Volunteering with Junior Achievement
I have served with Junior Achievement for several years. I love educating others about making wise financial decisions, and I think it’s so important to start young!
I have served at Smart Middle School, Thomas A. Edison Academy, Jackson Elementary, and Buffalo Elementary. I love helping the kids build a strong financial base to be prepared for their futures. In one of the high schools that I served, the 17- and 18-year-olds asked great questions about credit cards, buying cars, job benefits, and more! I loved the real-world practicality.
Volunteering with Women United
As a mom, Women United is an organization that I am passionate about serving. I once used one of my Thrivent Action Teams to stock up on a trunk-load of diapers and wipes to give to the YWCA Empowerment Center through Women United. I have also spent countless hours assembling reading kits, brain bags, and more for the organization. My favorite activity has been reading books to elementary students in their classrooms to encourage and promote literacy. I'm not sure who loved it more - the students or me!
Community Involvement: Quad City Storm
For the past couple of years, the Thrivent Member Network has hosted guests at a Quad City Storm hockey game.
In 2024, we started the evening by writing letters of gratitude to our servicemen and servicewomen. The children definitely wrote the best cards! They included pictures, jokes, and the most adorably misspelled words. In 2025, our service project was stuffing stuffed animals for children at University of Iowa Children's Hospital. It was such a special experience to teach the youngest children how we could bring joy to other kids by living generously.
We ate delicious appetizers, then sat together during the game. We even got a special experience to high-five the players outside of the locker room just after the first period.
Community Involvement: Pumpkin Painting
Many financial advisors do business by taking clients to the golf course. I hate to disappoint, but golf is not my passion.
However, I am passionate about serving families. And one of the really fun ways that I did that was by hosting a free pumpkin painting event for moms and their kids.
I provided the pumpkins, aprons, supplies, and a little goody bag for each of them. I brought along some Berenstain Bears financial books to keep some of the kids occupied while their pumpkins were drying.
Community Involvement: Minnie Fridge
In West Davenport at the Roosevelt Center, there is a fresh food pantry available 6 days per week to families in need. It's located on Minnie Street, hence the name "Minnie Fridge."
What's unique about this is that it offers fresh food, not just canned goods, to help families in need have healthier options.
I coordinate a meal kit program once per month. A group from my church puts together meal kits (similar to Hello Fresh) with all of the ingredients and a recipe card to make a fresh and healthy meal.
I also coordinate weekly cleanings to keep the Minnie Fridge as a pleasant place for families to go.
In the Summer, I love to drop off extra produce from our garden.
Community Involvement: Praise in the Park
I enjoy getting involved in my community! I am especially interested in events that relate to my church- Sacred City Church, running, and family-oriented events.
Through my small group at church, we serve the Minnie Fridge which is a fresh food pantry located in the Roosevelt Center on Minnie Street in Davenport. I help organize the monthly meal kits that we deliver, planned a picnic in the summer, and coordinate weekly cleanings to keep the Minnie Fridge fresh! As a Thrivent Member myself, I even used my Action Team to help support our Minnie Fridge Mission. Thrivent provided funds to help us serve more food during our picnic and restock the Minnie Fridge an additional week!
I enjoy staying active and built a passion for running while I was in college. In fact, I have run 4 half marathons, all in different states: Colorado, Texas, Virginia, and Iowa!
My family is super important to me. Getting involved with family-oriented events has been a blast for me. I love helping and serving other families, while also relating to them because my husband and I are in the same phase of life.