Name: Alison Welty

Volunteer Position: Thrift Store Assistant

Volunteer Since: Christmas 2005

Alison Welty is one of many volunteers who donate their time to help support Aunt Leah’s Society. Alison is a volunteer with Aunt Leah’s Thrift Store and recently we sat down with her to ask her a few questions about herself and what motivates her to donate her time so generously.

Click here to find out more about Volunteer Opportunities with Aunt Leah's.

Where are you from?
Omaha, Nebraska USA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am semi-retired and I have a friend here so I spend a couple of months in the summer here and also a few weeks at Christmas time.

What kind of work have you done in the past (volunteer or other)?
I have never volunteered before. This is my first volunteer job. In Omaha I was a teacher and taught children from grades 1-4. I still do some substitute work for those grades, as well as art, library and the “Head-start” program in pre-school.

How did you hear about Aunt Leah’s and what made you decide to come and volunteer with us?
I was a customer at the previous thrift store location on Hudson Street in Marpole and I was happy when the Thrift Store moved to Marine Drive because it’s even closer to where I was staying. I came to the store one day and there was a sign on the door that said it was closed but it should have been open that day. I talked to the Manager and he explained that there had been a flood and they were cleaning up before they could open again. I asked if he needed any help and I have been volunteering here ever since.

Do you have a personal connection to our mandate (helping youth and moms who are vulnerable)?
I connect personally with what Aunt Leah’s does because I have worked with children all my life. In Omaha, 70% of the school population (450 kids) were in the Free or Reduced Lunch Program. These children had no books at home and needed a lot of help. I would spend about $2000/year of my own money to help pay for their school supplies. When I retired, I had over 2500 children’s books in my personal collection. I donated these books along with all of my teachers supplies to a school in New Orleans that had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Can you tell us a bit about how you feel about the work we do at Aunt Leah’s?
I love it. It’s a wonderful example of people helping people. I tell everyone about Aunt Leah’s.

Do you have a funny story about something that happened while you were volunteering?
A lot of families come to the store and they bring their children. I love children so they always come to me. Sometimes I show them the toys and keep them occupied while their parents are shopping. A little boy gave me a big kiss one day. The store is always clean and neat. The people are nice. It’s a nice place to be.

How does volunteering benefit you?
I like helping people. I have always been that way. I grew up on a farm and when someone needed help, the whole community would pitch in. I also like the good deals in the store!

How do you think we benefit from your efforts?
The Thrift Store needs people. Volunteers like me help to keep the store tidy and we keep the stock moving. Things like keeping all of the clothing tidy takes a lot of time. We are especially busy when people drop off donations and we have a lot of unpacking, sorting and pricing to do. More hands make it better.

What is your favorite thing about Aunt Leah’s/the Thrift Store?
Doing! Just keeping busy. I like the whole thing. Window displays, meeting people, even doing the dishes! It’s not like going to work. It’s good to do something to benefit other people. It’s fun.

What do you think about the Retail Training Program?
It’s a great program, a great opportunity.

Volunteering with Aunt Leah’s

Are you interested in volunteering with Aunt Leah’s or finding out about more ways that you can help? Please CLICK HERE to find out about all the ways you can help support Aunt Leah’s Independent LifeSkills Society.

Aunt Leah’s Donor: Karin King

If you have been involved with Aunt Leah’s over the last 12 years, then there is a good chance you have met Karin King. Karin was a board member for two years, our Human Resources Manager for about 8 years, and is currently our Fundraising Assistant and she helps us in a myriad of ways with events and donor relations. Karin supports Aunt Leah’s as a donor, a volunteer and is a champion for the organization, helping to spread awareness and bring new people into our community.

Karin supports Aunt Leah’s as a donor, a volunteer and by spreading awareness about our organization.

Karin recalls how she first came to know about Aunt Leah’s. Karin and her family regularly attended one of the Community Meals where Aunt Leah’s offered pre-employment training in restaurant service skills to youth at risk. As a board member, Karin found herself caught up in the passion of the other board members as they worked together on vital issues within the organization. “What drew me to Aunt Leah’s was the work they were doing with the youth. I just couldn’t imagine what it must be like for these foster youth who’ve had to move from home to home, being uprooted, and the teen moms. I also admired that everyone was really focused on the mandate.”

Karin is also a mother and her son Joel is now 26. “Most of my friends are parents and our children have benefited from growing up with a certain level of affluence, and I just feel that when we know there are poor people and kids on the street, how can you not want to help?”

Karin’s friends ask her why she hasn’t yet retired. “You know, I so believe in what Aunt Leah’s is doing and the people they are helping and it’s nice to be around that. Aunt Leah’s really does very unique work. I have a lot of admiration and respect for the work the Support Workers do. And everyone, really. I feel like I’m surrounded by very caring, professional people who all have different things to bring to the organization.”

Karin has been an amazing ambassador for Aunt Leah’s. She is such a delightful person who genuinely cares about people and enjoys socializing and meeting new people. And she loves fundraisers! “My biggest delight is going to one fundraiser and buying something at their event and then giving it to Aunt Leah’s. That way, I can support two organizations! I get a big charge out of that.” Karin giggles and admits it’s not just out of generosity that she goes to these events but also because she likes to promote Aunt Leah’s. “Everybody knows where I work. I take any chance I get to spread the word about Aunt Leah’s.”

Karin’s favorite event is the Lonely Hearts Club Band which is an annual benefit concert with local talent performing Beatles songs. “Who doesn’t like music?” she asks with a laugh. Karin invites her friends to take part in all kinds of fundraisers and campaigns at Aunt Leah’s but she especially enjoys bringing friends to this event. “I love to see my friends having fun and enjoying the music, but of course I want them to know the purpose behind it as well.”

About her own choice to support Aunt Leah’s financially, Karin says, “I get a lot of happiness from that. One of my greatest pleasures would be to be able to start my own foundation. How wonderful would that be?”

Karin has been such a great help to us in fundraising and her love of people and passion for helping youth and teen moms in need contribute to her ability to reach out to our supporters. “I think most people are giving. When I’m talking to people about an event, it sparks their creativity to think of the different ways they can help, whether it’s with donations or their time or expertise.”

One of Karin’s new projects is helping to promote the concept of “Third Party” Fundraisers – where individuals or groups host their own events and donate the proceeds to Aunt Leah’s. Karin has come up with a lot of creative ideas for different kinds of fundraisers people can do with their friends and family or co-workers. If you are interested in hosting an event, or supporting one of Aunt Leah’s events, give Karin a call. You’ll be glad you did!