Volunteer Spotlight: Jesuit Volunteers

Left to Right: Abby, Katelyn & Rebecca

You might not know it, but the Women’s and Children’s Alliance is home to three full-time Jesuit Volunteers. Katelyn Lyons, Rebecca Del Rossi, and Abby Schultz all serve in various positions at the WCA as part of a year of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest.

Katelyn Lyons serves as a Community Support Specialist and works to coordinate WCA volunteers, organize in-kind donations, and various special events. Rebecca Del Rossi serves as the Prevention Coordinator, she works with adolescents by presenting curriculum and engaging with young people to prevent abusive relationships from ever starting. Abby Schultz serves as the Outreach Coordinator and works to promote the mission and vision of the WCA to the general community through tabling at events, social media and the monthly newsletter.Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest members live in intentional community with other volunteers while serving at various positions throughout the Pacific Northwest. There are currently five Jesuit Volunteers serving in Boise, and over 120 throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Katelyn hails from Hampden, Maine and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. She studied Anthropology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Her interest in the WCA stems from volunteering at a similar organization, Abby’s House, in college. Her volunteer experience in the Abby’s House thrift store, along with observational field work, informed a senior thesis about charity and volunteerism.

“I spent a lot of my college career either engaging in volunteer work or thinking about volunteerism in an academic sense, and I was drawn to this position at the WCA because it would allow me to look at volunteering from an organizational perspective. I think one of the things I enjoy most about volunteer coordination is getting to know the WCA’s wonderful volunteers and working alongside them to support the WCA’s mission,” Katelyn said.

Rebecca is from Canton, New York, much closer to Canada than the five boroughs of New York City. She attended Villanova University in suburban Philadelphia where she studied Political Science and Peace and Justice Studies. She facilitated discussions about race, class and gender on her campus as well as ran for Villanova’s nationally ranked Cross Country and Track and Field teams.

“I love being able to serve at this organization. My favorite part so far has been working with teens and other youth, and talking to them about what healthy relationships look like,” Rebecca said. “It is not something our culture usually teaches as we grow up, so it is really special for me to be able to talk over scenarios, warning signs, and their own lived experiences of relationships. I’m excited to see what the rest of this year brings!”

Abby is from Homewood, Illinois, just south of Chicago. She attended DePaul University in Chicago and received her Master’s Degree in Health Communication in a five year program. Her studies included an emphasis on trauma and PTSD. She’s volunteered and interned at various health care institutions in Chicago.

“Lots of my other experience has been much more research based. The coolest part of being on the WCA’s team is the ability to implement lots of my knowledge about both trauma and communication and be able to pass those onto the community in a tangible way,” Abby said.

The Jesuit Volunteers are currently halfway through their year of service, which concludes at the end of July.

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Jesuit Volunteers Corps Northwest responds to local community needs in the Northwest by placing volunteers who provide value-centered service grounded in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Jesuit Volunteers have the opportunity to live and serve with partner agencies in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

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