Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Volunteer Center mourns loss of Executive Director

March 29, 2011

 

Sara Ballard passes away;

Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties mourns death of executive director

The Board of Directors and staff of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties are deeply saddened to announce that Sara Ballard, the organization’s executive director, passed away at Providence Saint Peter Hospital in Olympia this morning. Her parents were able to be with her.

On behalf of the entire community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Ballard family and all Sara’s friends.

Sara was 36 years old. She was hospitalized over the weekend after suffering a stroke caused by a blood clot in her lung.

“Sara was a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for people from all walks of life. She believed that by working together we can make our communities a better place,” said Board of Directors president Russ Carstensen. “She will be deeply missed.”

Sara grew up in Michigan and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics from Alma College in Alma. She joined the Volunteer Center as executive director in March of 2008. Before moving to Olympia, she was the senior manager at the Volunteer Center at United Way of Snohomish County in Everett, Washington.

Sara also served as the associate director of the Volunteer Centers of Michigan in Lansing, program manager for the Michigan Health Council, special projects and event coordinator for the Michigan House of Representatives, and donor recruitment representative for the American Red Cross. She was a certified Volunteer Administrator, a graduate of the 2005 Michigan Nonprofit Association Emerging Leader course, and a graduate of Leadership Thurston County in 2009. She was president of the Volunteer Centers of Washington, a state association of the sixteen Volunteer Centers serving the residents of Washington State.

A memorial service is tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, March 31. More details will follow.

Those who may wish to express their condolences to the Ballard family are encouraged to send cards and messages to:

     Jim and Nancy Ballard

     c/o Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties

      317 4th Ave E, Suite 340

    Olympia, WA 98501

At the request of Sara’s parents, please make any memorial gifts to the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.

For all enquiries, contact Emma Margraf, Director of Special Projects, at (360) 741-2622 or emma@volunteer.ws.

 

Volunteering as Opportunity: Reflections of a Volunteer

Kelly Marie Lux has volunteered with the Volunteer Center for years, longer than most of the staff has been around. She compiles the weekly listings of volunteer opportunities, writes pieces of the newsletter, and recently began writing profiles our of Volunteers of the Week. We asked Kelly to share a few thoughts about her volunteer experience.

 

Volunteering is important to me because it has provided me with opportunity.

I have mostly volunteered for the work experience. Being disabled, I have found seeking employment challenging due to my circumstance.

Even though I have graduated from college, I felt underprepared to face the rigors of the working world because of my minimal experience.That’s where volunteering comes in.

When I started my first volunteer job, which was at a library doing work on a database, I wasn’t sure I if would be able to use the computer, let alone do the job, even though I knew it wasn’t difficult. But after I figured out the simple accommodations that worked for me, I realized that everything was much simpler than I thought it would be. Even though it was a really boring job, I could do it. That meant a lot.

Since then I have had several volunteer positions, mostly in offices. My big breakthrough came when one of my supervisors gave me an assignment to write an article about a food co-op for a monthly newsletter. I found this task easy and fun, and everyone really liked what I had written. Since then I’ve decided I want to be a writer, because writing is so enjoyable, and I actually seem to be good at it. Imagine that.

My current goal is to find a real job. Though it may be hard in today’s job market, I now have the much-needed confidence to move forward. I owe this all to the wonders of volunteering and opportunities it has given me to discover what was already within myself.

- Kelly Marie Lux