Suzanne helps abused and neglected children in a myriad of ways – during the holidays and year-round!

Name: Suzanne (http://twitter.com/globetrottgirl)
Cause name: Kids in Distress
Cause website: http://www.kidinc.org/
First time volunteering with this cause? No

1. Please provide a short paragraph about your volunteer experience.

I hosted an event on behalf of Kids In Distress in December, however it wasn’t your typical “toy drive” which many organizations run that time of year. It was a “gift card” drive for the older children, or teens if you will, who are often times forgotten at Christmas time while everyone else is busy collecting toys. How does what you did while volunteering help the cause succeed? I volunteer on both a corporate and personal level. This particular event was sponsored by my company thus reaching a much broader spectrum of clients and donators alike. How’d you find out about the cause? I was invited to the annual Andy Roddick Foundation for Kids In Distress in ’02 and was moved beyond words. I have been a strong supporter of K.I.D. ever since. Are there different volunteer opportunities for different people within this cause? Yes, countless opportunities to get involved in your community programs on so many levels such as foster care, for example.

2. What were you expecting going into this volunteering event? To raise a [lot] of money. Did those expectations change at all once you were done volunteering? I’m never done volunteering. It keeps getting better and better and richer and more and more rewarding each year. I am happy being a part of the solution in helping abused and neglected children….watching these little lives transform. Thanks to those who have joined the crusade, this organization is able to meet their goals and objectives year after year while nurturing healthy, enriching permanent solutions in child development.

3. What was one thing you saw or did that you’ll remember from that volunteering event?

We set up our event outdoors, around Holiday time– just outside a busy shopping mall. The people walking by–total strangers, were ripping checks from their checkbooks to the tune of thousands of dollars after simply listening to some of the testimonials of how K.I.D. works hard every day in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse. With more than three million cases reported each year, more than one in 27 right here in Florida, passerby’s were moved enough to share. It was awesome.

4. As an “experienced” volunteer at this cause, what would you tell someone who’s interested in volunteering at this cause for the first time?

Get involved. You can really make a difference. It can transform lives.

5. Are there any additional items people should know about volunteering at this cause? (ie, age restrictions, physically strenuous, year-round opportunities, background checks, group opportunities, etc)

All of the above. All of their programs and services are designed specifically to give children and their families the tools, skills, services, and education they need to maintain a safe, stable, and healthy environment in which to thrive.

Thanks Suzanne! Keep making your community a better place!

*Editor’s note: Readers should check out Suzanne’s company Haute & Swagger

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