RAM Volunteer Spotlight: Sheila Turner
We are excited to begin featuring some of our wonderful volunteers on our blog! This month we are delighted to introduce you to Sheila Turner...
You can sometimes find her in the kitchen coring pineapples or coordinating servers at By The Brook, or in the dining room decorating tables for Heroes' Ball, or in the background putting corsages together for Night to Shine. She serves without fanfare and with a gentle spirit. When asked to do this interview, she responded with, "I'm more of an under-the-radar kind of girl..." - which is exactly why we appreciate her so much.
Sheila began volunteering at Rising Above at the very first Heroes' Ball in 2007, serving dinner to our honored guests, after being invited by a friend to join in volunteering. So many years later she says the annual Heroes' Ball is still her favorite Rising Above event of the year because, "It's such a fun night with a nice dinner and dancing for our special needs families, and where parents/caretakers are honored, waited and loved on... Everyone that volunteers/serves walks into this event thinking they are blessing the guests attending when really they walk out being the one blessed."
Sheila has been part of our volunteer family since the beginning, and has walked alongside Jeff and Becky as Rising Above has grown. She says her favorite part about volunteering is, "Coming away with the blessing of knowing I've helped in a small way to make life easier for someone connected to the special needs family."
When we asked Sheila what she would say to someone considering volunteering at a Rising Above event, her response was, "Stop thinking about it and do it! You'll never regret it."
We are so thankful for Sheila's servant heart and her willingness to join us in lifting up the special-needs community. We could not host events and bring encouragement to special-needs families without our amazing team of volunteers - we are grateful for you!