HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS FOR THIS DEDICATED VOLUNTEER

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Eileen Rogers. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Eileen Rogers knows that home is where the heart is.

As a volunteer with Good Neighbors Home Repair, an organization that provides critical home repairs to those in need, Eileen has seen what happens when a home falls into disrepair. Maybe someone’s roof is on the brink of caving in and a family doesn’t have the means to have it patched up. Or perhaps a senior citizen has sustained an injury and they need to have grab bars installed in their bathroom so they can continue to live in their home. In each of those circumstances, Eileen and the Good Neighbors team are ready to save the day.

While Eileen has been a Good Neighbors donor for over a decade, her involvement as a volunteer started around six years ago. As a member of the organization’s advancement team, her work is visible across several facets of the Good Neighbors team. She implemented the biannual Hands of Hope Corporate Work Weeks, which bring in employees of local companies to help repair the homes. Thus far, 23 different companies have brought their teams in to change the lives of low-income homeowners. Her talent and creativity for planning dynamic events are visible in the fundraisers she plans, like GNopology, a Monopoly-themed event, or an upcoming one inspired by the board game Clue.

However, Eileen isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. No stranger to hammering drywall or painting houses, she can occasionally be found on work sites alongside contractors and fellow volunteers.

One of Eileen’s favorite aspects of her work with Good Neighbors is the practice of empowering others. Whether it’s installing a ramp to make a home accessible or making sure a property has running water once again, Eileen sees creating a safe home environment for people who are struggling as a method of returning the ability to care for themselves once again. Her diverse skills and willingness to lend a hand in any situation is a true example of what it means to be a good neighbor.

What inspires you to volunteer?

The magic is renewing hope. When you go out there, you see somebody who was at a point of losing their home. Your home is like your best possession. It gives you not just a physical structure to live in, but also all the memories and the comfort of everyday life. It’s for your family. It’s not just a house, it’s truly a home. You’re repairing their house, but you’re giving them back their home.

Also, I love to see young people get involved. Good Neighbors has a youth group and they do a youth camp. It’s great to see the young people getting involved. With corporations that come in to volunteer, it’s great to see people in their twenties and thirties helping out in the community.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Good Neighbors Home Repair.

I’m a member of the advancement team. We meet every week and we talk about planning, whether it’s events or marketing. We talk about thebest ways to engage people. We talk about how we can maximize our social presence. Anything we can do to advance the growth of the organization. We do a lot of planning.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

The homeowners. Meeting them and having them hug you and just be so grateful. You don’t realize how much you touch different people. The reach is amazing. It’s amazing how with just one little touch, you’re planting a seed. It can grow into this amazing, beautiful flower. It can just grow with just that opportunity.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

It’s more than just one person. It’s a team that makes the organization successful. The team isn’t just the organization– it’s the community with the organization. It takes everybody to make a contribution. That contribution could be a financial one or it could be time. All those things are needed. Or maybe somebody says they’re going to pray for you or they’re going to click on your website. Any little piece puts it all together to make the full package.

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about.

Our Clue event! I’m looking forward to having new people come and learn about us and learn about the organization. Also, our continued efforts with contractors and getting new people to volunteer. We’re always looking to have those folks join in and volunteer on a different level. They’re not necessarily getting out and breaking things with a hammer, but maybe they’re donating resources or donating supplies or sharing their expertise. We’re always looking for contractors to help with those things. So those kinds of efforts, looking for other ways to bring new people in, are always exciting.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

We just can’t wait for things to happen. It’s important that we step in and help. Especially with the backdrop of society being all about “I want it for me.” I think we need to stand up and flip that. It doesn’t have to be just those who are of strong financial means. It can be any of us. It can be donating our time. It can be donating our goodwill. It can be donating financially, of course. You get even more back than you give. Just a couple hours of time and you get so much back. It’s really tremendous.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Reach out to different charities and ask them questions. Any charity I can think of would welcome volunteers. Be persistent. Maybe talk to some other people that you know who already volunteer for a charity, and shadow them. Go to an event of theirs and see what it’s all about.

Also, look at your skill set and see how it might match what they need. Whatever you do in your full-time job probably could be done and used for a charity on some level. Look into what you’re passionate about. For example, if you’re really crafty, or you’re a good photographer, charities would welcome those artistic skill sets.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

Follow your passion and stick with it. There are always challenges, right? We had COVID– that was a challenge. Certain events or efforts don’t work out. Don’t get knocked down by that. It’s amazing the people you meet. It’s a great journey. Like I said, you get back so much more back than you give. I think that’s really the best message.

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