It’s National Volunteer Recognition Week! Every day this week we’ll be highlighting a Sanctuary volunteer who will be honored at our Pillars of Change Volunteer Recognition Event on May 10th. Learn More and register for Pillars of Change.
Joan Lipton has been volunteering with Sanctuary’s Economic Empowerment Program for two years, though she has been connected to Sanctuary for much longer
Around 15 years ago, Sanctuary reached out to Joan, who was heading a forensic accounting and litigation support practice at a regional CPA firm, to enlist her help with financial aspects of clients’ divorce cases.
It was this pro bono experience that led her to think of Sanctuary for Families as she wound down her practice and decided to spend more time volunteering with organizations that assisted women. “I had always been impressed by the dedication of Sanctuary’s attorneys and the motivation of their clients”, she explains.
In her time as a Sanctuary volunteer, Joan has become an integral part of the Career Advancement Network, one of our volunteer advisory groups which supports our Economic Empowerment Program by providing resume support, mentorship, skills training, and career networking.
Joan has been a central part of the Economic Empowerment Program’s success in identifying internship and full-time employment opportunities for graduates.
Joan’s tenacity and dedication to our clients was evident from the beginning and the impact she has had on our graduates’ futures is undeniable. “The first EEP graduate I worked to place in an internship is a warm and talented woman, with a true gift for words and self-expression. I was able to arrange a three-month internship at a large CPA firm. When the internship ended, the firm moved her into a full-time paid position in the file room; and after just a few months, she was promoted to a position in the tax department, reporting to seven tax partners and managers”, she remembers.
Joan’s pride in her role and in the clients she works with is tangible. “Our clients demonstrate tremendous resilience and motivation and never cease to amaze me” she writes, “no organization that has accepted an intern has ever said to me, don’t send another!”
Pillars of Change is an opportunity to honor extraordinary volunteers like Joan, who bring warmth, determination, and humor to our staff and hope and opportunity to our clients.
We hope you will join us at Pillars of Change on May 10, 2017 to recognize Joan and four other incredible volunteers for their service. You can join us at Pillars of Change by registering now!