Why I Volunteer

Why I Volunteer-Interviews With Some of Our Valued Volunteers

Our volunteers are a huge part of what makes Beyond Boundaries so special. People from all walks of life take time out of their busy schedules to serve their community and help our participants experience new things, challenge themselves, and learn about the outdoors. We recently sat down with a few of our volunteers to determine why they dedicate their time to Beyond Boundaries and what it means to them.

Jack Allen is a founding partner of Ballast Consulting and an avid mountain biker. “As a company, we felt like we wanted to give back to the community. We were put in touch with Shep and were totally inspired by his mission. Our team started volunteering with Beyond Boundaries shortly after,” he says.

Lisa Ghidotti is the Executive Director of Government Relations at Radford University, loves hiking and fishing, and is currently on a mission to visit every Wildlife Management Area in Virginia. “I was connected with Beyond Boundaries through a friend at DWR. After meeting Shep, I knew this group aligned with my interests and pursuits and started getting involved,” says Ghidotti.

Jenn McCourt is an Operations Manager at Fulcrum Collaborations and an active hiker and fly fisher. “Our company was looking for ways to expand our corporate responsibility and when we found out about Beyond Boundaries and their mission, it seemed like a perfect fit,” she explains.

Our volunteers come to us in various ways, some from word of mouth and some from finding us online or via social media, but they all seem to have one thing in common, a love for the outdoors and adventure.

By sharing this love with our participants, they’re helping to remove boundaries and aiding participants in achieving things they may have never thought possible. 

“I don’t think having a special need should limit you in any way,” explains McCourt. “I’m a huge outdoor advocate and it’s something I enjoy so much I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to do these things.”

The dedication of our volunteers also leads to new friendships and lasting relationships. “Something I really enjoy is now that I’m doing volunteer work with BB consistently, I’m seeing the same participants over and over. They’re starting to become friends and that really resonates with me. You know who the participants are and you know things about them. It’s comfortable and you can have conversations,” Lisa says.

The outdoors challenges us. These challenges mold us into people that are stronger, both physically and mentally. The outdoors also helps us build community and lasting bonds with people around us. In the case of many of our volunteers, it’s also a way to meet people from different walks of life and find the amazing threads of commonality that unite us all.

“My favorite trip was last year in the summer on a company outing with Boys2Men. Most of our team had never rafted before and the young men in boys2men had already been a few times this summer. We were just getting schooled on how to navigate and paddle and really being taught how to do it with the boys2men group. It was amazing to have conversations with the guys and really understand their lives and what they’re dealing with,” explains Jack Allen. 

Together, our participants and our volunteers are able to grow. They learn how to engage with one another. They overcome fears and they share incredible stories and experiences that will become lasting memories.

“One thing I’d say is that I think a lot of people have a fear of communication with people who have different or come from different backgrounds because it’s hard to relate to them. My response to that is just to do it,” says Allen. This ‘just do it’ attitude seems to be another commonality with all of Beyond Boundaries’ volunteers.

When asked what she would tell people hesitant about volunteering with Beyond Boundaries, Lisa had this to say, “I would say absolutely do it. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors or is interested in it should do it. It is easily one of the most impactful and meaningful parts of my life.”

Want to know how to get started volunteering yourself? Take this advice from Jenn, “Come and do one event, I can almost guarantee you’re going to have fun and want to come out and do a bunch more. You’ll realize the difference you’re making in people’s lives and that will stay with you.”

Learn more about volunteering with Beyond Boundaries.