Service is one of the core values in the NASW Code of Ethics. Nine alumni share where and why they volunteer.
Stephanie Glass, MSSW ‘16, Women’s Storybook Project, Austin
“I visit women who are in prison and record them reading books to their children. In my last visit, I went to the Gatesville Women’s Prison Unit, and recorded a young woman reading Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch, to her toddler-age daughters. The book focuses on the parent-child relationship throughout the child’s life, and concludes with the child as an adult caring for the parent, who is in the final stages of their life. The story is quite beautiful and although it can be an emotional read, it is a favorite among the woman who participate in this project. I love that as a social worker my job is to create positive change, but I cannot cover all the areas I would like to. Volunteering provides me an outlet for this, allows me to learn new things and contribute to the community I live in.”
Nicole Gollis Golden, MSSW ‘04, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Austin
“I started volunteering shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting, which shook me to the core. I realized that I had to do something — anything — to keep my own family and other families safe from gun violence. I now lead the Austin group of this fast growing national grassroots network. I organize events, recruit volunteers, lobby legislators, speak to media, and support gun-violence survivors. I hope some day the work we do will be remembered as having changed the course of history for the better.”
Sarah Jovinelly, MSSW ’16, The Bridge Collective, Austin
“I started volunteering with the Bridge Collective after the Texas Omnibus Abortion Bill (HB 2) passed in 2013. The bill left only five health care clinics that provide abortion services open in Central Texas, meaning that many people had to travel great distances for both the mandatory ultrasound and actual abortion procedure. At the Bridge Collective, we offer practical support to remove barriers from this daunting process. Our volunteers provide safe transportation and unbiased, nonjudgmental emotional support. Within the next year, we also hope to have abortion doulas on duty in clinics to provide patients with emotional support during the actual procedure.”
Allie Townshend, MSSW ‘13, CASA of Travis County
“I advocate for the best interest of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are in the child welfare system. For each case, I maintain ongoing contact with the children, their families, legal counsel, school staff, therapists, etc.; and I provide written and verbal testimony to family court. I have been a CASA volunteer since 2009 and although I am currently taking a break from managing a case, it has helped me stay grounded in the clinical aspect of social work — even though I’m a CAL graduate.”
Cara Fox, BSW ‘98, Little Helping Hands, Austin
“Through Little Helping Hands we do family volunteer projects with our three kids with a variety of organizations across the city — from food pantries to animal shelters to assisted-living facilities and more. I love it because we get to learn about new organizations and causes, and it gets us outside the bubble of our usual neighborhood and out doing things we might never have done otherwise. Plus it generates so many teachable moments and conversations. My mother modeled voluntarism when I was a young child. The number one thing volunteering brings to my life is gratitude: I always tell my kids is that if you’re grateful for what you have, then what you have is always enough.”
Bonnie Herrman, MSSW ‘13, Tree House Humane Society, Chicago
“Tree House is a cat rescue organization. I take adoptable cats to a nearby assisted-living facility or nursing home for socialization with the residents. Many of the residents have memory and/or physical impairment, and these visits help engage those who may be withdrawn, nonverbal, or have difficulty communicating. I found my passion for working with seniors during my final field placement, and I’ve been working with them ever since! The visits are an amazing reminder to me that even the smallest moments and connections can bring joy and meaning to the lives of others.”
Nora Druepple, MSSW ‘86, American Red Cross, Central Texas
“I am a volunteer and instructor in disaster mental health. During the Onion Creek flood in October 2015, for instance, I worked at a shelter for displaced residents, providing them support, information, resource referrals, and psychological first aid. I also went to a small community near Taylor to assist in a needs assessment at a shelter that was also responding to a flood. I went with my husband, who is a nurse/paramedic, and also volunteers for the Red Cross. I love the collaboration among different disciplines and the teamwork approach at the Red Cross — and it’s very cool that as a social worker I get to work with my favorite nurse!”
Laura Snyder Wagenknecht, MSSW ‘09, Buncombe County Commission, Asheville
“I visit assisted-living facilities throughout the county to advocate for and help residents, and to make sure facilities comply with code regulations. I chose to volunteer with this committee because we all become older, and we all have less mobility over time. I like knowing that there are many of us who want to ensure that people who are older or have disabilities have a voice and can have decent living conditions where they spend most, if not all, of their time. I want to make sure that these people have the dignity, quality of life, and respect that they deserve.”
Deborah Sharp, MSSW ‘98, Measure Austin
“Measure Austin is a partnership among data geeks with an activist edge and a passion for social justice. The ultimate goal is to help achieve a new community-policing model in Austin. The immediate goal is determining what community factors and law-enforcement performance measures we need to pay attention to in order to improve the interactions between communities and police. There is a developer element too, as Measure Austin will be monitoring these factors in real time on their website. I’m on the advisory board, and I have been working with an interdisciplinary team to create a white paper on trauma-informed policing; I interviewed community members and police officers to discover their lived experience of trauma and how it might inform their interactions with each other. It’s very exciting to be working with the Austin Police Department and to meet other people in the city with the same passion for social justice.”