Volunteering...

Our employees make giving back a part of their everyday lives at Bartlett & West. There are so many stories to share, but we’d like to showcase just a few of our community volunteers.

Stacey Lamer

"If I make a positive difference in one life...my community volunteer work is a success."

As a community volunteer, I always want to try to help! As an engineer, my interest in volunteering ties directly to getting kids excited about math, science and engineering. I realized the best way for me to accomplish my volunteer goals was to get involved with the National Society of Professional Engineers Future City program because it is an excellent tool to help teach students to apply real-world engineering to new-world concepts.

In my community of Lawrence, Kansas, I was part of the team which initiated the first Future City program at Lawrence West Junior High School which is a specific class offered through the gifted student program. The curriculum for the class follows the National Future City program where every participating class is given the exact same problem statement to solve within a given semester.

My role as a mentor for the Lawrence West Junior High School Future City class over the years has consisted of many things including volunteer hours mentoring students, arranging for guest speakers, coordinating field trips, and arranging for students to attend a luncheon with professionals during National Engineers Week.

The students are so very smart and I love their dedication to learning. I made such a connection with one of my past Future City students that she even came to Bartlett & West as a high school summer intern.

For me, a community is not a community without activism, volunteerism, collaboration, cooperation, open-mindedness, and continuous learning. The more people work together, play together, laugh together, and learn together...the better the community!  

Deb Zimmerman

"It is a very refreshing feeling knowing I've given something back to the community in which I live."

As my children were growing up, my volunteer efforts mostly focused on school and church activities, participating in various programs and events surrounding the kids' lives. When the boys moved out of the home, I realized I missed the direct community involvement volunteering provided me. Fortunately, I soon had the opportunity to come in direct contact with various community programs supported by Bartlett & West such as Meals on Wheels and the Sertoma Club's Great Topeka Duck Race. This is when I really started volunteering and identified a couple of areas that I could be involved regularly. Being an active member of Sertoma gives me a feeling of achievement, and the opportunity to participate in community events in which there is no anticipation or expectation of receiving something in return. This is why I was honored, yet surprised, to receive the award of Sertoman of the Year, a wonderful recognition by my fellow volunteers.

I have learned that just being a member of something is not enough, though sometimes we have events going on in our lives that prevent us from putting forth as much time and effort as we would like to support community programs adequately.

There is very little known about Sertoma in Topeka, and as board chairman, I will continue to be a part of making it better known to our community. Sertoma is an international organization that means "SERvice TO MAnkind" and was started in 1912. The primary focus of Sertoma is to support hearing health through its programs of Safe Ears (early childhood and adult education for protecting our hearing from damaging elements) and S.H.A.R.P. (Sertoma Hearing Aid Recycling Program; provides hearing aids to low-income senior citizens). Locally, our clubs are committed to contributing to the hearing health of all ages.

Another avenue of community support by the Topeka Sertoma Clubs is the one major fundraiser held in September each year known as The Great Topeka Duck Race. This will be the 15th year for the Duck Race, and proceeds from this race have been distributed to various non-profit organization, such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Easter Seals Capper Foundation, Marion Clinic, T.A.R.C., Midland Care, Boys Scouts of America, Meals on Wheels, to name a few.

I believe we should all find it in our hearts to volunteer in an area that is of personal interest as there is great pleasure in knowing you have helped others or made them smile. It is our civic duty to do what we can to give back and help make our community a better place to live. 

Kristi Grote

“If you make the time to volunteer, you will be rewarded tenfold.”

Each year the American Cancer Society holds a Relay for Life event which I volunteer for as Bartlett & West’s team captain. The relay gives us a chance to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember our loved ones lost, and fight back to find a cure.

I really enjoy serving as team captain for the Relay, but there are also personal reasons I volunteer for the American Cancer Society. I lost my mom to cancer and have friends who have battled cancer, so I feel passionate about the cause. So many people have to deal with this illness, and the American Cancer Society is fighting for a cure, educating people about the prevention of cancer, and helping those who are fighting it.

As I continue to volunteer for the Relay for Life, I realize there are many more charitable organizations and events in our community which I wish to become involved with. Along the way I hope to inspire and encourage others to get involved with volunteering because, at the end of the day, community involvement means standing next to your neighbor or co-worker with the same passion and feel like you are making a difference.

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Casey Patton

“Involvement is what makes a community stronger.”

For me, it doesn’t matter how or to what extent you get involved, just as long as you are involved.

I have been fortunate in my life, and I believe it’s my responsibility to give back to my community and to others who aren’t as fortunate. This is the main reason I serve on the local Salvation Army Advisory Board as well as its other working and executive subcommittees. The Salvation Army in our community serves non-stop. We operate a homeless shelter, a community center, a thrift store and warehouse.

In addition to the daily services offered to those in need, the Salvation Army also responds to emergencies and disasters to provide aid and assistance within our region. I have personally witnessed the impact a flood can have on a community, and being able to provide food and supplies to volunteer workers trying to keep the water at bay is something I’ll never forget.

I am constantly reminded that sometimes it’s the little things that make a tremendous impact on others. Even though volunteering for the Salvation Army has been quite an experience for me personally, the memory of my father is something that truly shows what giving back is all about.

As a way to support local young athletes, my father regularly attended sporting events in our community. After my father passed away, a few of those youths came to me and expressed their condolences and shared with me the impact my father had on their lives and how much they would miss his presence. Some of these young men had never met me before, but they still felt it was important to share their thoughts with me. Even though my father wasn’t giving his time to a charity, this experience of just being in the stands showed me just how much of a difference one can make in the lives of others just by spending a couple of hours a week doing something you enjoy.

I wish everyone would take the opportunity to experience first-hand the difference you can make in someone’s life by giving a little time and effort. Just think what we could accomplish if each one of us devoted a small amount of ourselves toward one or more causes we feel most passionately about.

Angela Sharp

“My dream is that everyone in their community would contribute their time, talents and resources to whatever level they are capable.”

If someone asked what my volunteer philosophy is, I’d say, “To focus your efforts on something that has special meaning to you personally so that it’s an extension of your passion, not just another responsibility.” This is exactly how I ended up on the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Although I never had a direct connection with our local Ronald McDonald House, my family did spend a great deal of time at one of the Ronald McDonald House rooms that was sponsored at the University Hospital in another city. The Ronald McDonald House Charities holds a special place for me because when my nephew was born with challenges that required many medical procedures, my extended family spent many days in the Ronald McDonald House room. It provided a quiet place we could gather that was always stocked with toys, food, comfortable furniture and an encouraging staff. Anyone that has spent much time at a hospital knows how important this can be, especially when children are involved.

This room made a huge difference in our ability to cope with a really difficult situation. Knowing what this meant to me, I had a real desire to do what I could to make this opportunity a possibility for other families. And that is why today, back home at my local Ronald McDonald House, I am the Board President-Elect for 2010, serve as the chair for the facilities committee, and am a member of the fundraising committee.

I believe every day we are meant to share the blessings we’ve been given, because there is always someone that needs help more than we do.