I am naturally a person who cannot sit still. I tend to overschedule and overcommit, and it’s something I continue to work on. However, it comes from a good place. It comes from a place of passion and desire to accomplish goals and help others. In taking the leap into entrepreneurship, one of the things I was (and still am) most excited about was the flexibility to pursue my passion for helping people. I do this not solely for marketing purposes, but also it just fills my cup. Volunteering, even if it is something small, can completely change your mindset about all things and keep you motivated through tough times. I highly recommend it! Here are the four things I personally do to achieve this here in my community.
Noblesville Rotary Club
Rotary Club in general is an awesome way to serve your community. I have served in Rotary for over 10 years. My Parents and Grandparents were Rotarians, so I have always been familiar with it. It is also an International Organization whose purpose is to serve communities around the world. Here locally, I am the Secretary and President-Elect of the Noblesville morning club. We meet twice a week hearing from speakers from the community. We also do a small service project once a month in lieu of a meeting. Our large annual fundraiser is a Beer and BBQ event with live music and raises money to support scholarships for local students who attend Ivy Tech in Noblesville. I personally handle the marketing, ticketing platform and sponsor engagement for the event. It is a lot of work but worth it!
Kindred Hospice
I was previously the Executive Director for Kindred Hospice North and have been in healthcare for 20 years. When I made the decision to leave the corporate healthcare world to start CDI, I wanted to stay connected with the amazing staff and the beautiful spirit of hospice. I became a volunteer in the branch I used to operate. Currently I make calls to all home patients and caregivers each week to check in and capture concerns, if any. I pass them along to the Volunteer Coordinator (who I hired btw) who then communicates to the Admin and Nursing staff for follow up. I love talking directly with patients and now they expect my call weekly. Hospice is a wonderful and vastly underutilized service. Ask me about it!
Shepherd Center of Hamilton County
The Shepherd Center promotes and supports independent lifestyles for senior adults. I am currently a phone pal for one client who is trying to remain in her home although challenged with Dementia and limited family support. We talk weekly and I check how she is doing on groceries, medications, and her general mood. I then alert the Shepherd Center Volunteer Coordinator if anything sounds ‘off’. I look forward to being able to visit my friend in person soon!
Geist Christian Church
I currently serve as a Deacon and a member of the Personnel Committee and General Board of our church. I was raised with the belief that church community and faith should be a big part of our lives. My husband and I found a home at Geist and look forward to the music, sermons and serving opportunities. Attending church on Sunday whether in person or online feels like being refreshed with a new outlook for the week! Try it!
You can see how I may at times overextend myself with building a business, running a household with three kids in travel sports and then volunteering as I do. I also teach spin class at LA Fitness in Noblesville which considering the pay is like volunteering. But seriously, nothing is more energizing than helping and inspiring others! If you want more ideas or how to get connected to any of these organizations, Email me at carrie@cdi-cares.com or check me out on www.cdi-cares.com
“The antitode of helplessness is to help others.”
-- Ed Mylett
