I’d like to tell you about the small but effective group of Jeff Hopkins, Amy Woodruff and their assistant Shori Teeple.
Jeff and Amy have made a huge impact at the Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) by helping in the public programs department. They volunteered every Tuesday morning throughout the year and during the summer months would come out more often to help with additional programs. Jeff and Amy are very skilled when it comes to cutting out newspaper articles relating to nature for the bulletin board they helped to create, lending a hand at the barn by walking our pony, Lacy, interacting with visitors through reading stories, answering questions, and always helping to meet the Nature Center's mission of ‘connecting people with nature’.
Jeff and Amy have both brought their talents and passions to
share with visitors at KNC. Jeff had a
love of horses and had his own horse treat making business. He became fast friends with Lacy the pony by
bringing her treats and bonded with other volunteers through their mutual
affection for horses. Amy and Jeff are
both graduates of
All of this would seem a major contribution from anyone but from Jeff and Amy it means even more. The part of the story that still needs to be told is that Jeff had Cerebral Palsy with multiple disabilities and Amy has challenges that affect her mobility and communication skills. To accomplish their volunteer tasks, Jeff and Amy use the help of an assistant, Shori, and lots of cool assistive technology.
Overall Impact: How did they make a difference?
Jeff and Amy are known and recognized by all the members of the KNC staff and have become favorites of many of our visitors. While they manage to accomplish many worthwhile tasks, their true impact is in their connections with people. Jeff was at his best when he was stationed in the lower level of the barn. From there he was able to help visitors and fellow volunteers make connections with our barn animals. Toward the middle of the summer, visitors began to expect a visit with Jeff when they entered the barn. In fact, one 2 year old was misunderstood at breakfast when he asked his dad if “giraffe” would be at the barn. It wasn’t until they walked into the lower level and the little boy pointed at “Jeff” that the Dad realized that it was Jeff and not a giraffe that he had wanted to visit.
Amy is a social butterfly.
She is happiest when she makes the rounds and says good morning to
everyone. Over the last 3 years, she has
learned everyone’s name and is not shy about introducing herself when new
people arrive. This past holiday season,
Amy and Shori volunteered for our Holidays at the
Obstacles: How did they overcome obstacles in life to serve as volunteers?
I don’t think it would be possible to put on paper all the challenges that Jeff and Amy deal with on a daily basis. But here is glimpse: when Jeff began volunteering at KNC in 2004, he came equipped with his wheelchair, tray and head switch. Jeff was able to communicate with smiles, sounds and a nod of his head. With the help of assistive technology in the form of head switches, voice output communication aids, and environmental control equipment, Jeff was a full participant in the volunteer work. Jeff was always a hard worker and willing to share his opinion. Amy is able to walk with assistance and can communicate verbally with some assistance from voice output devices. She is also a willing participant and when she is not telling jokes, gives her opinion and lends a hand. Jeff and Amy’s contribution to KNC would not be possible without the help of Shori Teeple. Shori is employed by Amy and Jeff and is their chauffeur, helper, cheerleader, guide and friend. Together this trio has taken on the challenge of helping out at KNC. They have also learned to take advantage of volunteering at such a beautiful site by taking time to walk our accessible trails. Despite the challenges that Jeff and Amy have had throughout their lives, they carry with them a zeal for life that affects everyone they come in contact with.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of all this year was losing Jeff. He passed away last October. Though we miss him dearly he has left a lasting impression in all of our hearts. Shori and Amy are continuing their volunteer work with Jeff’s spirit always present.
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Once the STAR Awards have been announced, the web site will be updated to share the results.
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