This blog has been updated to include a picture from the National Volunteer Appreciation Week luncheon in Anchorage on May 7, 2024.
“I love volunteering!” Sandy Mixayphon-Celario exclaims. She is our Home for Good Operations Manager and has an unparalleled drive to improve our community.
We think Sandy demonstrates an important lesson related to improving our community. When you find your passion, you make time to volunteer. We strive to engage community members and connect them with opportunities they care about.
Will you volunteer at a nonprofit during National Volunteer Week? It’s happening April 21 through 27, so you’ve got plenty of time to schedule something. Maybe Sandy’s story will get you thinking about how you can get involved in helping Anchorage out.
“I’m passionate about older people. I’m passionate about walkability issues. I’m passionate about health equity and building support systems to help people navigate health challenges. I’m passionate about stable housing.” Sandy shares this list almost breathlessly. Words roll off her tongue quickly. “I look for opportunities to volunteer any time I can. Sometimes it’s hard because I’m busy. But if I can say yes, I do.”
Experiences like these come from a life of helping others. Since her childhood, Sandy’s helped people access important resources. “My parents were refugees, but I was born in Anchorage,” Sandy says. She translated for them when they needed to talk to cashiers while buying groceries, applying for their family’s PFDs, helping her mom “read” her homework while working on job certifications, enrolling her siblings in school and much more.
As she grew up, being bilingual allowed her to help even more people. “My dad would give his friends my phone number,” she says. “He’d tell them, ‘Call Sandy. She can help you.’”
Speaking two languages became a bigger asset as she developed her career. It gave Sandy opportunities to work with older, more vulnerable people. As a result, she’s become increasingly inspired by the wisdom they gain and the patience they develop as they live long lives. “I’m an old soul,” she says, “and have always been.”
Perhaps, her personality explains why she notices and, more importantly, acts on certain issues. Consider walkability—which happens to be one of Sandy’s current volunteer projects. She received a fellowship to participate in AARP Alaska’s Walking College project.
“People don’t think about walkability issues, like what it’s like for people in wheelchairs or with strollers.” Sandy talks about the components of her fellowship and the work she’s producing. “Then you add in the problems of snow and ice or one-directional streets,” she says. “It can really impede people getting around and make being pedestrians unsafe.”
Are you feeling inspired by Sandy’s experiences? Like we said, you might consider making plans to volunteer during National Volunteer Week. Here are some local nonprofits that we know are often looking for help:
- Access Alaska
- Alaska Center for the Environment
- Alaska Literacy Program
- Alaska Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty
- Alaska World Affairs Council
- Bean’s Cafe
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Alaska
- Covenant House Alaska
- Food Bank of Alaska
- Habitat for Humanity Anchorage
- Identity Inc.
- Nine Star Education & Employment Services
You can always contact them directly—but we’d love for you to use our website to make your connection. Schedule through bethechange907.org. Then, we can know you’re involved and let you know about similar opportunities.
Once you’ve volunteered, will you please let us know how it went too? We’d love to hear your stories and possibly feature your involvement. Email us at unitedwayofanchorage@ak.org. United, we can keep improving our community.
