a towering mountain of unsorted books, leaving only calm in her wake,” says Angela Hyde, LPL Friends & Foundation program coordinator, who facilitates communication between volunteers, LPL staff and the public. “You really have to try your hand at the task to appreciate the lightning-fast decision-making involved.”

The Library Friends & Foundation provides access and opportunities for Lawrence community members to learn, connect, create and grow, she adds. Money raised from the book sales goes directly back to the community through the library and provides funding for free programs for everyone.

“Raised funds provide 100% of library programs,” Hyde explains. “Public funds buy the books, pay the staff and take care of the building. Donated books fund all that extra fun stuff you think of when you think about the library: Summer Reading, author talks, storytimes, book clubs, Dottie (the mobile outreach vehicle), the fish tanks.”

Public service agencies like the library serve everyone in the community, Imber explains. Because money to support programs is limited, volunteering with the Friends & Foundation is a great way to raise money for the library and have fun at the same time. “I believe access to books is critical for developing readers and creating a literate, thoughtful society,” she says.

As a book lover, Imber says it’s difficult to know what to do with books she is finished with. “The Friends & Foundation is a way for people to feel good about donating books in good condition that they no longer want,” she adds. “It’s always interesting to see the variety of books that come through the donation box.”

Hyde says LPL offers volunteers a community that works toward a shared goal as a team. They get to interact with other readers and have impromptu book talks. LPL also offers flexibility, so volunteers can drop in as they have time.

“Volunteering is a mutually beneficial investment in our community and our society,” she continues. “Donating funds is always helpful, but donating your time and talent can make donated funds go further. I think volunteering is a more impactful way we can support our community. When we volunteer, we feel like we are a part of something bigger, and it can change our brain for the better.”

Imber says she enjoys volunteering at LPL for many reasons, including getting to know and making friends with other volunteers, and the flexible hours. Plus, “I feel I am putting books and good, affordable reading material in the hands of children and families.”

She explains she enjoys using some of the skills she acquired working as a school librarian, and it's a great opportunity to recycle materials for people to access not only at the book sales but also with community groups such as Just Food, the Transit Hub and the Harvesters BackSnack program.

“I am just a very small part of a very large, committed group of volunteers who contribute many, many hours sorting through donations, checking books that can be resold on Amazon, organizing sales and raising money for the library in a variety of ways,” Imber emphasizes.

Hyde believes Imber is motivated by fostering a love of reading in the youngest community members. “She seems to get joy in knowing that her work will distribute stories into the community. Jane devoted her working life to fostering that love of reading and learning. She's still providing this service to Lawrence kids in her retired life.” p

GIVING KIDS A VOICE

CASA

by Emily Mullligan, photo by Steven Hertzog

“ No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness, and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure..”

Emma Goldman

Advocates for children in the foster-care system are essential to helping them through what can be a complex and difficult time in their lives.

There is wide agreement from both sides of the political aisle that the state’s foster-care system does not do enough to support Kansas kids whose family situations are in limbo.

What if there were a way to assist one of those kids directly? There is, and it’s called CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocates. These advocates serve children who are in the dependency court system because of abuse or neglect.

Jude and Wayne McDaniel have been CASA volunteers for about eight years and are working with their third CASA child. Both say their CASA kids have brought them laughter, pride and fun while they and each child have navigated family challenges, court meetings and trauma wrought by their past.

“These kids need somebody consistent in their life. They have a new case worker about every six months, they move foster home to foster home, and relationships come and go. So the most valuable thing about a CASA volunteer is that we’re going to be there as long as he’s in the system. We are a consistent person who cares about him,” Wayne says.

CASA

The McDaniels pair up to help each CASA kid—kind of a two-for-one deal for the child. CASA children can live anywhere in the state, and many move around regularly, so the McDaniels use the time on their drives to plan, discuss and process how best to help their CASA child.

When they meet with their CASA kid, the McDaniels like to do activities the child will enjoy. They have taken kids ice skating, fishing, swimming and hiking, and to meals at restaurants. Spending time and getting to know the kid is a bright spot for all involved, and the McDaniels learn more about what the child needs and wants to succeed.

“Advocating is not just advocating with the court. We call the school, we talk with the principal, teachers, counselors, foster parents, their parents; we talk with anybody involved,” Jude says.

The McDaniels have chosen to work with high school-aged children, because Jude says there aren’t as many people willing to work with that age. It can be difficult to connect at times; they don’t always see breakthroughs. And there are setbacks.

“Sometimes I’m frustrated, angry and disappointed. But you can only do what you can do. You have to move on and hope that the next thing that happens will be better. Look to the future,” Wayne says.

