GVM Spotlight: Jodi Weiser

April is Global Volunteer Month (GVM), a time to recognize volunteers and people who actively support their communities through volunteerism and other forms of civic engagement. At Spark, volunteers are at the core of all that we do and we recognize their invaluable ability to multiply impact and spark change where it is needed most. We’ll be celebrating GVM and our amazing volunteers all month long, using this time as an opportunity to say THANK YOU to all those who have shown up for their communities in a BIG way!

l to r: Juli German, RSVP Director, & Jodi Weiser, RSVP Volunteer

Our first volunteer spotlight of GVM 2023 is Jodi Weiser. Jodi has engaged as a volunteer with Spark’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for nearly 5 years, but has been civically engaged in her community for over 30 years. Volunteering takes time, talent, and passion and is an added commitment to the long list of things we already have to do every single day. So some people may ask themselves, why would I choose to volunteer?

We asked Jodi why she chooses to spend her time volunteering, and her answer sums it up perfectly! “I wanted to help my community and positively influence those in need by using my time, efforts and expertise to do so. My favorite part about volunteering is knowing that, no matter how big or small, my efforts added to the betterment of the community and those living and working there. Every volunteer opportunity I’ve taken has taught me something and made me a better person.”

Jodi is a PERFECT example of the quote, “Volunteers are love in motion.” She embodies what Spark is all about. The idea that volunteering is not just about us helping them, but rather an exhilarating opportunity to spark something within ourselves and fuel a united purpose, with and for others. We asked Jodi to share a little more about her views on volunteering:

Q: What does volunteering mean to you?

Jodi W.: Volunteering is my way of sharing my good fortune and offering a boost to someone who needs a little help getting back on track. I fully believe that paying it forward is the best feeling in the world, knowing you did something really great for someone else.

Q: What advice would you have to someone who’s thinking about engaging as a volunteer in their community for the first time?

Jodi W.: The more involved you are in your own and surrounding communities, the more connected you feel to those around you, and the more you feel rooted in that space. Find something you like doing, and volunteer in that area – you’ll meet others who feel the same way, and you’ll be doing something you enjoy in the meantime.

Q: Do you have any volunteer stories you’d like to share?

Jodi W.: When I volunteered through the RSVP program at the distribution center in Broomfield after the Marshall Fires, I was so grateful to be able to help those who lost everything. I was completely overwhelmed by the response from the greater community with the volume and types of items donated, and I was so glad I could help sort them out to be available to families affected by the fire. I tell people all the time how much that meant to me, to directly support the community that way was so rewarding.

From all of us at Spark, we just want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Jodi Weiser for her knowledge, her continuing impact, and her support. The work we do would be impossible without dedicated and caring volunteers like you.

For more stories like Jodi’s, follow along all month long as we celebrate and recognize Global Volunteer Month and all the volunteers who make magic happen every single day in Colorado communities! Looking to make an impact in YOUR community? Volunteer with us or Donate to Spark today!