Partner and Volunteer Highlight: Volunteer Impact and the Heart Work

Volunteering Makes a Lasting Impact

As the saying goes, “the work of a volunteer is never done!” Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) volunteers have experienced that firsthand and, in some instances, have seen their volunteerism grow into a life-long connection. 

As an employee of Time-Life Books in Alexandria, Maggie Debelius was encouraged by this ACPS community partner to serve as a volunteer tutor at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy (LCTA) in 1991, where she was paired with LCTA student Diana Johnson, then in seventh grade. Both tutor and student met at a crossroads in their lives. 

“Sometimes, we think about volunteering and tutoring being about helping someone else, but this was a point in my career that I was trying to figure out what I wanted, too,” Debelius shared, noting the impact that this volunteer experience had in shifting her career focus from publishing or journalism. “Being with Diana showed me what I really loved to do was teaching.” Debelius later went on to become an educator at the college level.

As a volunteer tutor, Debelius helped Johnson with her homework. Johnson said she received help in math and reading from Debelius and personal support. “She was a mentor for me; kind of like a big sister.” Johnson added that Debelius tutoring her made a lasting impact. 

More than two decades later, when Johnson saw Debelius listed on Facebook in its “you may know this person” area, she decided to send a message. “I was shocked that she replied and remembered me,” exclaimed Johnson, who noted that it was important for her to let Debelius know how she turned out and the impact she had had on her life. “I wanted to let her know that I appreciated her when I was a kid and that she was really a mentor and supporter when I was a child.”

“It wasn’t just me helping her. The reason this relationship lasted/stayed with me was because we were really helping each other,” said Debelius. The past 10 years, the two women have kept in touch online. Shedding happy tears, Johnson noted, “This is my best friend,” hoping someday they will be able to meet again… in person! Johnson, who has worked as an ACPS substitute teacher, said she continues this legacy by reaching out to children who need a caring adult in their lives.

Debelius shared this message for potential volunteers who may question the impact they can make, “It may not change the world, but I think it made our lives better.”

Volunteers - Doing the Heart Work

Doing the “heart work”. That is what being a volunteer is all about. It is a commitment with impact.

Tia Norris-Towler has been a volunteer for about 20 years. From K-12, she attended ACPS and said that while volunteering was a senior requirement, she just loved it as it was ingrained in her family’s values. 

Towler said volunteering has a way of bringing people together, relating her experience with the non-profit Arts 4 All. Towler served as a volunteer for a book reading tea party activity about 17 years ago and that is where she met Lilith (Lily) Todd, a Maury Elementary School student (now Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School) who was the only kindergartner in her group. 

“Tia focused heavily on learning the alphabet and sounding out letters. She didn't want me to memorize the words; she wanted me to learn on my own in a way that empowered me as a student,” explained Todd.

Towler’s impact on Todd went beyond reading when, to the next tea party event she brought her little sister Reanne, who attended Mount Vernon Community School. The two girls not only enjoyed reading together, but they also became friends. Years later, the two of them, and Towler, continue to stay in touch through social media, even though Lily now lives in New Zealand.

Towler calls volunteering a rewarding experience and a way to meet people while serving your community. Towler said she has experienced moments when someone would come up to her and say I remember you tutored me in reading, and I ended up doing well in school because of your help. “At that moment, you can feel how important volunteering is to your community.”

Todd credits Towler for instilling a sense of confidence in her while reading, which over the years has carried over into her daily life. “Looking back, she taught me so much strength from something so small,” Todd shared.

Volunteering can also be a learning experience or, as Towler put it, “It helps me sometimes as much as I am helping the person.” She credits her time as a tutor with helping her to interact with her students as she is now a teacher, adding that volunteering has also taught her how to be more patient.

Towler believes that volunteering is the gift you pay forward… when your family volunteers,  the next generation and beyond often do too!

Volunteer Information

Visit the ACPS Volunteer webpage to learn how to volunteer or email volunteer@acps.k12.va.us for additional information.