Sieglinde has been volunteering with Archway for over seven years and recently became a board member in 2022.
She currently works with two Afghan families, teaches at Conversation Circles with Community Connections, and is on the board committee to organize the annual Community Builder’s Awards.
Sieglinde loves teaching and “seeing people succeed”. She designed a confidence-building course for Community Connections where more than 20 women attended. She loves volunteering because it’s rewarding to see how her actions positively affect the people she’s working with.
Her most memorable experience as a volunteer was sitting with a Syrian mother during childbirth. “Her husband didn’t want to be in the room because he couldn’t stand the thought of her being in pain. And I couldn’t leave her in there by herself, so I went in there to support her.”
Sieglinde’s efforts have not gone unnoticed! Elise Marier, Community Connections Program Supervisor had this to say about Sieglinde: “When we think of creating a welcoming and inclusive community, one of our dedicated volunteers immediately comes to mind: Sieglinde has been a long-time supporter of the Community Connections program and the newcomers that we serve. Sieglinde gives so much care and thought into the volunteer work that she does, and she holds such a dear space in the hearts of the newcomers that she has supported. The work we do would not be possible without the ongoing dedication from our volunteers such as Sieglinde.”
Sieglinde credits her years as a volunteer with becoming a kinder and more patient person. “When I first got into it, I came into it with an ego position thinking, ‘Oh gosh, I’m going to help these poor people.’ As it turned out, I’ve learned so much more than I could have ever expected. It’s been so humbling, and it’s really changed the way I look at the world.”
Sieglinde and the Archway Board of Directors in September 2022
“Sieglinde gives so much care and thought into the volunteer work that she does, and she holds such a dear space in the hearts of the newcomers that she has supported.”