Congratulations to our September Volunteer Spotlight: Carol Flank! We couldn't do what we do without the help of our incredible volunteers like you!
Carol has been volunteering with TOV since the early 2000s through Israel Solidarity Day, the JUF Uptown Cafe, MLK Day, and TOV Tutoring. We wanted to get to know Carol a little bit more, so she answered some of our questions below.
1. How did you first get involved with TOV/JUF?
I
first became involved with TOV when the executive director of my synagogue West
Suburban Temple Har Zion shared a TOV request for a site to host a Good Deeds
Day activity. The Har Zion families and others who participated enjoyed
creating blankets for animals at a local shelter and listening to musician Jim
Gill. I knew I wanted to be a TOV volunteer.
2. What makes it important for you to volunteer through
TOV?
Volunteering with TOV is time well spent. TOV
programs allow me to make a small difference in my community.
3. Are there any fun facts about you that we might not know? Feel free to also share a story or experience that has inspired you.
Last year I participated with TOV and Tutoring Chicago. Because of COVID tutors and students met using Zoom. One week I was in Denver visiting my grandchildren on a day that I needed to tutor. I explained to Eve my 8 year old granddaughter that I would be busy just before dinner. She wanted to know all the details about the tutoring. When she learned that my 2nd grade student and I would be practicing math word problems, Eve volunteered to make up several story problems for me to use. I’m not sure who benefited more that afternoon: my student, Eve or me. Each of us learned the value of helping others.
We are so lucky to have Carol as part of our TOV family and want to thank her for her many years as a dedicated volunteer! We are wishing Carol the best of luck as she moves to be closer to family in Colorado. To learn more about JUF’s important work in the community, sign up to volunteer, or to make a donation in her honor, please visit our website.