YMCA of Greater Brandywine Looks to Grow Volunteer Opportunities and Engagement
West Chester, PA – The YMCA of Greater Brandywine has long relied on dedicated volunteers who play key roles in advisory board positions, as coordinators and planners for swim team meets and events, as stagehands and actors in theatre programs and as coaches and mentors across a variety of youth programs.
This year, the organization placed a new focus on volunteer engagement and opportunities – recognizing that there was much interest from the community asking about ways they could engage and help to support the wide variety of initiatives and offerings at the YMCA, but little centralized structure or organization on how to pursue these opportunities.
In June, the YMCA welcomed Laura Milazzo Mackiewicz to the team as the Director of Volunteer Engagement.
“There are so many benefits to volunteering,” shares Terri Edgar, Vice President of Branch Operations, “and studies show that the individual who chooses to be the volunteer often reaps the highest rewards with proven benefits to self-esteem, sense of purpose, connection to others and to the community and much more. We’re thrilled to have Laura join our team and bring her passion for community engagement to this work.”
Mackiewicz spent eight years working at LCH Health and Community Services prior to stepping into this new role, where she worked to share community resources, engage community champions, and support special health initiatives. LCH Health and Community Services is a nonprofit health center in Southern Chester County that provides care for all, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
“I spent the last two months getting to know the YMCA, visiting our locations and meeting with our staff and some of our existing volunteers,” shares Mackiewicz. “It has been amazing to see firsthand the impact that volunteers have on our incredible community – and on their own health and wellness. I look forward to continuing to help that impact grow.”
In 2021, more than 4,800 volunteers helped to bring the YMCA’s mission to life.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities at the YMCA, or contact
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