Volunteer Highlight

April is volunteer appreciation month! Our organization is 99% volunteer-led and relies 100% on our volunteers’ dedication, passion, generosity, and enthusiasm to provide free and purposeful programming for our entire community.

To kick off Volunteer Appreciation Week, we spotlight one of our remarkable volunteers, Jennifer Sanchez. Since July 2021, Jennifer has been a dedicated presence at our Playhouse. Her commitment is truly inspiring, as she has volunteered over 190 hours in 2024, tutoring in math and literacy, and assisting with administrative tasks around the Playhouse. Her dedication is a shining example for all of us.

At this year’s Gala, Jennifer was honored by Gwyneth and Ana Meeks with the Above and Beyond Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. Gwyn gave an inspiring speech about Jennifer’s impact on their family:

“Jennifer has been a literacy tutor for Ana for the past three years.  Every Saturday morning, we meet with her on Teams.  Jennifer’s work has had a profound impact on Ana’s literacy. She has developed a close relationship with Ana, knows her interests, and can adjust to the session, making learning a joy for Ana.

For example, this morning, she had prepared to read the next chapter in one of Ana’s favorite books, the Ivy and Bean series.  But today, Ana was not into Ivy & Bean. Jennifer knew that Ana also loves whales, so she asked if Ana would prefer to read a book about whales.  She quickly pivoted and pulled up a book about whales.

Jennifer spends hours preparing for her tutoring sessions.  Over the past few years, Ana’s reading skills and comprehension have improved, and her love of reading has deepened. Jennifer prepares worksheets to support reading comprehension and vocabulary. When I mentioned that Ana was working on her weekly spelling words, Jennifer created worksheets to practice the spelling words, which, after I shared them with Ana’s teacher, she loved so much that she ended up sharing them with the whole class.”

We are truly grateful for the time, energy, and passion Jennifer brings to us and everyone at the Playhouse. In addition to tutoring Ana, Jennifer also tutors Laura in Math, helps with various administrative tasks, and is about to begin training to become our new Literacy Coordinator in the Fall.

If Jennifer’s story inspires you and you want to make a difference in our community, we encourage you to consider volunteering with us. There are many opportunities, such as tutoring, becoming a program leader, training to be a math coordinator, a volunteer coordinator, or a program coordinator. We offer many possibilities to match your time commitment, passion, and skills. No experience is required; we will fully train and support you.

Your dedication can help us continue to provide free and purposeful programming for our entire community. Please make a difference and join our incredible volunteer team TODAY! Apply to be a Volunteer today!