Volunteer encourages others to do the same
Maureen Karl is a very busy lady. While she doesn’t like to talk about her volunteer time, most people in the area may recognize her face, even if they don’t know her name, simply because she gives so freely of her time and energy. Her smile, kindness and love of people draw others to her.
“I have met the best people through volunteering. They have become my closest friends. It takes a team to volunteer. Nobody can do a community service project alone and I truly appreciate the teams I volunteer with,” Karl said.
She said she has volunteered for different things as long as she can remember. “As a child, I was involved in 4-H and Girl Scouts. Both organizations promote community service.” When her children were in school, she volunteered her time with the activities they were involved in. “I also coached Destination Imagination and was a 4-H advisor.”
Karl wants to encourage everyone to find something they are passionate about and volunteer to help. “Anyone who volunteers quickly realizes that you get more out of giving your time that what you put into it. One of my favorite quotes is ‘As you grow older, you will discover you have two hands – one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.’”
She is currently a member of Kiwanis and volunteers with the Hope Clinic, Polar Express and goes on mission trips to rebuild homes. “The importance of volunteering is it brings people together and unites people from diverse backgrounds. I have definitely seen this one our mission trips. Volunteering strengthens our community and widens your social circle. You can learn new skills.”
Karl said she has many unbelievable memories from her time volunteering. “I could talk for hours about them. When I was on a medical mission trip in the Dominican Republic, I was told I could do the same thing in my own back yard. I said tell me how. After I returned home, I worked with Dr. Kevin and Kent Doherty to start the Hope Clinic here.”
“I could talk forever about volunteering,” Karl said.
Category: Clubs & Organizations
