Community

Marlene Aldrich first volunteered for the Mayor’s Give a Day/Week of Service years ago when she worked for the University of Phoenix. She and a team of co-workers painted and cleaned a local Boys and Girls Club. They enjoyed it so much that several of them returned on a regular basis to read to the children. “I think we really made a difference for those kids, and I know it was a win-win for us,” Marlene says. “It meant a lot to me to hear them say, ‘Hi, Ms. Marlene’ every time I came in.” Volunteering also solidified the friendship Marlene and her co-workers shared, and they remain close even though they no longer work together.

Kourageous Kids is a not-for-profit 501c3 run by Hosparus Health geared toward helping any child with a serious or life-limiting illness. Kourageous Kids provides these children and their families with a team of experts to guide them with issues such as symptom control, counseling and spiritual support, and referrals to other community resources.