July 13, 2015
As the front desk receptionist and admin extraordinaire at our Salazar office, Angi is a passionate leader for OtterCares involvement. She has helped coordinate numerous volunteer activities for fellow employees in her office and is always an advocate for the work we do. Read more below about Angi’s efforts.
Why did you become an OtterCares Ambassador? I became an Ambassador because I have seen first-hand how a life can be changed and I want to be a part of changing more lives. OtterCares first touched my life by supporting Crossroads in Ft. Collins. I was staying there when I was first hired as a Customer Service Rep and my life was changed forever because I had a safe place to stay and a job.
Today, I find it tremendously rewarding to work with the other Ambassadors and to help set up volunteer opportunities for other Otters.
Who or what has influenced your volunteer work? : I first started volunteering when my kids were young. I volunteered at their schools as a way to support their education, the school and my community. As my kids grew out of school, I spent time volunteering at the Longmont Museum. I hope to have my own museum one day and volunteering was a great way for me to see behind the scenes.
Describe a recent volunteer activity you have been involved in: I volunteered with the JA Finance Park. This was a fun event that teaches teenagers about money management. JA is extremely organized and provided me with everything I needed to teach the teens. I really enjoyed the educational material as well as spending time with the kids.
Describe your favorite volunteer activity: My favorite volunteer activity was helping the Wolf Sanctuary. It was satisfying on a professional, physical and spiritual level. I work out of Salazar, so volunteering with a group of Otters from Tower gave me the opportunity to interact with co-workers that I rarely see in person. Our volunteer activity involved throwing small trees and boulders down a steep slope and the physical labor felt great. My spirit was fed by the natural beauty of the location as well as seeing and touching the wolves. The highlight of my day was hearing all of the wolves howling together. All in all, it was very rewarding to help out these amazing animals.
Why do you think the OtterCares purpose is important?: Entrepreneurship and philanthropy are both incredibly important to our community. It was through the entrepreneurship and philanthropy of Curt and Nancy Richardson that my own life was changed. I love being a part of teaching children the skills they need to provide for themselves and their families as well as showing them how to give to others in their community.