Volunteers at the LLLI Office

from the OnLLLine Chronicle, #1, September 2002

I think your readers might like to know how much we make use of volunteers, here at the LLLI office. Katy Lebbing has had her children come in and volunteer, making up packets and helping with computer issues. Also, John, her husband, came in for weeks to paint the CBI, to graph the space to make the most possible use of the room we have for file cabinets and books, in preparation for the addition of the Wellstart International gift of mateials. John has helped with several other projects also, and we greatly appreciate his patience and his thoroughness! LLL dads are the type of fellows we can really count on!

Brenda Glover has had a whole raft of volunteers, sometimes from agencies. They would come in a group and help with her mailings. Currently she has Mary Weinstein, Natasha, and Nancy Brigano, who come to help her file, etc. We took occasion to celebrate the work some of her volunteers had done by honoring them with a pizza party and home-made dessert.

Kathy Baker, who works with our Peer Counselor program, had Stefani Walters-Spirgi volunteer for months, and she helped in many ways. Stephanie's husband is here through his work, and her visa didn't permit her to work, so she volunteered here and helped with the Peer Counselor Program. Kathy has Kay Hunter helping her now. Other volunteers who have helped Kathy include: Maria Kern; Jack, Claire, and John Baker; and Maria Del Mar Mazza.

The CBI has been very fortunate in having Odile Martin, a French citizen, come for three months. Odile's English improved, and she was a great asset in helping to categorize and reshelve books. Currently, Maria Del Mar Mazza, an Argentinian citizen, is volunteering three days a week. A registered nutritionist and educator, Maria is in the US while her husband's work brings them to the US, like Stephanie. Maria is in great demand with translations work, and has been assisting Rebecca Magalhaes in the External Relations and Advocacy Department. Some of these women have had extensive computer experience before they came to us, and have been able to teach us a thing or two!

We hope that working at La Leche League International enriches the lives of these people. We feel that, for women, learning about the benefits of breastfeeding for the babies they may one day have, will make a difference in their lives. We hope that they will bring this information into their futures, wherever they live, and the legacy of helping mothers and babies will continue to grow.

Carol Huotari