Volunteerism stretches the human reach to all corners of the world’s needs. My friend, Michelle Laslett, and I realized this when we started Give Back Girls over two years ago. Our mission is to give back in a variety of ways on a consistent basis, and we inspired others to join us! Ten girls strong, we get involved with our community at least once per month to lend a hand with everything from weeding the kennels in an animal shelter to ushering guests at various galas. It was when we found the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through a volunteer site that we gained a greater understanding of just how important our helping hands are.
It is through CF Foundation fundraising events that CF research has been able to continue bringing medications to the CF community and drastically improving the life expectancy of people with CF. Our helping hands bring medication and life. It is because of these events that CF warriors receive resources to ensure they get medical care and guidance navigating hurdles like employment, disability, and school accommodations. Our helping hands bring medical and social care. The Foundation has an ambitious future planned, including continued genetic research, prevention of lung transplant rejection, and better infection treatments. Our helping hands look to the future.
We started our relationship with the CF Foundation at our local Great Strides walk, which is an important fundraising event for this organization as it gives CF families an opportunity to congregate while supporting the cause. Many CF families are familiar with one another and the warriors that live with the disease become everyone’s warriors. Teams show up with support, love, and determination. This is the event that the Give Back Girls volunteer at annually — setting up, checking in walkers, passing out t-shirts, and manning the food table. We always leave this event feeling accomplished and full of joy and love.
When our CF Foundation chapter has an emergency volunteer need, they know that they can give the Give Back Girls a holler. The Rose Ball was a great example of this. When they reached out for a helping hand, I hopped in my car and drove 50 miles to Hartford to decorate the tables!
Why did I make this so important that I dropped everything — on my anniversary — to get there? You see, among our community, there are individuals who are concerned each day about whether they will be able to take all their breaths easily that day. They wonder how they can participate at school, work, home, and social events without getting an infection that could end their life. I was enlightened to this while reading the stories of warriors at the Rose Ball event. One individual’s story explained, as he thanked those attending, that he was unable to attend the Rose Ball due to the risk of infection.
I took a long pause as the gravity of this set into my mind. I realized the lack of simple freedoms that these brave individuals have as a result of their disease — freedoms most of us take for granted, like hopping on a bus, going to a concert, attending a carnival, or going to church. CF warriors live one day at a time as they move through their lives, not knowing if they will have their own family, see a career through, or graduate high school.
This is why supporting the CF Foundation is that important. Helping these individuals see as many tomorrows as possible is at the heart of this Foundation and the drive behind the Give Back Girls’ helping hands.
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