The McDaniels say they gain satisfaction knowing that they provide a voice for a child who might be buried in a large system, whose life and future are on the line. Rewards may be momentary, but they are monumental when they come.

The couple’s current CASA child doesn’t talk a lot about his feelings and was hard to read at the outset, Jude says. Then one day about nine months into their time together, when they were leaving after an outing with him, he began to walk away and then promptly turned around and came across the room to hug them.

“We’re doing something that impacts their lives,” she adds.

Most of the kids have no idea what any of their options are or how to make choices about those options, so the McDaniels see broadening the child’s view as part of their role, as well.

“With us, they see what a normal family life looks like. They see a healthy relationship, they see work responsibilities, they see what it’s like to be kind to one another. That may or may not happen in the foster-home system,” Jude explains.

CASA volunteers write reports about their children for formal court meetings and the CRB (court-required board) as part of their advocacy.

The McDaniels came to volunteer with CASA because they knew an active volunteer in their Sunday-morning class who was moving out of state. She was asking for someone to take her place to help Kansas kids. Three people from the class became CASA volunteers because of her.

“We’ve known for a long time about kids in the foster system and how difficult it was for them,” Wayne says. “There’s an attraction to being able to be in a position to advocate for kids, to make sure their voice is heard and their interests get pursued.” p

“ Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. ”

Arthur Ashe

WORKING THE POLLS

POLL WORKERS

by Emily Mullligan, photo by Steven Hertzog

TIRE D? GAINING WE IGHT? LOSING LIBIDO? FOCUS AND DRIVE L ACKING? Come experience the movement we are creating to help you get back to the top of your game!

Trained volunteers are essential to a smooth Election Day process.

In the fall of 2020, schools were closed, events were canceled and many people still worked from home. But the election had to happen, with fully staffed advance voting and Election Day polling places.

POLL WORKERS

Maren Ludwig saw the call from the County Clerk Elections Office seeking poll workers and knew she could help. Many of the usual poll workers were older folks or concerned about the health risks of working in person, and she was willing to step up.

She and a friend signed up and went through training, and Ludwig worked several shifts of early voting and on Election Day 2020. She says the hours were long and even quiet and boring at times, but she felt like she was contributing to the greater good.

No doubt, it was a daunting task to fill the precinct polling places during the pandemic. But the county clerk has a lot of slots and shifts to fill with trained poll workers for every election, including primaries and municipal elections. In Douglas County, early voting began three weeks before Election Day 2024, with multiple sites open at least 10 hours per day—all requiring staffing. Ludwig saw in 2020 that she could continue to contribute and be an integral part of elections from then on.

“The driving benefits are feeling a part of the civic process and feeling a little control over the situation,” she says.

To be clear, poll workers are not purely volunteers. They are paid $120 per day and must remain on site at the polling place for the entirety of their shift, which on Election Day starts before and ends after the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. polling hours. Douglas County usually operates about 60 locations, with a minimum of three election board workers per location: one supervising judge and two election workers. During bigger elections, many are staffed by more than three workers.

Though it is a fun, people-forward job, it comes with heavy responsibilities to uphold the voting procedures for the county and the state.

“I have come to recognize how rigorous the process is—checking that the person is who they say they are and that they’re voting in

the right place,” Ludwig says. “If everyone was required to participate as a poll worker, I think we’d have less questions about the integrity of the system.”

Having worked several elections, Ludwig now has elevated to a supervising judge, which means she handles provisional ballots and advance ballots. She also is in charge of solving what she calls “puzzles” with voter registrations, IDs or other voter information when people are there to vote.

Because of her poll work, Ludwig says she feels more strongly than ever about making sure everyone has the opportunity to vote. She cares enough to be willing to work the 14 or more hours on a typical Election Day beginning at 6 a.m.

Poll workers receive an enamel pin for each election as a signifier of their participation, and Ludwig already has amassed a small collection from the elections she has worked.

“I am very impressed by how prepared the Douglas County people are and the confidence with which they conduct the process,” she says. p

“ How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world..”

Anne Frank

A HUMANE CHOICE

HUMANE SOCIETY

Volunteering is not just for adults. There are options for kids,as well— including the local animal shelter.

by Emily Mullligan, photo by Steven Hertzog

He only needed 12 volunteer hours, but those led to more than 150 hours—and counting—at the Lawrence Humane Society for 9-year-old Bennett Lyon.

Because Bennett is a child, his mom, Kristin Lyon, must volunteer alongside him each time he goes. All of the dogs and cats at the shelter have wound their way into her heart, too.

“I love that he’s so committed to that. I always have a good time when we go. The animals always make us feel better when we’re having a rough day,” Kristin says.

