Volunteer Spotlight: Monica & Hannah Holman

This month we are spotlighting the mother/daughter volunteer duo, Monica and Hannah. They are former clients who want to give back to the WCA. Monica and Hannah are a valuable volunteer pair that has helped us many times recently in our Child Care program, the Giving Tree, the Scentsy Rock-A-Thon, inventory, and more. We so appreciate your support and enthusiasm!

1. How did you get involved with the WCA? 

Monica (M): My son, daughter and I moved to Idaho in order to get away from an extremely abusive spouse/parent. We were looking to continue our move forward in life, through counseling and the WCA was recommended.

Hannah (H): I originally got involved with the WCA as a client. My mom, brother and I were clients. The WCA was a huge help for us, so I ended up referring someone I knew to the WCA recently and she stayed in the shelter. At that point my health was more stable and I decided it was a good time to get started volunteering, something I’d wanted to do since I was a kid.

2. What are your hopes for the future of the WCA?

M: My hopes would be to eliminate the stereotyping that the average citizen thinks of as abuse and educate them with a deeper understanding of the different types of abuse. I further hope it will help individuals realize the lifelong effect it can have on the survivor’s life.

H: My hopes for the future of the WCA would just be to help as many people as possible. I think it would be great to see the shelters grow and be able to accommodate more clients. I also think adding more services where needed be would be great. Just since I was a client there, they have expanded quite a bit and I love seeing that progress.

3. What motivated you to be a volunteer for the WCA?

M: My main motivation is giving hope to others that might find themselves in a situation similar to my children and I. I was blessed to have the WCA in my life and I am so grateful to be on the other side helping survivors with their needs.

H: As I said, the WCA helped my family tremendously, so that was my main motive behind volunteering at the WCA. It was something my mom and I had planned to do ever since we no longer needed their services.

4. What have you gotten most out of being a WCA volunteer? What was your favorite part of volunteering for the holiday programs?

M: I enjoy giving back to others and seeing others improve their lives and the lives of their children. I am looking forward to giving out the gifts for the Holiday Sponsorship program.

H: The thing I have gotten most out of volunteering is just happiness and gratitude for being able to give back to the WCA and the community. So far for holiday programs, I have volunteered for sorting and organizing gift tags for the giving tree, which was great! It wasn’t necessarily what most people would consider fun, but I had a great time. The ladies I worked with were super sweet and we all came up with a great system for organizing the tags. Another holiday program I’m currently involved in is the Holiday Sponsorship program. I am having a lot of fun getting gifts and I love the thought of giving a great Christmas to a family that may not have gotten one without the WCA. My brother, mom and I got Christmas from the WCA one year and it was very special.

5. What words or advice do you have for clients who are seeking our services in this time?

M: Reach out! The hardest part is the first step, which is trusting anyone. The WCA is full of people that want to see you in a safe and happy environment. As hard as it can be, let them know your needs and wants.  They want to help you through this difficult journey, so that one day you will be like my children and I, not survivors, but conquerors!

H: My advice to clients seeking services would be to never be afraid to ask for help when you need it and to never give up. Freedom is worth all the work it takes to come out of a situation like that.

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