Jodi T. July 2021 Volunteer Spotlight

I retired from State Farm in August of 2020, and a friend told me about FIA, so I checked it out. I fell in love with the variety of opportunities to be of service. I work the desk, do some shopping for seniors and drive seniors to their medical appointments.

Which experiences have you particularly enjoyed?  During COVID, when so many people had reduced opportunities to socialize, I had lots of fun conversations while in the car. I enjoy all of the activities I’ve participated in.

Volunteering puts color in my life! I invested 15 years with Women Build of Habitat for Humanity. I even got to prepare lunch for Garth Brooks and Trish Yearwood at one of their volunteer days.

Tell us about yourself?  I was married to a military man and we had 14 assignments in our 20 years. We met in Guam, got married in CA, had our son in Upper Michigan and our daughter in Italy. Our last assignment was in Indiana and from there I moved to Oklahoma to be near family. I had the absolute privilege of living in the same city with my parents for the last 4 years of their lives. I had the joy of family dinners and holidays and of helping them after 30 years of being away.

I relish my hobbies of woodworking (I’m currently making a cherry dining table), quilting and remodeling my home. And I thought I would be bored in retirement!