Behind the Scenes: 5 Inspirational Volunteers
June 7, 2016
Judi Murphy, First Impression Volunteer
Originally from: Los Angeles, California
Charleston resident for: 16 years
Volunteer for: 2 years
How did you start volunteering with us? "I knew I wanted to give back and researched organizations that had a cause that I truly believed was worthwhile. So, I arrived at Water Mission!"
About Judi: On Fridays at Water Mission's headquarters, it’s not unusual to see Judi dancing behind the front desk, hear her telling a funny story, or witness her bringing joy to everyone around her. Needless to say, Fridays are good days around headquarters. No matter who approaches her at the front desk or calls on the phone, Judi has a way of immediately connecting with people. She makes visitors feel comfortable, relaxed, and almost always puts a smile on their faces. It is a tremendous blessing to have her welcoming our guests.
With every task Judi is given, she humbly serves completes the project with absolute perfection. Her positive attitude and outlook on life is contagious. If you ever need a word of encouragement or just a good laugh, give Water Mission a call on Friday afternoon and ask to speak to Judi. You won’t be disappointed!
Scott Infinger, Charleston Walk for Water Committee
Volunteer for: 5 years
In the wee hours of the morning at the Charleston Walk for Water, the sun was just beginning to rise, the air was quiet, and staff and volunteers were beginning to gather for setup. There was already one person running from one spot to the next with walkie-talkie in hand. He was busy directing setup, managing parking sign placement, laying walk route boundaries, and training our amazing volunteer parking teams. This person was Scott Infinger, logistics extraordinaire.
Scott spends months before the Charleston Walk strategically planning all the details that go into making a great event – traffic flow, site coordination, walk route, parking availability, foot traffic, and even stroller parking. Perhaps you didn't see Scott at this year's Walk for Water, but trust us, he was there behind the scenes helping make this our best Walk yet. We couldn't do it without him.
Michelle Lesesne De-Santis & Olivia De-Santis, Lunch Crew
Originally from: Atlanta, GA. Michelle studied at College of Charleston when she was 17, left for graduate school and spent time in Latin America.
Charleston resident for: 9 years
Volunteer for: 8 months
How did you start volunteering at Water Mission? "After researching volunteer opportunities, I loved the holistic concept of what Water Mission does. As a mom that homeschools my 10-year-old daughter, I wanted to show Olivia the importance of serving people: that whatever your capacity of service might be, it's important to give back."
What's your favorite thing about Water Mission? "The people. I feel refreshed and renewed each time I come to serve. After my first few times at Water Mission, I felt God's confirmation that we were in the right place."
About Michelle & Olivia: You know it’s Wednesday when you hear Olivia giggling from the lunchroom. Every week, she gets right to work preparing lunch for our volunteers and staff alongside her mom, Michelle. Olivia’s favorite job is mixing up lemonade and tea, filling glasses with ice, and then arranging the glasses in fun shapes on the counter. They will make sure that everyone has a good serving of fruits and veggies and that all of our volunteers have a second helping of Oreos. If we’re really fortunate, Olivia will give us a preview of the song and dance she’s preparing for an upcoming dance performance. Let’s just say lunch on Wednesdays is fun!
Michelle works part-time and homeschools her daughter, but she still finds time to make volunteering at Water Mission a priority. This dynamic duo is a blessing to our ministry in so many ways. They selflessly serve each week, and it is a true privilege for our staff to walk alongside Michelle as she teaches Olivia the value of serving others.
Frank Johnson, Production Volunteer
Originally from: Augusta, Georgia
Charleston resident for: 20 years
Volunteer for: 7 years
How did you start volunteering with Water Mission? "My church, Miles Road Baptist, was instrumental in getting the original Water Mission facilities up and running. After the project was over, I decided to stay and help build systems."
About Frank: For most of our volunteers, when they leave Water Mission their work is done. Not for Frank. This past Memorial Day weekend was a rainy one here in Charleston, but this didn’t matter so much to him. He was hard at work in his own shop creating our Charleston Walk for Water Sponsorship plaques. He spent hours crafting the delicate wooden boxes making sure that all the edges were smooth and perfectly measured. One of Frank’s most admirable qualities is that he always strives for excellence in his work. Whether he's taking out our recycling or assembling a complicated component of our Living Water™ Treatment System, Frank makes sure the task is done correctly.
He’s also a gentleman. He once brought the Volunteer Coordinator flowers. He’s also, however, quite practical. Instead of real flowers, he brought her a picture of flowers so she could enjoy them all year long!
We are blessed to have volunteers like Frank as a part of our team – volunteers that take pride in their work because they know that they are serving the Lord in all that they do. He gives so selflessly of his time and his talents.
Jane Talbot with grandson, photo via Post and Courier
Jane Talbot, Educator's Think Tank
Originally from: Maryland, moved every 2 years for father's job, so a "native" of many states!
Charleston resident for: 23 years
Volunteer for: 6 years
How did you start volunteering with us? "I was drawn to water issues when my son served in the Peace Corps in Zambia. Clean water was a major issue for him there. I met Gina Greene (wife of COO George Greene, IV) when we worked in the same school, and she told me about Water Mission. I kept this in the back of my mind and wanted to get involved when my life slowed down and I retired. Finally, sweet retirement came and I knew that I wanted to do something worthwhile that didn't involve homework, paperwork, or working with parents!
I personally feel that God planted seeds all along the way to bring me to this ministry - my son, the Peace Corps, Gina, my granddaughter, Molly, Barbara. I was a little slow in catching on and putting it all together but God always has a plan. His plan was to give me something special in my life at a time when I was grieving and needed a new purpose. Hence, Water Mission!"
About Jane: At Water Mission, it’s not just our engineers that are building and assembling. Jane Talbot built something entirely new and unique to educate the next generation about the global water crisis. When she started working in our production facility, Jane was gluing parts, cutting wire, and packing crates. She participated in our Walk for Water that year along with her 6-year-old granddaughter. As they walked, they read the route signs together and really learned about the water crisis. When her granddaughter got home, she wanted to help and decided to put a timer in their family’s shower.
Jane was so impressed that her granddaughter was motivated to make a difference. She then realized what Water Mission was missing – a way to educate the future leaders of the world about the crisis and to empower them to make a difference. Jane is the very definition of a doer. When she sees a need, she steps in to serve. She got to work and spoke to Water Mission co-founder Molly Greene about gathering teachers to brainstorm on how to educate children about the water crisis and the work of Water Mission. After her husband sadly lost his battle with cancer, Jane asked a friend, Barbara Allega, to get the group off the ground. Barbara said “yes,” and the Educators Think Tank was born.
Today, the Educators Think Tank (ETT) creates educational programming for students and presents the information at schools and community events in fun and interactive ways. In the 2015/2016 school year, they conducted 22 events and reached over 6,000 people.
In addition, Jane and Barbara have created an entire online library of activities that teachers and parents can use to educate students. You can check it out here: lessonsinabucket.org.
Join us in thanking these volunteers and the others that work hard every day to allow us to provide more people with access to safe water and sanitation around the world! We could not do this without them. Click here to learn more about volunteering with Water Mission in Charleston, South Carolina.
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