Mica Davis and Adam Tessler are the married, volunteer dream team that can be found at the Clubhouse on any given Clubhouse day. Their dedication to our mission always goes above and beyond. We interviewed them to find out more about what brought them to Kate’s Club, the moments at Kate’s Club that impacted them as Buddies, how they met, and how Kate’s Club plays a role in their relationship.
What brought you to Kate’s Club?
Mica: I learned about KC through a client of mine. I am a play therapist, and realized I HAD to find out about this place! I got to know the great people at KC and decided that I wanted to spend time there too. It became a second home and oddly enough I describe it to other’s as my “happy place”. There are not a lot of things that will get me up before 9 on the weekend, but I will gladly get up for my KC family!
Adam: Frankly, Mica brought me to Kate’s Club. I mentioned to her several weeks before we started that I wanted to spend some time working with kids in the area and she had a client who needed Kate’s Club. I suppose you could say that Mica and I have been on our Kate’s Club journey together (with her leading mostly)
How long have you been involved with Kate’s Club?
Mica a little over 2 years. Adam a little less than Mica but probably close to 2 years.
Can you recall a moment when you experienced the true impact of Kate’s Club?
Mica: This is going to sound cliché, but every single time I come to Kate’s Club I leave a better person because of the KC family. It’s like the feeling you get when you are finished with a massage or therapy session. Specifically, my experience with the 5 year old boys at camp was life changing. It was not only their first time at Camp, but mine as well. Learning together at grief camp is a powerful thing.
Adam: I totally can remember. I knew the impact I was making with the kids but the true overall impact of KC hit me last October/November. I had just buried my grandmother who was my best friend (after Mica of course) and I was really out of sorts. I volunteered the week after I returned from her funeral and went on an outing to Piedmont Park with the teens. Several of the teens asked why I was so quiet and not my normal self. I explained why and, of course, they all got it! They put their arms around me and explained how they were there for me just like I was for them. It hit me and helped me express, understand and master my own grief journey.
Tell us the story of when you two met. Has volunteering at Kate’s Club affected your relationship in any way?
Mica: We met on JDate! We had been communicating only through emails for about a month, before I couldn’t take it anymore and HAD to meet him in person! So we met up in person and have been together ever since!
Adam: Volunteering at Kate’s Club has changed our relationship for the better in 2 key ways. First, it gives us one more thing to be dually passionate about and more to talk about. The second way it has helped is a bit more selfish and complex. See, Mica has always understood and been great with kids of all ages, me not so much. Working with Kate’s Club has opened both of us up to a new discovery of very complex emotions dealing with one of the most difficult things to handle in life. It has made us both stronger and better so we can take on the world and spread a positive message, together.