Volunteer Spotlight: Karen Tuohy
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit. Whether working in an office or at an event, volunteers play crucial roles in our success by supplementing the work of our small fundraising team. Simply put, we could not execute the fun, family events we all enjoy without all those extra helping hands!
Some volunteers go above and beyond though and those individuals deserve a bit more special recognition.
Meet Karen Tuohy. (pictured right)
Karen and her two children have been involved with Autism Delaware for more than a decade. "I've been volunteering a very long time. I worked for the Red Clay School District for 31 years and started volunteering before I retired." Like many volunteers, Karen found a number of ways to get involved. "I've done the Walk...I've done community fairs...I've done whatever Autism Delaware has asked me to do. If I'm free, I'll do it."
But what sets Karen apart is the weekly bowling night she's run in New Castle County for the last 15 years. That's right - every Wednesday night for 15 years!
"Honestly, this wasn’t my idea. Bowling had started, and someone who worked at Autism Delaware did it weekly, and I attended weekly with my children, but then she went out on disability, and she told Autism Delaware 'Karen will take over!' So when I got that phone call I said 'Well you know what, I’ll give it a try.' And it worked and here we are."
We asked Karen what keeps her going week in and out. "It's a sense of purpose. It wards off loneliness because you do have people you look forward to seeing. You build relationships with the bowlers and with their parents so kind of it’s a no brainer."
And what about the bowlers?
"They let you know they appreciate you. You know when someone hasn’t come for a month and they come back and I get a big hug and ‘I missed you.’ It makes you feel like you make a difference in their week when you’re here. When I told people I was retiring, one of my bowlers said 'But wait, what about us?' I said, 'Honey – I’m retiring from teaching not bowling. I haven’t retired from life!'"
We asked some of the families what impact Karen has made on their kids' lives...
"Our family has been coming to bowling with Karen since 2019. She is amazing at staying on top of everything, and she always makes sure everyone has a good time and feels included. She even keeps track of everyone's birthdays so we can all celebrate!"
"Karen has done an exceptional job for many years. She organizes the lanes, helps everyone set up the scoring and just makes sure that the group is taken care of. She checks in with all of the bowlers to see how they’re doing, and treats everyone like family. Wednesdays are a special evening for us, and Karen has made it that way."
"We appreciate her handling bowling night every Wednesday. Our daughter loves going."
So what's Karen's advice for others looking to volunteer?
"Go in with a good mindset and a good attitude. And if you are friendly and give respect, people are friendly and give respect right back. Honestly you’re gonna get more than you give."
We couldn't agree more! Thank you Karen for your years of dedication and always giving us more than we could ever give you in return!