Julie Lee-Jacobs is a member of the Board of Directors for the Child Advocacy Center, as well as serves on the Pinwheel Masquerade Ball and Auction Planning Committee. She began her service with the CAC in 2017. Since then, she has served in a variety of ways.
Other CAC supporters were instrumental in sharing their passion and love for the work of the CAC with Julie that drew her interest in beginning serving as a volunteer. Julie shares that she was moved by the commitment of the CAC to persevere challenges and barriers to keep doing better for children and families in our community. She states, “Time is limited resource from the moment we are given life, and I have NEVER regretted the time I have volunteered with the CAC.
When Julie was asked about what she enjoys most about her volunteering with the CAC, she expressed it in these words, “I LOVE working together with a group of people (staff, fellow volunteers, community partners) who are gloriously different, acknowledge our different backgrounds, AND still stay focused on positive change in our community. Simply put, volunteering for the CAC is an opportunity I feel incredibly grateful for.”
Julie sees her volunteer time as a way to keep her heart open to seeing the need around her. She says, “Volunteering, for me, is also an opportunity to use my gifts I may have to contribute to a mission that focuses on evidence-based prevention and intervention for child abuse, human trafficking and child safety.”
When asked if she face in challenges, she simply stated ‘wish I could give more time.’ Working full-time prevents her from doing things during the day. But when life slows down, she says she wants to choose to more on a day to day basis.
During Julie’s time serving as a volunteer, she has been pleasantly surprised that the CAC community has become a safe place for her. She knows that part of the mission of the CAC is to be a safe place for children impacted by abuse. She did not expect that the CAC community would become a safe space for her to feel safe and to share about herself. Having others notice and show interest in her wellbeing, she recognized it as a true gift.
Julie goes on to share that the CAC had its early beginnings by a committed group of people who cared deeply about children and families in our community. Their successful efforts paved the way for more people, like herself, to come along, contribute and continue the mission. The combined efforts, over decades and generations, continue to help bring healing and hope to families in our community.
