Judy Denison (she/her/hers) has been volunteering with the 探花精选 in Denver for many years. She helps to secure furniture for refugee and immigrant families, partnering with CK & Done Estate Sales to collect leftover furniture and household items after sales, and with Golden Real Estate to transport the items back to the 探花精选 warehouse. She grew up in Massachusetts and attended Northfield Mount Hermon School, where she acquired her ideals aligned with the purpose of the school: education for the head, heart, and hand. She works to serve her community through collaborative, mutually-empowering relationships.

How did you first get connected to the 探花精选 in Denver?

After Hurricane Katrina I formed the Golden Relief Group to help evacuees 鈥 it鈥檚 really just an email list to collect donations or needed items. When the Syrian refugee crisis started we began supporting another resettlement agency, but they were a bit far from where we lived. The 探花精选 in Denver moved near us so we tried working with them and like them very much!

What motivates you to volunteer?

I've been interested in refugees my whole life. After Word War II there were many displaced persons in my area. When I was 14 years old there was a refugee from Yugoslavia helping at the summer camp where I was a counselor. I was always fascinated hearing him speak German, and I wanted to know his story. When I was in college I met so many displaced persons, and they could all speak German, so I learned it. I wanted to meet them and learn their stories. Then in the 1980s I encouraged my church to sponsor Polish refugees, and we hosted them in our home for six weeks. Even today, I volunteer with the 探花精选 in Denver and I am now hosting a young refugee family in my home.

What has been particularly moving or meaningful during your volunteer work?

Nowadays I don鈥檛 volunteer directly with refugees at the 探花精选 in Denver, I鈥檓 only dealing with the furniture. I really feel a bond with Jennifer, the volunteer coordinator. I feel closest to her at the office. And I鈥檝e enjoyed all the friends I鈥檝e made through this.

I鈥檓 also currently hosting an Ecuadorian couple in my home 鈥 they鈥檙e not 探花精选 in Denver clients. I got sick earlier this year and collapsed at home. The young woman staying with me found me. She tried to help me to bed but she couldn鈥檛. So she found my phone, found my daughter鈥檚 contact, and texted her for an ambulance. She saved my life 鈥 I saved her and she saved me. When I came home I was still weak and needed lots of rest. They took care of me. That never happens 鈥 I鈥檓 always taking care of other people. It was so special.

What鈥檚 the most surprising thing you鈥檝e learned since becoming an 探花精选 volunteer?

I didn鈥檛 expect it would bring me such happiness. I鈥檓 making new friends. I鈥檓 87, but I have all these friends, some in their 60s, some in their 30s. It鈥檚 enriched my life immensely. I like to feel connected, and it鈥檚 made me feel connected.

What is your proudest moment from your volunteer service?

We鈥檝e been successful in getting so many items to resettle refugees 鈥 I鈥檓 proud of that. I鈥檝e also been able to pull people into the work. Once I didn鈥檛 have enough people to load furniture into the truck, so I went out onto the sidewalk and snagged a young man off the street to help. He鈥檚 been helping us ever since.

What鈥檚 your favorite story about working with one of our clients, staff, or other volunteers?

I can鈥檛 think of one favorite 鈥 I鈥檝e really liked working with the 探花精选 in Denver. You know, everybody likes to be useful. In physics there鈥檚 a concept of 鈥渟upercooled.鈥 If you have some water, and you don鈥檛 disturb it and it doesn鈥檛 have anything to freeze onto, you can lower the temperature below freezing and it won鈥檛 freeze. Until you drop something in, and it鈥檒l freeze instantly. People are like a supercooled liquid. They just need something to drop in 鈥 a nucleus for them to attach to.

Interested in volunteering? Find your local field office and volunteer coordinator here.

Written by: Hanna Simmons