Volunteering ... It nourishes the soul

Punit Dave' had spent much of his life moving from country to country. Working from home as an information technology consultant he became restless. Looking for a new adventure and more social interaction, he decided to move to North Idaho and live with friends. He wanted to start a new chapter of his life, and with a job that required him to be home he was searching for an opportunity to get out of the house. "Why not look for a volunteer opportunity, he thought." So after a simple Google search he found Crosswalk of North Idaho. Yes, he had done some sporadic volunteering before but nothing on a consistent basis. The volunteer opportunity with Crosswalk to engage with youth sounded like a good fit for the new chapter of his life.

He had been looking to make a transition and volunteering with Crosswalk seemed to do the trick. "Volunteering first and foremost nourishes the mind, body and soul," said Dave'. "Volunteer work can kick start you into action and get you out of a rut."

"Great at playing pool, fun, amazing, awesome, friendly, genuine," these are just some of the words the Crosswalk youth and staff used to describe Dave'.

In addition to volunteering at the drop-in center he has used his IT skills to build a database to help the organization manage its grant information. He has also joined the Crosswalk committee working to launch a new initiative, the Youth Employment Council, which will help youth gain employment and life skills.

"He genuinely cares about the youth and goes above and beyond meeting his volunteer expectations, said Brandi Smitherman, director of Crosswalk of North Idaho. "He has become part of the Crosswalk family quickly and we all look forward to Mondays when we know we get to see him. We just love him."

Dave' thought volunteering with Crosswalk would mean he would be helping kids with their homework and dealing with crisis situations all the time. While those things do occur he found that it was much different than he had expected.

"At the end of the day it is about making sure the youth have a safe place to be where they don't have to think about their problems, and that you build a rapport with them so that when they do need to talk they are comfortable talking to you. It is important the youth have a place where they can relax, feel safe and be with people they know and trust."

Dave' is passionate about his work at Crosswalk and finds it to be very rewarding. He enjoys his interaction with the youth and the opportunity to help them get to the next stage in their life. He is now considering a career in the nonprofit sector.

"Punit is a truly wonderful, well-rounded person. Crosswalk North Idaho is very blessed to know and work with him," said Holly Zack, Crosswalk staff.

Post Falls Food Bank in need of volunteers

An amazing event happens daily at the Post Falls Food Bank ... grocery stores donate food so it can be distributed to people in need. Volunteers are needed to drive the food bank's fleet of vehicles to their grocer partners and bring the food back to their facility. Volunteers then sort the food and prepare it for distribution. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, engage in activities that immediately provide nutrition and hope to others, and end the day knowing you have helped lessen the burden of others.

A volunteer application must be completed. A brief facility tour and orientation is encouraged prior to making a volunteer commitment. Volunteer positions with the food bank require some physical stamina, although there are tasks suitable for a variety of people. To volunteer contact Sherry Wallis at (208) 773-0139 or info@postfallsfoodbank.org.

Connecting people

The United Way of Kootenai County's Volunteer Center is CONNECTING PEOPLE. The center plays a vital role as a "One Stop Volunteer Resource Center" that continually links individuals and groups to a wide variety of ongoing and one-time volunteer opportunities. For more information about volunteer opportunities visit the United Way's Volunteer Center website www.kootenaiunitedway.org.