Jake

“Jake is warm-hearted and personable. He makes himself available for every person that walks through the Center’s door s and is an invaluable resource for our community. He has grown a tremendous amount while being here and I know that he will continue soaring. We’re proud to recognize Jake as January’s Volunteer of the Month. Way to go! ”

- Michelle Wright
Community Programs Coordinator

Center:  You are involved with the Center’s I&R program; what inspired you to volunteer with the Center?

JM: I’d moved to the city just months before and knew next to no one, and figured volunteering here would be a quick way to make friends and meet movers and shakers. It’s been rewarding being here, and I’ve made some good friends and been able to collaborate on some rad projects based on first meetings with people that sprung up while at the front desk.

Center:  How has working at the Center challenged you personally?

JM: It's required me to, in a short time, build up knowledge of how diverse this city is in terms of practically everything, from recommended spots for this or that cuisine to where one can access health services to where all of the buses and roads go. That was tough at first, but it’s made my own experience of living here richer.

Center:  Is there a memory that sticks out in the time that you’ve been volunteering with the Center?

JM: Plenty. One memory is of a person, who was introduced to me as Little Mike and who became a dear friend and mentor to me not long after I started volunteering but who passed away too soon after that. Most of the rest of the highlights belong to conversations shared with funny, or clever, or curious, or concerned people that walked through the doors during one of my shifts. The conversations are the best part.