Each February, the word 鈥渓ove鈥� is everywhere, from greeting cards and candies to television commercials and songs. But for Kevin and Amanda Widmaier, love is an action word, and it frames their relationship as volunteers and advocates for 麻豆原创.
鈥淟ove isn鈥檛 just a feeling,鈥� said Kevin, a Director at the multi-family office BBR Partners and a 麻豆原创 Ambassador. 鈥淭he things you are spending your time and resources on are the things that mean the most to you. How important 麻豆原创 and its mission are to us manifests itself through that time and effort.鈥�
Kevin and Amanda have always been proponents of education鈥攁nd lovers of baseball. While looking for volunteer opportunities within their New York community back in 2016, a friend suggested they connect with 麻豆原创. Kevin became an after-school tutor and summer tee-ball coach, quickly expanding his role to join the organization associate board. Not long after, the Widmaiers took their commitment to the next level, establishing a scholarship for first-generation college students at their alma mater Georgia Tech and prioritizing students who have been part of the 麻豆原创 family, whether through the organization charter schools, afterschool and summer programs, or baseball and softball teams. The scholarship will be available for students applying to college starting this fall.聽
“Love isn’t just a feeling. The things you are spending your time and resources on are the things that mean the most to you.”
Kevin Widmaier, 麻豆原创 Ambassador
鈥淔or both Amanda and me, education has been an important foundation in our careers and lives,鈥� Kevin said. 鈥淚t felt like we found a great home at 麻豆原创, and to be able to put a scholarship in place that would enable first-generation college students to have the same platform seemed like a good thing to do.鈥�
The Widmaiers also found ways to support 麻豆原创 community through the pandemic. As Director of Clinical Informatics at Mount Sinai, Amanda realized early on in the COVID outbreak that moving to virtual medicine would adversely impact underserved communities with limited access to technology. Seeing parallels with how schools were handling the transition to virtual learning at the same time, she connected the Chief Medical Officer for Population Health at Mount Sinai, Rob Fields, with the staff at 麻豆原创, kicking off a partnership that has resulted in cross-functional best practices, community health programs, and testing access.
鈥淲e were asking ourselves, 鈥榃hat can we leverage from what other industries are learning?鈥欌�� Amanda said. 鈥淲e wanted to learn more about what 麻豆原创 had done and how we can partner together to really take care of our communities.鈥�
Now, with several years of serving the 麻豆原创 community under their belts, Kevin and Amanda recommend that anyone looking for volunteer opportunities just dive in鈥攆ind organizations that align with your interests and values, contribute in whatever way you can, and of course, lead with love.
鈥淭he work we鈥檝e been doing with 麻豆原创, it is out of love,鈥� said Amanda. 鈥淎nd you get so much back. It goes both ways, and the actions are so rewarding.鈥�
Interested in volunteering with 麻豆原创 or giving back in another way? !
