Finding Your Volunteer Home by Taylor Rhodes
To quote my favorite coffee mug, “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire”. This is what I am doing when I volunteer four times a month at Brooke’s Place. It speaks to my soul in a way no other volunteer experience ever has. Let me explain. Brooke’s Place for Grieving Young People is a nonprofit organization that provides support to grieving children and families through support groups and therapy services. Many don’t understand how necessary and vital this organization is to the community. Because 1 in 7 children will experience the death of a parent, sibling or close loved one by the time they are 20. Unfortunately, I understand. When I was 16 years old, my father passed away from a pulmonary embolism. It was very sudden. From that moment on, my life changed. I had no Brooke’s Place available to me in my community, but desperately would have loved one. In part, this is what inspires me to commit. I strongly relate to Brooke’s Place families and firmly believe no family should have to navigate their grief journey alone.
Luckily, I was able to get connected to Brooke’s Place at a volunteer fair at IUPUI when I was an undergraduate student. Fast forward 8 years, I am still a dedicated volunteer. Why do I stay engaged? It speaks to my passion, yes. However, the impact the organization has is my number one reason. I see and experience firsthand the impact Brooke’s Place has on the lives of kiddos every time I co – facilitate a support group. Brooke’s Place families are extremely resilient, especially now amidst a pandemic. The other key reason I stay? The people; the Brooke’s Place staff, the other volunteers and the kiddos. I love the people! It feels like home to me.
I would challenge others to find places to volunteer that feel like home to them. Find an organization with a mission that sets your soul on fire. How is this done:
- Do soul searching. Determine your passions. Sometimes it’s tied to a personal experience. Sometimes it’s tied to hobbies or a desire for growth in a specific area. Take the time to think about what really excites you.
- Embrace action. Self-reflection is only step one. True clarity comes from engagement not just thought. Be empowered to try new experiences, explore the city (don’t forget your mask!) or say yes to an idea that scares you.
- Talk to the people in your networks. Mostly likely your friends are already volunteering or connected to amazing organizations that do good in the community. Indianapolis has a vibrant nonprofit sector.
Many nonprofits are actively looking for dedicated volunteers. Be fearless and start your search. I hope you find one that lets you do good often!
Meet Taylor Rhodes
Taylor Rhodes is the Education Initiatives Manager for United Way of Central Indiana. When she’s not managing a school-based, education focused volunteer program, she’s hanging out with family and friends and planning her next travel adventure.
More Than Just A Class Room Assignment by Anna Sutter
Grief is an inevitable human experience. Many of you who are reading this have likely experienced grief at the loss of a loved one; you may even be experiencing immediate grief at this moment. What does grief look like for you? What does it feel like in your body? How does it change over time? What helps you heal from deep loss and find love in the darkness? There are as many answers to these questions as there are people, as everyone’s grief journeys are unique. Nearly 400 families in Indianapolis turn to Brooke’s Place for resources and a supportive community as they find their paths through grief.
Brooke’s Place is a nonprofit organization that provides grief support and services to children and families through ongoing grief support groups, their BP8 Program for communities impacted by homicide deaths, therapy services, an annual healing camp, and community education efforts.
My volunteer experience with Brooke’s Place began as part of a graduate course activity at Butler University in 2017. It has certainly become far more important to me than just another class assignment, though–serving as a support group facilitator has become a deeply meaningful and ongoing part of my life.
You might think that volunteers for Brooke’s Place need to have a degree in counseling or work in a bereavement-related field. This is absolutely not the case. Brooke’s Place holds an extensive, group-based training workshop where incoming volunteers learn about the organization’s approach and their model for facilitating support groups. Prospective volunteers–who come from all different backgrounds–are able to ask questions, practice Brooke’s Place principles, and explore whether it is a good fit. There is also an opportunity for attendees to share their own grief stories. I remember leaving the training workshop feeling confident, well-informed, and looking forward to facilitating my first group.
Volunteering at Brooke’s Place is perfect for people with busy schedules. The commitment is only two evenings per month, and those evenings are scheduled out for the full year, so volunteers are able to mark their calendars and plan ahead.
Each program night, volunteers are welcomed by fellow facilitators and Brooke’s Place staff. The first hour of the evening is spent checking in with each other and preparing for any activities. After that, we join the families as they arrive, chatting over pizza and salad. As dinner wraps up, we celebrate any birthdays or accomplishments that families would like to share. We sing “Happy Birthday” for any families who want to celebrate their bereaved loved one’s birthday. Finally, we break into our small groups, and facilitators hold space for participants to share their grief journeys.
On my first night volunteering with Brooke’s Place, I was playing with a bright-eyed 3-year-old who was carrying a doll in her arms. “This is Emma,” she said, while looking at the doll’s face and brushing back its hair. “Your baby doll’s name is Emma,” I reflected, “I wonder what the name ‘Emma’ means to you.” The girl paused and lovingly looked at the baby doll before she replied, “Emma is my baby sister. I loved her so much. Emma is in Heaven now, though, because she died.”
The opportunity to share this special moment with a child–to bear loving witness to her grief–really moved me that night. This experience and many others like it are why I have continued to volunteer with Brooke’s Place, long after my course project ended.
Meet Anna Sutter
Anna Sutter is a middle school counselor for Franklin Township Community School Corporation on the southside of Indianapolis with a passion for mental health, public education, and politics. Anna is a proud advocate for underrepresented youth and believes that the “Gen Z” generation is truly going to save us all. She currently volunteers with Brooke’s Place and for Indiana gubernatorial candidate Dr. Woody Myers. She also occasionally serves as a consultant for College Mentors for Kids. When she’s not volunteering or counseling walking hormone roller coasters, she’s serving up ice cream at Square Scoop (located in Fountain Square, where she resides), playing with her two cats, and coaching middle school cross country. Follow her on Twitter at @AnnaMSutter.
