Giving back to my community has been a principle that I have followed throughout my lifetime. We lacked for nothing in my family of origin, never having to worry about having food on the table, clothes on our backs, or shelter over our heads. It all seems very easy when you are under your parents’ wings and raised in an environment where this theory is part of your everyday life – simply second nature to your way of living.
Upon going through my own life’s upheaval and being in a very desperate position that took years to recover from and experiencing what being on the other end, or, one of the ‘less fortunate’ was like (which is an extremely humbling position to experience) I learned a very valuable lesson. You can either stay dismally 'stuck in the muck' of the aftermath, or you can learn to move on and let your experience help you to become better, not bitter. The Wyakin Foundation helps our US Veterans move through the muck.
I first learned about the Wyakin Foundation in 2014, and served as an intern for the non-profit while attending B.S.U. At that time, the office was located on the campus. What impressed me about this particular non-profit was just a few moments in time when a soldier came in, full of frustration and in his own moments, and how the staff dealt with him with dignity and respect, helping him to problem solve after his frustration had been shared.
A simple act of human kindness responding to another human being's seemingly impossible and insurmountable life dilemma they were facing transformed into positive solutions for that soldier to continue on their mission.
It wasn’t long before I saw how this organization does more than talk the talk, they walk the walk in caring for Veterans and helping them readjust to society and go forward with their lives. I knew I wanted to find a way to continue my relationship with the organization after my internship was completed.
I’ve now volunteered for this wonderful home-grown Boise non-profit in different capacities and I feel that I somehow have been able to pay back just a tiny piece of what these men and women have done to protect America's beloved ideals of freedom doing the job that the rest of us can't or won't.
I like to refer volunteering with Wyakin as 'rubbing elbows with Eagles', and watching the growth of the program to what it is now blossoming into has been an amazing life changing experience.
Please consider donating your time, talent and treasure on this #GivingTuesday2023 and help America's heroes and heroines by giving back to those who give us so much!
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