Give Big: Yeske Buie Volunteer Events

One of Yeske Buie’s defined core values is our desire to willingly and selflessly share our time, our intellect, and our resources. In the past week, various Yeske Buie team members have volunteered with different foundations as a part of Yeske Buie’s Give Big initiative.

Last Saturday, Jen Hicks, Russell Kroeger, and Victoria Harrell all volunteered with Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco at their Park Beautification event at Hilltop Park. The purpose of this project is to rejuvenate the park to make it a center for the neighborhood to enjoy and spend time outside. Before the park has contractors come in a build up the park, they are taking advantage of the volunteered labor to do the clean-up work. Our Yeske Buie team members helped pick up trash, edge the sidewalks, pull the weeds from the mulch, and dig up invasive plants to make room for new, native plants to be planted.

While getting their hands dirty and enjoying the trees and grass over the city is fun, our team members each enjoyed the experience for different reasons:

“My favorite part about cleaning up the park was working alongside Diane, a member of the community who is directly impacted by the work we were doing, and she was a lot of fun with a great personality! Several organizations have come together to renovate and upgrade the park in an effort to build and sustain the community through a clean, safe, engaging, functional place to go that also encourages healthy recreational activities.” – Jen Hicks

“The park we helped rebuild is in the middle of a neighborhood that is beginning to recover from gang activity and other adversity it has been struggling with since the mid-1990s. Having the opportunity to work next to and hear stories from members of the community was a humbling experience. It was encouraging to see the gratitude shared by those directly benefited by the work.” – Russell Kroeger

Russell, Jen, and Victoria at the park.	Learning about the Park Beautification event.
Victoria, Russell and Jen at Twin Peaks	Jen enjoying volunteering.

The next day, several team members on the east coast, Cristin Etheredge, Lauren Grove, Lauren Vitt, and Anthony Castaldi volunteered with Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation at one of their Pet Adoption events. The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation rescues abandoned or displaced dogs and cats from the threat of euthanasia in over-crowded shelters or other at-risk situations and places them for adoption into loving homes. Our volunteers each spent time with several dogs playing with them, learning more about them, and trying to find them a new, forever home. The experience touched each of our team members differently:

“I realized I was helping Lost Dog and Cat Rescue make a difference when I saw multiple dogs going home with their new families – I swear the dogs had smiles on their faces. I also got to tell a few pet owners about Lost Dog and Cat Rescue and their efforts and successes (43 dogs and cats found homes this weekend alone!).” – Lauren Grove

“The smiles on people’s faces as they saw and played with dogs will always resonate with me. It proved to me the time there was not only meaningful to the dogs but helped create joy in the lives of the families.” – Anthony Castaldi

Cristin, Anthony, Lauren G. and Lauren V. at the Pet Adoption Event	Lauren G. with Ovie
Anthony and Lauren V. with dogs.	Lauren V. with her dog, Homero
Anthony with Bart	Lauren G., Lauren V., and Anthony at the Pet Adoption event.

And last night, Sabina Smailhodzic and Dorothy Navales volunteered their time at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Here they are helping to package 2,700 pounds of oatmeal.