Volunteer Highlight: Teresa Smith — You Get What You Give
by: Hannah Washington, Data Development & Communications Coordinator
When Teresa and her husband decided to retire, they knew they wanted more than just a place to live. They wanted community.
Jacksonville wasn’t necessarily the obvious choice at first. In fact, Teresa describes finding the town as “kind of a left turn.” But after talking with their realtor, she made one thing clear: she wanted to find a place where she could feel connected. Her realtor told her, “I know the place for you.”
After settling into Jacksonville, Teresa began learning more about the community, and the Jacksonville Community Center quickly caught her attention.
“I thought, what a great place, and I want to be part of it,” she remembers.
A year later, Teresa has become a familiar and welcoming face in the Center’s youth programs, volunteering with after-school activities and summer camps. Her connection with young people goes back to her years as a teacher in California, where she taught in Imperial Valley, Westmoreland, and Bakersfield. She taught nearly every grade from kindergarten through eighth grade, with the exception of first grade. Third and fifth grade were her favorites, while seventh grade, she says, “was an experience.” Along the way, she worked with programs including ESL, AVID, SCIN Science, and Family Math. Having previously worked as a teacher, she says she has always enjoyed spending time with young people. But what she loves most is the positivity and joy they bring with them.
“Just the comments and working with them in such a positive environment brings a smile to my face,” she says.
One of Teresa’s favorite parts of volunteering is sitting around a table with a group of kids and, as she puts it, “being a kid myself.” Whether she is helping with an activity, talking with the children, or admiring their creations, those moments have become meaningful to her.
After a year of volunteering, she has also started to recognize the kids, and they recognize her.
“When I walk into the room, I have several smiling faces now that greet me like, ‘Oh, you’re here!’ And I’m like, yes, I’m here—and you’re here! Yay, fun!’”
Teresa believes adults have just as much to learn from young people as young people have to learn from adults. She says children can teach us to be happy, approach problems in different ways, get along with others, embrace people, and find joy in creating.
For Teresa, giving back extends well beyond the Community Center. She is involved with several Jacksonville organizations, including the Garden Club, local boosters, the Jacksonville history community, and other community groups. She also enjoys gardening, cooking for local organizations, spending time on Jacksonville’s trails, and taking her two dogs to the parks.
Her commitment to community involvement is not new. As a teacher, Teresa organized after-school and weekend programs and participated in several after-school programs. She also helped with sports and art festivals and was involved in a program focused on community service and helping others. Today, she continues that same tradition of showing up.
Her advice to anyone considering volunteering is simple:
“You always get what you give.”
The more you become involved, Teresa says, the more you get back. It can be easy to sit on the sidelines, but getting involved creates connection, purpose, and meaningful relationships.
For Teresa, volunteering isn’t simply about giving her time. It is one of the ways she has found and helped create the community she was looking for when she first arrived in Jacksonville.
And that, perhaps, is the heart of volunteering: you show up for your community, and your community gives something back to you.
For more information about how to get involved in youth programs and start volunteering today, reach out to Sarah Greco our Youth & Family Programs Coordinator @ sarahg@jacksonvillecommunitycenter.org. To inquire about volunteer opportunities extending beyond our youth and family programs, contact Tori Wood, our Facility and Volunteer Coordinator @ vwood@jacksonvillecommunitycenter.org
We appreciate your willingness to serve and support in helping our youth grow with positive community engagement!
