Sioux Empire United Way is very grateful for the leaders of our community to give their time, energy, and passion to our organization year after year. We have many great leaders who serve on our Board of Directors and we would not be able to continue to make an impact in the 33 communities of the Sioux Empire without their expertise and leadership. Let's get to know a few of these members.
Our Emerging Leaders Chair is Jessica Stienstra from Voyage Federal Credit Union.
1. Volunteering is a big part of your life, what do you do as a family to pass this on to your children?
My husband and I believe that sharing our time, treasure and talents is very important and spend time talking with our kids about that and also hopefully lead by example. There are also quite a few kid-friendly volunteer opportunities around Sioux Falls so we have been able to include them in some of our efforts. Last year we volunteered as a family, including our 6-month old at the time, to help guide kids through the process of picking out new shoes, hats and gloves. That was a really eye-opening experience for the older 2 as I don’t think they realized there are kids in our community who would go without those items without the support of local organizations and community members who volunteer their time and money to help support those in need. That experience also made me realize that we can’t just tell our kids about our efforts in the community and hope they get it, we need to bring them along and involve them so that it becomes a natural part of who they are and that giving back is always a priority for them as it is for us.
2. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Well, I don't know if it is really a holiday tradition since it seems to happen earlier and earlier every year, but we always go to Cherry Berry to celebrate the first snow fall. It is a family favorite!
We also make a point of going to Falls Park to enjoy the Christmas lights each year so we can enjoy the music and the park is so beautiful.
3. What has been your favorite part or opportunity through Emerging Leaders?
Having been a part of Emerging Leaders from the very beginning – going all the way back to the very first meeting where we were trying to figure out what this group was going to look like - it has been a lot of fun to watch the development and growth of the group over the last several years. I have also met so many great people that I probably would have never met because of Emerging Leaders. I think what my favorite thing has been though is seeing all of the lives that have been impacted by this group and the people in it. Last year during Rake the Town, one of the homeowners came out while we were raking and she was just so thankful for the help and it just put smiles on all of our faces. I am and have been involved with many different organizations, but none of them have filled my heart with as much joy as our Emerging Leaders group. We are a group that makes an impact in our community and that is a really an amazing thing.
4. In 10 words, tell us about your Sioux Empire United Way experience.
Making friends while making a positive impact in my community.
5. What is one thing you hope our community members will do in the new year.
I would like to challenge everyone who reads this to do something in 2020 that makes a positive impact in our community. Whether that means joining Emerging Leaders, volunteering for a local non-profit, giving to the United Way for the first time – whatever that means to you take that first step in learning more about the needs of our community and then do something that will make a difference in someone’s life. One small act may not seem like much, but if each one of us does one small thing that adds up to a lot in the bigger picture. One life impacted or changed is one life made better and at the end of the day that makes our community stronger.