Tag: Giving Back

Meet Penny: New Volunteer Coordinator

Ask anyone what makes Northwest Compass such a special place and you’ll likely hear the same answers. Of course, the caring and compassionate staff, but also its faithful volunteers. Volunteers from the Giving Back program work alongside professional staff to selflessly donate more than 35,000 hours of service each year. And at the heart of Giving Back is the Volunteer Coordinator.

We are pleased to introduce our new Volunteer Coordinator, Penny Regan. Penny is a neighbor and part of our community. She and her husband raised a family in Mount Prospect and currently live in Arlington Heights. When you see Penny around Northwest Compass, be sure to ask about her grandchildren, her travels or about Bridge.

What else makes Penny tick? Watch her story to find out!

CompassPoints Penny R from Mary Ellen Ottenstein on Vimeo.

Penny retired recently from the Mount Prospect Public Library, and during her time at the library, she learned about programs and services Northwest Compass offers. This gives her a head start in her new role because as Volunteer Coordinator, Penny is responsible for screening, scheduling and supporting volunteers across the organization. Giving Back includes a mix of skills-based, associate and community-service volunteers as well as interns and corporate groups. Following are some examples of roles typically filled by our volunteers:

  • Career Coach
  • Food Pantry Associate
  • Greeter
  • Administrative and Data Entry Support
  • Accounting Intern
  • Marketing & Development Intern

Northwest Compass hopes that volunteers use their passion, skills and knowledge to support our mission as they become our best ambassadors. If you would like to help us help our neighbors turn crisis into opportunity, visit Get Involved today to find open volunteer roles.

Volunteering Can Lead to Improved Health

People who volunteer can have a wide range of reasons for getting involved. Some want to help those less fortunate, others may want to give back to the community, while some may see it as a way to make new friends or fill their retirement days with something other than bad golf. However, research shows that an even bigger benefit awaits those who volunteer: better health! This sounds like the ultimate win-win, doesn’t it?

The positive effects of volunteer work on health are many and varied. Simply by taking the step to volunteer, you engage yourself both physically and mentally. In filling a volunteer role, you may improve your self-confidence, reduce your stress level, and even help counteract depression. In fact, helping others often leads to that “feel-good” feeling similar to what a good workout provides. And the older you are, the more pronounced the effects can be.

Folks don’t typically volunteer simply to improve their own health profiles. As a by-product, though, it’s a good one. For example, helping out at Food Connection because you’re concerned about food insecurity in the community is a laudable reason for volunteering. You may help unload and sort donations, organize products on the shelves, pack boxes for customers, and engage clients and fellow volunteers as they move through the process. The clients receive much needed sustenance, which may be the reason you volunteered in the first place, while the physical activity, interactions with clientele, camaraderie with fellow volunteers, and the “high” you’ll get as you witness the effects of your work make your efforts even more worthwhile.

So, thinking of others and volunteering your time and talents to help is wonderful, and doing so while also improving your own well-being can make it even better. Why not take the first step and contact +1 847 392 2344 or [email protected]. Please visit our Get Involved page to learn more about available opportunities.