The Lyons spend their volunteer shifts focused on dog and cat socialization. The animals leave their kennels to play and get held and petted, and the dogs go for walks or frolic in the play yards. The animals probably are grateful, but they don’t always show it right away.

“Sometimes they can be a little grouchy or shy,” Bennett says. “The cats are more grouchy than the dogs.”

Volunteering at Lawrence Humane Society came about because of Bennett’s martial arts class, which required students to earn a patch for charity by volunteering for 12 hours. At the time, Bennett was 7 years old, and, “It’s hard to find somewhere for a 7-year-old to volunteer,” Kristin says.

They found out that Lawrence Humane welcomes volunteers of all ages when they are accompanied by a parent, so Kristin and Bennett went through the training together. Of course, they had no idea Bennett would love it so much that volunteering would become one of his favorite things.

“In the summertime, he has picked volunteering over going to the pool or going to the park,” Kristin says.

Bennett might have a slight preference for the dogs over the cats, but he knows they all still need his time and attention. He likes the tennis ball launcher the best with the dogs, and he says the dogs like to play with one particular type of toy that makes “a weird sound.”

And of course, the inevitable has happened: They met a dog there last December and fell in love with her, so they adopted her. Bennett admits he is now pushing to adopt a friend for their dog. “Sometimes when I’m with the puppies, I just want to hide them,” he says. “To bring one home?” Kristin asks. “Yes,” Bennett confesses.

Kristin says they have built volunteering into their schedule like they would do with any activity or commitment, and they’ve found they are happy to go each time. Because she has to accompany Bennett for his shifts, they have spent more than 150 hours together, including driving back and forth.

“Last year, we were good about getting free. Now, I get busy after school, so we try to go every weekend,” Bennett says.

Kristin adds that she and Bennett relieve their stress together and leave their problems behind when they go to volunteer. They also have developed friendships with other people who volunteer regularly at Lawrence Humane. Classmates and families from martial arts also cross paths with them in the shelter on occasion.

Bennett has inspired others with his volunteer work, as well. For show-and-tell this year at school, he took all the supplies he uses when he volunteers at the shelter: his volunteer shirt, a pouch for treats, clickers for positive reinforcement with the dogs and his whistle. For Bennett’s birthday, one of his friends gave him lots of toys and supplies for him to donate to Lawrence Humane. p

“

Even if it’s a little thing, do something for those who have need of a man’s help–something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For, remember, you don’t live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here, too. . ”

Albert Schweitzer

A HABITAT FOR HEALING

LMH HEALTH

Hospital volunteers are essential to not only the patients but also the doctors, nurses and other health-care workers who are focused on providing high-quality care.

by Tara Trenary,

photo by Steven Hertzog

Volunteering in a hospital setting can be a deeply rewarding experience, both for yourself and for those you help. Spending time and energy supporting patients, families and health-care professionals contributes to the well-being of not only the people you help but also your community. Hospitals are always in need of dedicated people, and being willing to take on this unique role can improve your life while also helping others in need.

Karin Rexroad has been an active volunteer for some time, working with the Lawrence United Way program and serving on several of its boards, as well as volunteering in other communities through food banks, soup kitchens and other services. In 2017 while working from home full time, she ran across an ad in the Lawrence Journal-World seeking a gift shop volunteer at Lawrence Memorial Hospital (now LMH Health). Thinking it would be a great opportunity to get out of the house and meet people, she decided to apply.

The more she learned about the LMH Health volunteers program, the more Rexroad realized the vast organization offered myriad opportunities to volunteer. Because her mother died from cancer, and the facility where she received treatment needed additional volunteers, she decided to donate her time to the oncology department.

“Working with the oncology department allows me to give back to my community by not only assisting patients and families experiencing cancer, but also supporting the staff who provide treatment and care,” she explains. It also “allows me to give back to my community and interact with a variety of volunteers, staff, patients and families. It keeps me invested in experiences outside of my immediate life and provides me with a broader perspective of my community.”

Shane Heiman, LMH Health manager of volunteer services, leads efforts to recruit, engage and coordinate volunteers for the hospital. He says hospital volunteers play a crucial role in enhancing patient care and creating a positive healing environment. “Their impact on patients’ lives is multifaceted. Volunteers assist with nonclinical tasks, such as guiding patients to their appointments, delivering warm blankets or beverages, and helping with room turnover. These seemingly small acts of kindness contribute to a more personalized and comforting experience for patients and their families.”

