Visit the Standley Lake Library on Friday mornings, and you might bump into Cindy shelving holds for patrons, updating the community bulletin board or restocking Open Space trail maps in the main lobby — she's been a fixture at Standley Lake since early 2016!
JCPL was already on Cindy's radar when she retired and went looking for a place to volunteer. Before retirement, Cindy worked as a case manager for Jeffco Human Services and frequently recommended Library to You as a resource for her elderly and homebound clients. But now Cindy practices a totally different skill set as her current volunteering duties are very different from the frontline, client-centric work that defined her career.
Even working behind the scenes, Cindy still regularly bumps into friends and acquaintances at JCPL, and one of her favorite parts of volunteering is interacting with staff, patrons and other volunteers during her shift. Personal contact and connection to the community are huge motivators for Cindy in her volunteer service. As for the impact Cindy's volunteering has had on JCPL — "Well, I hope it helps the staff," Cindy says with a laugh. "And saves the taxpayers some money!"
When picking out books to read, Cindy typically gravitates towards nonfiction, particularly historical biographies. She's currently reading "Finding Dorothy," a historical novel telling the story behind the "Wizard of Oz" from the perspective of the author L. Frank Baum's wife, Maud. Cindy also keeps active by playing pickleball and participating in water aerobics every week for fitness and fun. She also volunteers through her church and at the Mothers' Milk Bank. Clearly, investing in her local community is a priority for Cindy!
"Cindy is an amazing volunteer," Natalie, operations supervisor at Standley Lake, says. "Not only does she help keep us caught up on Fridays, she also makes sure we always have enough trail maps for our patrons. She sees something that needs to get done, and she does it. We truly appreciate her for everything she does for us. Thank you for being awesome, Cindy!"
