Building Volunteers
In May 2011 Mount Hermon was blessed to have Michele Izor come on board as our Volunteer Coordinator. I spoke with Michele recently about her position here and am delighted to share with you our conversation.
Michele, share with us about your history with Mount Hermon.
My husband had been coming as a single dad for about 5 years before we started dating and he was hooked. We were married in the small chapel and attended camp as a new, blended family for 15 years before we moved to Mount Hermon to live.
How did you become involved with the volunteer program?
My husband, Paul, was volunteering almost full-time for the Mount Hermon Facilities Team after he completed building our home. Years later I accepted the position of volunteer coordinator. I have a long history of volunteerism, and I’m very interested in maximizing the benefit both to Mount Hermon and the volunteers themselves.
What are some of your favorite volunteer moments?
There was a specific junior high group here with their leaders that prayed over their work project, as well as gave financially from the cinnamon rolls they had baked to make the trip possible. Our faithful, local teams that work year-round are also special. They are humbling to me and the staff with their levels of commitment and heart for the ministry.
Share with us some of the ways our volunteers helped make 2012 such a remarkable year.
The mail room & bulk mail processing are 100% volunteer. Volunteers also provide critical help to our dining services by setting tables, hosting, and serving donuts and coffee. Many individuals help with Facilities and even assisted with building sets for summer camp, including a castle and a massive pirate ship. Groups work on a number of projects including trail maintenance, clearing the new meadow, painting and gardening, to name just a few items.
When you’re not coordinating volunteers, where might we find you and what would you be doing?
Paul and I attend Twin Lakes Church in Aptos; have 3 wonderful children and 5 grandchildren. We raise & train Guide Dogs for the Blind. In May 2013, I’ll complete my BA in Music. I enjoy conducting both vocal and instrumental groups and sing in a number of different venues. I’m looking forward to where God may lead with my passion for music. I also love to cook, read and travel.
As you look into the future, what do you see or what would you like to see for our volunteers program?
I understand the value that volunteers bring to the Mount Hermon mission; both in the monetary realization of what they accomplish but also with the human contribution each of these people bring to the rest of our staff and our guests. The need and opportunities are really limitless and allow our staff to leverage themselves and their teams to accomplish more for our guests.
We have some new summer assignments that we hope will enhance the experience of every guest, and are also looking forward to increasing our number of volunteer groups. We have focused a lot in the last year on our organization skills so that all aspects of a group experience are excellent, from sleeping and eating arrangements to the actual volunteer projects.