By taking on tasks like restocking supplies, transporting patients and assisting with administrative duties, Heiman explains, volunteers free up nurses, doctors and other health-care professionals to focus on delivering high-quality medical care. “This collaboration ensures patients receive more timely and focused attention. Overall, hospital volunteers provide compassion, reassurance and practical help that make a lasting difference in patient experiences and outcomes.”

Flora l Desig n Classes Bouquet of the Month

MAKING THE TIME

As a journalist for 34 years, Caroline Trowbridge had very little time to volunteer. She had worked in marketing and communications with the LMH Health Foundation staff right before retiring in 2019. Her retirement allowed her the time she needed to give back to her community.

Trowbridge began her stint as a volunteer at the Lawrence Public Library and then moved on to LMH Health, where she works at the hospital information desk on Thursdays. “At the hospital, we see people on the best days and the worst days of their lives— and every day in between. When I volunteer, I want to ease any burden they might have, if I can, by being as helpful, caring and calm as possible.”

She says as an employee at LMH Health, she has seen firsthand how valuable volunteers are to the organization, and she’s happy she can give back to her community. “I would encourage anyone who’s thought about volunteering to pursue the idea. It feels really great to help other people.”

The volunteers program makes it easy to become an active volunteer, Rexroad adds, providing various departments and special events from which a volunteer can choose with differing levels of time and patient impact commitments. It provides a variety of volunteer opportunities to both adults and students across Lawrence, as well as raising funds for the purchase of new and cutting-edge technology.

She says volunteering at LMH Health has become an avenue for sharing her time and connecting with other volunteers who inspire her with their commitment to helping improve the quality of care provided. “I think potential volunteers of all ages, not just future generations, should know that volunteering in your community is rewarding, greatly assists the agencies you support and leads to personal growth, as well.”

Heiman agrees. “Volunteers at LMH Health give their time because they care about those who are in their community. Many times, out of experience of being in the hospital themselves, they act out of empathy and want to help those that are there.” p

LMH HEALTH

WATKINS MUSEUM - 1984 OLYMPICS

Ann Frame Hertzog and David Rankin

CASA WINDS ACROSS THE PRAIRIE

photos provided by CASA

CHAMBER EVENTS

photos provided by the Chamber

FAMILY PROMISE - NEW

HOME

photos provided by Family Promise

& PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

NEW FAMILY NAME, SAME LOCAL SERVICE –LASER LOGIC IS NOW BISHOP BUSINESS!

Two years ago, Bishop Business, a family owned and operated business equipment company based in Omaha, acquired Laser Logic. Earlier this year, Laser Logic and Bishop Business merged under the Bishop Business name and moved our offices to 9th and Connecticut in downtown Lawrence. Under the name Bishop Business, we have streamlined our services, supplies and support, offering our customers a singular, efficient experience. The Laser Logic website has been replaced with a revamped Bishop Business website www.bbec.com. Easily find product information, contacts, service and billing information at one, easy to navigate website.

Rest assured, Sally Monahan, Account Representative, and Brad Farmer, Service Technician are still your primary points of contact.

EXPLORE LAWRENCE ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE FIRST ANNUAL HOSPITALITY AWARDS

Kim Anspach, Executive Director of eXplore Lawrence, hosted the first annual eXplore Lawrence Hospitality Awards. We also welcome the CEO and Founder of Bandwango, Mo Parikh and COO Jay Alson, about the newly launched Burger Battle passport using the Bandwango platform.

The winners of the 2024 eXplore Lawrence Hospitality Awards are the following: Au Marche, Hospitality Partner of the Year; Jeff Boeve, Hotel Employee of the Year; Lawrence PRIDE Parade and Party, Event of the Year; Mike Logan, Tourism Champion.

& PEOPLE ON THE MOVE NEWS [ ]MAKERS

GOOD ENERGY SOLUTIONS ACQUIRES LAVEN ELECTRIC

Good Energy Solutions, Inc, a leader in the solar industry, proudly announces its acquisition of Laven Electric, a well-established provider of electrical and solar services based in Leavenworth, Kansas. This strategic move strengthens Good Energy Solutions’ commitment to enhancing clean energy access and expanding its electrical service offerings in Northeast Kansas and the Kansas City area.

“We are thrilled to welcome Laven Electric to the Good Energy Solutions family,” said Malcolm Proudfit, CEO of Good Energy Solutions. “This acquisition aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. By combining our strengths, we can better serve a wider range of customers and drive further growth for our firm.”

SARAH DUNEKACK NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF KANSAS

Junior Achievement of Kansas (JA of Kansas) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Dunekack as its new President and CEO. Dunekack brings extensive experience and a strong committment to JA Kansas's mission of empowering young people with financial Literacy and entrepret'l6urial skills.

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