Stillwater's Cheryl Schindler is 2013 Vi Russell Award Winner in Volunteer Management

Cheryl Schindler has spent much of her life living, working and volunteering in Stillwater.

Her influence can be traced to numerous organizations, churches and causes that she cares about—and she’ll tell you her own life is loaded with experiences and wisdom gleaned from her own volunteer efforts. Listening to Cheryl talk about her first volunteer experiences you get the sense that volunteering is essential to her life and her purpose.

“My first official role as a volunteer was for Greeley Nursing Home as a candy striper,” she said. “I was in eighth grade. I looked real cute in my blue-and-white striped pinafore. I loved visiting with the people and playing games with them. I didn’t have grandparents so it was a fun connection.” 

From there she went on to volunteer with her daughters through Girl Scouts, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, her children’s schools, hospice, and many, many volunteer roles in her church.

“Giving back to the community and helping others has always been an important part of who I am,” she said.

On Friday, Community Thread announced Schindler is the 2013 Recipient of the Vi Russell Award for Excellence in Volunteer Management.

Vi Russell, was the first paid staff person at Community Thread. She served as the executive director for 20 years, and established this award in 1992.

The idea behind the award is that volunteerism just doesn’t happen in the community—and effective volunteerism that responds to the needs of the community requires careful management.

Each year, the Community Thread Board of Directors identifies a volunteer manager who exemplifies excellence in the work of coordinating, managing, and inspiring volunteers.

Schindler lives in Stillwater with her husband Dave, and together they raised three daughters.

Faith and family are the two most treasured parts of her life, Schindler said, and these priorities manifest themselves daily in her work as a volunteer manager.

When her children were young, she brought them along so they could volunteer as a family. She and her husband Dave would volunteer for Lutheran Marriage Encounter, mentoring and teaching other couples how to have a successful and happy relationship. 

Schindler says she felt called to try the flip side of the volunteer experience—coordinating volunteers professionally.

When she talks about her role as a volunteer manager with Solid Ground that you can see how deeply her work and her values align.

“Every day I wake up and know I’m going to a job that I love,” she said. “I needed to feel like I was making a real difference in the lives of people I work with. The thing I love most about my work is I get the best of both worlds. I meet amazing, selfless, people who give of their time and energy and I match their passions with people who truly need their support. I see the joy people get in giving and the joy the people have in receiving, it’s an unbelievable connection.“ 

In five years, Schindler has successfully added four great programs to Solid Ground, her work supervisor Trisha Cummins-Kauffman said.

“She started a transportation program, found a van, and installed a system of volunteer drivers to transport clients to Food Shelf, Maplewood Mall and appointments,” Cummins-Kauffman said. “Furniture pick-ups are now easy and a pleasure. She also improved our Child Care Program; especially for the challenged and high risk children. She recruited more volunteers, found part-time paid child care providers, and brought in a consultant to educate the staff and volunteers to find better ways to help our childcare.  Our staff and volunteers now meet the needs of the children.”

When we asked her what advice she would give to a person who is thinking about volunteering, Schindler said:

“First you need to research and really find out what you’re passionate about. Then search organizations that work in serving the population you want to work with, wait for the perfect fit. Don’t settle for a position because as volunteer managers, we want you to like what you’re doing. Give it all you have for six months and if it isn’t a good fit don’t automatically quit working with the organization as they may have another position that fits your passions better.”