Volunteer of the Month, sponsored by NV Energy, celebrates local heroes who are dedicated to serving our community. This month, we are proud to feature our Volunteer of the Month, Armando. Armando enjoys volunteering and says that it’s something that will make you feel grounded, involved, accomplished, empowered, and left with a heart filled with hope. He shares, “If you need a sign, just picture me holding a poster board with the words THIS IS IT”. To join the #TeamUWSN Volunteer Team visit volunteer.uwsn.org. Check out why Armando volunteers below:
What inspired you to volunteer?
I am a 2nd degree black belt in the arts of complaining, getting upset, growing frustrated, and whining about what’s wrong with the world all from the comfort of my Dallas Cowboys bean bag.
A close friend of mine, who is like my sister, encouraged me to be a part of the solution instead of the problem; which would allow me to one day leave Las Vegas better than I found it.
She didn’t say it exactly like that, but she got her point across by inviting me to an event with her and her husband.
Luckily I have her in my life because she recognized how disappointed I felt with how seemingly rough, ugly, and negative the planet has become in recent times .
She helped drastically change my perspective and after attending events I’ve learned that, like her and her husband, there are countless good souls out there fighting the good fight.
How are you supporting our community through volunteering?
Volunteering has given me the pleasure of being able to assist with feeding those in need, handing out clothing to the homeless, obtain/organize/distribute toys for children, handing out school supplies to students in need of supplies, etcetera.
This has inspired me to create my own personal volunteering events if you will.
This includes: cleaning up trash in my neighborhood, picking up groceries for friends/family/elderly neighbors, and donating money to the less fortunate.
Volunteering is the easiest thing in the world to do and doesn’t have to include a dozen people wearing cool matching T-shirts and a big, shiny banner.
You can start in your own neighborhood, on your own time without having to alter your schedule.
What does it mean to work for a company like NV Energy that encourages giving back to our community?
It gives me a real sense of pride to work for a company that supports volunteering and allows me the chance to help my community in so many different ways.
What makes this experience even more amazing is having the opportunity to meet and work alongside so many fantastic people who share the same passion, who are fighting the good fight.
It has been such a pleasure working with the event coordinators, Ms. Karen Johnson and Ms. Angel Williams.
They make sure the event information is being sent out and are so knowledgeable, reliable, and accessible.
They are so kind to everyone involved; from the seasoned, veteran volunteers to somebody new to the volunteering scene.
How has volunteering improved your life?
To sum it up in one word: Therapy.
Volunteering helps me manage my own mental health by helping me deal with anxiety and stress and feel like myself again.
It has provided me with a new sense of purpose and the ability to gain courage in order to be more active in giving back while welcoming others that might be interested.
There is no feeling like helping out someone in need.
Before I became involved in volunteering, I found myself floating around feeling a bit disconnected, but now find myself freshly motivated with a goal for each new event.