National Volunteer Week: Gratitude

All week we have been celebrating our volunteers, our Buddies, in honor of National Volunteer Week. It would be difficult to adequately measure the impact that our Buddies make in the lives of Kate’s Club members and their families. Kate’s Club is truly a volunteer led organization that is dependent on hundreds of volunteers every year to support our Clubhouse Days, Outings, H.U.G.S programs, and Camp Good Mourning. We have volunteers that come in on a weekly basis to help with office tasks and set up for many member crafts and activities. Our fundraising and awareness events have been a success thanks to volunteer committees. Over the past 10 years, we have been led by our volunteer Board Members who have helped to shepherd Kate’s Club into the amazing community that it is today. Our volunteers and the community that they create and foster is what makes Kate’s Club special and unique for our members and their families.

Some of our great buddies! Misty, LC, and Todd. Click to view some recent pictures of Kate’s Club volunteers.

On our last day of National Volunteer Week there is a special volunteer that we would like to acknowledge, Kate Atwood. On Tuesday, Kate was honored by 11Alive for her community service to Kate’s Club. The telecast of the award ceremony will be shown on 11Alive on Saturday at 7:30pm. Obviously, Kate is special to us as our founder but more than that she is an inspiration. Kate founded Kate’s Club in her mid-20’s and turned her personal tragedy into a triumph. Kate’s investment in Kate’s Club goes beyond money or time, she invested her heart ensuring that Kate’s Club had the resolve it needed to succeed. Kate’s Club has grown from 6 members and meetings at Barnes and Noble to a professional bereavement organization who is recognized as an industry leader. As Kate accepted her award on Tuesday night, she dedicated the award to her father, Bill Atwood, who supported, encouraged, and fostered the idea of Kate’s Club. And, like Kate and her father, we hope that the encouragement and support we offer our members allows them to dream big and reach goals that they have only begun to form.

Kate and Bill Atwood

Thank you to all of our volunteers, Buddies, committee members, Ambassadors, Advisory Board, Board of Directors, Kate and every person who has supported, fostered, and encouraged us over the last 10 years.  Your time, talent, laughter, and sweat has allowed us to help hundreds of children and provide thousands hours of therapeutic service and create this magical community so that our members never have to grieve alone. Your service has created a lasting legacy.  You have our deepest gratitude and respect, thank you.

Sincerely,

The Kate’s Club Staff