Chicago Family Makes Volunteering a Group Outing

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Kathyrn, Steve, William, Vivian and Caroline. Read their story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Kathryn and Steve Konrad grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago but didn’t meet until college at University of Illinois. Kathryn grew up in a predominantly Mandarin-speaking family as the daughter of two entrepreneurs originally from Taiwan. As a middle schooler, she started volunteering as a way to engage with the community and explore outside of her culturally traditional household.

“I did well in school. I had friends, but in hindsight, I think I was looking for a sense of connection. And maybe belonging,” Kathryn recalls.

In the process, she found it to be fun, rewarding work, so after meeting Steve, they volunteered as a couple. After graduation, Kathryn joined the Junior League for several years, eventually taking on the role of head of community. She and Steve participated in several projects together, including assembling Thanksgiving food baskets for distribution. Then, William and Vivian came along.

In 2021, when the kids were just three and five years old, Kathryn discovered The Honeycomb Project. Through her job as managing director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, she embarked on the board-matching process to find a new volunteer home, and decided to join the board of Honeycomb.

“I help Honeycomb drive the strategic mission,” she explains. “Kristina [the co-founder] and the team created this wonderful platform for families like myself to participate in. My role is just to grow awareness.”

The Konrads have done many projects since then as a family, though the first is still a favorite.

“I was pregnant, sweating with heat exhaustion. I was so nervous to bring the kids. They were so young,” Kathryn remembers. “I thought it might be too much, but they fully embraced it and still talk about it to this day.”

Together, they cleaned up the Ted Lechowicz Woods, a nature preserve. The kids’ abundance of energy came in handy during a day of walking and weeding.

“They remember that,” she says. “So, whether we’re at the beach or walking down the street, if they see litter or clutter, they think about that act of kindness to make it better. It’s very small, but it’s very sweet.”

The family cleaned and stocked a Love Fridge, a community resource for those experiencing food insecurity. Unsurprisingly, it brought up serious conversation with the kids that Kathryn and Steve embraced.

“We talked about who it’s for, why it’s for them, and why people come there,” Kathryn says of building ownership over the task. “I think it’s been instilled in them that this sense of giving back is something that is expected in our household. I hope it stays with them as they grow into young adults.”

Kathryn also specifically recollects clarifying who the fridge was for. With impressionable young children, she made sure to explain that not everyone who needs food or other support is unhoused.

“I try to teach them not to make assumptions or stereotype the people who might be benefiting from an activity, and I think they’ve become more aware that things are for the whole community and for anyone who needs it.”

This summer, after doing a snow cone fundraiser, the kids decided to open a lemonade stand at a local park with the express intention of donating 50% of their profits to Honeycomb.

“I had no idea what to expect of this, but they totally rocked out and embraced it. They were using their sales skills. They were excited. When people said no, they tried to explain why and what Honeycomb is,” Kathryn mentions with pride.

Will, Vivian and Caroline–now 7, 5, and 2 respectively–raised around $70 before their donation. The experience already has the family planning a hot chocolate stand for the future. Kathryn emphasizes that families who have a hard time getting to formal events can easily take ideas from Honeycomb and incorporate them at home, like making a meal to donate. There are endless ways to participate.

“We’ve used the same grabbers that we used at that walk in the woods to walk around our block and pick up trash on Earth Day,” she says. “Do something local. Make it easy. And if it feels doable and exciting, then there are a lot of different organized opportunities.”

She suggests starting small with toddlers. While it can feel overwhelming, Honeycomb really does organize opportunities with families of all ages in mind.

“What I hope families take away is that it doesn’t have to be where they’re perfectly capable, because they are capable,” she adds. “Don’t stress if it’s not perfect.”

Kathryn is excited by the new projects her family will be able to do as the kids get older. She looks forward to friends being able to participate with them more as well.

“I really look up to a lot of the existing board members, our co-founders in particular. They have young adult children now, and they’re such good stewards of the community,” she notes.

Next month, Kathryn is co-chairing the Honeycomb Cheer Challenge fundraiser and hopes to bring in new prospective families and increase engagement. The Konrads and several families from the kids’ school will be joining them in the annual scavenger hunt this year. The kids have been wearing their Honeycomb shirts and enthusiastically spreading the word about the event, too.

“It’s very fun and gratifying and rewarding to watch as a parent, to see them have those values,” she smiles, noting that the kids now independently inquire about what projects are happening and when they can help out again.

At the end of the day, Kathryn’s goal is to inspire people to get involved. The Konrads volunteer once a month doing large or small acts of kindness. One doesn’t need to commit 10 hours a week to make an impact. And the results have uplifted both the community and their family.

“I see the buzz that Honeycomb has created, and the impact it has in the community. The ability to have something like this, that’s turnkey for families to participate in, has been really fun to watch come out in my actual network and my community.”

Do you want to make a difference in your community like the Konrads? Find local volunteer opportunities.