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My Passion
Ever since I was young, I've loved the feeling of peace and fulfillment that comes after helping someone else. And every day I strive to do at least one thing that benefits someone else, and here I've compiled some pictures and stories of my philanthropy work so that hopefully someone else- hopefully, maybe even You!- can carry these ideas over into helping even more people!
A Sticky Situation
Right as Troy, Ohio's Strawberry Fest kicked off their 2021 festival, the Troy Music Boosters for the local high school ran into a problem- a lack of volunteers to make the strawberry donuts that helped fund the choir and band programs at Troy High School. Despite having attended Versailles High School, I stepped right into the thick of it and helped make donuts. I was on batter duty, which left me coated in the sticky batter mixture from the top of my hat to the grooves on the bottom of my shoes. But I had so much fun and even made a new friend- Brooklyn, who was also on batter duty.
One
Ball
State
Day
2021
I believe that there are three ways to donate- time, money, and skills. While making donut batter for Troy I was donating, or donuting, my time, for One Ball State Day for Ball State University I was donating my financial resources to better the College of Communications, College of Journalism, the Honors College, and the Department of Theatre and Dance. I even snapped this awesome picture with the cardboard cutout of the dean of the Department of Theatre/Dance!
Kisses
for
Confidence:
Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta sorority's Kisses for Confidence is an annual celebration of giving out Hershey Kisses with inspirational messages to Ball State Students on campus in order to promote an environment of positivity and confidence. I volunteered to not only wrap the kisses and write the inspirational messages but also to work a shift handing them out. Kappa Delta holds philanthropy in the highest regard, donating time, money, and skills to Prevent Child Abuse America, The Girl Scouts of America, and other local Muncie organizations.
My Proudest Give-Back
This is Louis Carman, but she goes by Lee. This is my dad's mother, my grandmother. When I was young, Grandma was diagnosed with Dementia, which has since become Alzheimer's. My Grandpa Scott passed from cancer soon after I was born, so it was up to my family to take care of Grandma. Moving her into the Versailles Nursing Home was a step I did not enjoy. It was stressful, for one, packing up her entire house of 40+ years, but it was also heartbreaking knowing I would lose the one place where my family felt connected to Grandpa, and that doesn't even count how upset we all were with Grandma's decline and moving her in mid-pandemic. So as we packed, I thought, I planned, and I created. I worked with Versailles Nursing Home to create a packing brochure for new residents, with new specific addition ideas for patients with Dementia and Alzheimers. I was not able to hug her for 11 months due to the pandemic, but knowing I made a difference in her life, and in the lives of many others, made that first reunion hug so much sweeter. I am proud of whom she made me into. And I am proud that she inspired this project.
Find the Packing Brochure Here
The Fairy Tales that Inspire
I think we can all agree the 2020 pandemic was hard- especially on kids. And that is why I partnered with another Versailles resident, Lisa Rush, b to form Community Reads, a FaceBook group for local children to listen to two storybooks and learn a science experiment each week. My goal with Community Reads was to not only give children something to do while at home, but to show them that fairy tales are not simply about girls in pretty dresses who are powerless. I wanted to teach those boys and girls that everyone has the power to do good, creativity, a sense of adventure, and the ability to lead with grace, kindness, and love.
You can check out this video of "Snow White to the Rescue" in my Videos and Media tab!
The One in White
I never would have thought that I would be asked to be a volunteer "bride" by a local bridal shop, but it happened! Antionette Bridal is a new Versailles boutique bridal that hosted a Valentine's Open House in order to showcase their dresses and promote their business, and they asked me to play princess for a day to model dresses for potential brides. Not a bad volunteer gig, if you ask me!
Just About Every Aspect of Theatre
In my many years of theatre, I have learned that there are many ins and outs of a show, and people are needed to help in every aspect. So from set carpentry, to marketing, to fundraiser brainstorming and organizing, to spotlight, to costuming, to choreographing, to directing, and beyond, I have done it all so that I can give back to the programs that have given so much to myself and my community.
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