Ambassador Julia is a volunteering powerhouse. Bake sales, bingo, fun runs, speeches — she does it all. Why? In honor of Volunteer Week, read on for a heartwarming Q&A that will give you all the answers and leave you wanting to give back too. Join Julia and get involved!
Ambassador Julia goes gold for childhood cancer awareness.
1. What’s your favorite volunteering position and why?
My role as St. Baldrick’s ambassador has become a favorite, but I love any of the volunteering I do that helps sick kids. That’s most of the volunteering I do lately. Helping sick kids is my favorite, because I’m helping them like people helped me when I was on treatment and having so many surgeries. Also, when I grow up I want to have a foundation that helps create programs that make sick kids who are in the hospital happy. In fact, I want to perform for kids in the hospital when I grow up.
2. What is it like being a St. Baldrick’s Ambassador? What’s your favorite part?
It’s really exciting being a St. Baldrick’s ambassador! I get to make fun videos talking to people about childhood cancer and what St. Baldrick’s does, and I REALLY love going to shave events! There’s always a lot of action, everyone is really nice and I get to make speeches. The shave events are definitely my favorite part, along with knowing that I’m helping raise money for childhood cancer research.
Ambassador Julia smiles with a shavee at the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department head-shaving event in Virginia.
3. Where else do you volunteer and how often do you volunteer?
I volunteer at least once or twice a month for several organizations in my community. Once a month, I visit a local assisted living facility with my music teacher and other students from the studio. We spend an hour performing for the residents. I play the piano and sing, and I really enjoy making the older people happy.
I volunteer for local organizations like the Sweet Julia Grace Foundation and Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation. I volunteer for fundraising events at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, the hospital where I’m treated. I also collect and donate items to the child life program there, and I hope to earn my Girl Scout Silver Award with a project that I’m working on that will benefit that program. One of my favorite service projects this school year was laying wreaths on the graves of veterans and fallen soldiers at Christmas time with my Girl Scout troop. I’ve also volunteered a couple times this school year at another local nursing home with my school’s Joe15 community service club. We played Bingo with the residents.
Ambassador Julia lays Christmas wreaths on the graves of veterans and fallen soldiers.
4. When did you start volunteering? How old were you?
I started volunteering when I was 5 years old. My first community service project was with the Girl Scouts. My mommy was leader of our Daisy troop, and we collected items to send to Army troops deployed in Afghanistan. We also drew pictures and wrote notes for them.
5. Why do you volunteer?
I volunteer because it’s the Godly thing to do, what we’re supposed to do. We should help people and give back to others all the blessings God has given us. It makes me feel so warm inside and my heart swells ten times when I volunteer!
Ambassador Julia sports a tutu during a fundraising run.
6. Why do you think it’s important to volunteer?
It’s important to volunteer because we ALL should give back to others. Helping others reminds us to appreciate what we have and makes our world a better place.
Ready to help kids with cancer as a St. Baldrick’s volunteer? Get involved today!
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