Youth Volunteers Play Valuable Role
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t age 13, Jacque Walter already has five years of volunteering for the National MS Society under her belt. Her dad has been part of the dRailed cycling team at Bike MS: Best Dam Bike Ride, so Jacque, her mom and her sister have supported the cause by helping serve lunch to participants each year.
“The Chapter definitely benefits from the enthusiasm and energy of young volunteers and they benefit by gaining real-world experience and knowing they are helping others,” said Kristin Raeber, senior manager – volunteer engagement and DIY events for the Wisconsin Chapter.
“I tell my friends I volunteer for a bike ride that my dad does for MS, which is multiple sclerosis disease,” Jacque said. “If they ask more, I tell them it’s not a disease you really want. They don’t have a cure but they’re researching for one.”
More than 100 youth volunteers assisted the Wisconsin Chapter this year, doing everything from setting up at fundraising events to helping in the office. For example, Aaron Bauer, a senior at Brookfield Central High School, volunteered at the Wisconsin Chapter’s Hartland office over the summer, earning hours for credit with the National Honor Society. He helped organize items in the warehouse, assemble folders with important information for event participants and created a spreadsheet for use by office staff.
Jacque says she gets involved for friends of At age 13, Jacque Walter her family who have MS. already has five years of And even at her age, she volunteering under her belt. has a keen awareness of the effect volunteers have: “If you help the bikers, maybe they’ll tell more of their friends to come ride.”
“I was able to complete lots of small tasks that helped make other people’s work easier,” he explained, adding that he hopes to donate more hours to the Chapter during the coming year. “People were very appreciative of the work I was doing.”
Hundreds of volunteers help at the Wisconsin Chapter office and fundraising events each year. Many of these dedicated individuals are youth volunteers, who find there are several benefits to giving their time and talent to an organization:
Anyone interested in learning more about youth volunteer opportunities can contact Raeber at 262-369-4436 or kristin.raeber@nmss.org.
•C ommunity service hours are often required by high schools and student groups •V olunteerism can be added to college and scholarship applications • Volunteering as a group is a unique way to socialize while giving back to the community
Young volunteers influence their peers to help out as well. According to a survey by DoSomething.org, having friends who volunteer is what most influences a teen to volunteer themselves. MS Connection | 6
Senior Aaron Bauer, along with his mom, Mary Beth, volunteered at the Hartland office during the summer and earned credit for the National Honor Society.