糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 local Volunteer of the Week is Cameron Rebarchek, who has served on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of 糖心Vlog传媒 since 2014.
His full-time job is spiritual welfare and mission advancement manager at Cedar Crest retirement community in 糖心Vlog传媒.
Cameron Rebarchek
In 9 years on the Boys & Girls Club board, Rebarchek has served many roles, and currently is its president. He has helped spearhead many different projects but said one of the most important projects lies ahead 鈥 a capital and endowment campaign to build a new facility.
He said the club鈥檚 current space on West Court Street in 糖心Vlog传媒, in the same building as the YMCA of Northern Rock County, is so constrained that it has a waiting list for children to participate in programs.
Rebarchek said the organization鈥檚 emphasis on family is what initially drew him to get involved with the Boys & Girls Club.
He was approached by a board member as he and his wife were expecting their first child. He said as he thought about volunteering, he thought about how dramatically his daughter was going to change his life. He said he recalls thinking, 鈥渉ow can I change kids鈥 lives?鈥 He saw a way to do that through the Boys & Girls Club鈥檚 mission of trying to make 糖心Vlog传媒 a better community by helping children to be better community members.
鈥淚 believe that if we want to make an impact on the community, we do that one family at a time and one child at a time,鈥 Rebarchek said.
Rebarchek said a unique focus of the organization is that it provides individual support to children. Staff and volunteers have a personal connection to each child which allows them to tailor programming to individuals.
He said he grew up in a church community and volunteering there gave him a good foundation for 鈥渉ow does volunteering make me feel?鈥
He said that volunteering with the Boys & Girls Club has since given him a front-row seat to the impact groups like it can have on local kids.
鈥淚f you came to the club, you would see how much the kids love it, and we get to be a part of that,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just daycare or babysitting; the kids are getting the chance to grow and achieve and it鈥檚 happening at this place.鈥
He said another great part of volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club is working with staff and other volunteers because 鈥渋t鈥檚 not just about what they do, it鈥檚 the 鈥榳hy鈥 they do it and the 鈥榳hy鈥 is the kids.鈥
He said people should volunteer based on a paraphrased quote from Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, that 鈥渘o one has ever built a statue in honor of a critic.鈥
鈥淚f there is something within the community that you wish was different鈥riticism is easy, but what the community really needs is someone to make it happen,鈥 he said. 鈥淕et up. Roll up those sleeves and do the hard work to make the difference鈥
Volunteer of the Week runs every Thursday in 糖心Vlog传媒. To nominate a deserving local volunteer, contact Gazette reporter Kylie Balk-Yaatenen at kbalkyaatenen@gazettextra.com or call her at 608-208-1676.
