Sisters, if there is one thing I love the most about this WAF squad it’s that we’re all fierce, passionate women motivated to make a difference. That being said, it’s not always the easiest to do that when you’re living in remote areas or moving frequently.
This is the first time in my life I haven’t been a student or working full-time + it’s WEIRD. I knew this day would come, just by nature of my husband’s job + my line of work… it wasn’t always going to be as smooth as our first PCS to McChord, so I did what I could to combat my mixed emotions about being a “stay at home WAF”. This started with a volunteer opportunity given to me by an incredible mentor in Washington, she’s the President of a Board of Directors for a local Sexual Assault Center + thought being on the Board would be something I’d love based on my professional passion for underserved populations. She was right. Volunteering on that Board was an unforgettable experience. It challenged me in professional areas that I could have never imagined + sparked a fire in me to do more!
You can imagine the disappointment I felt knowing I would be leaving this incredible opportunity. As bummed as I was, my husband was 10x more upset. He watched his wife thrive in this role + knew the reason she was walking away from it was due to his job/our relocation. This is one of those WAF fork in the road moments where I got to choose whether I wanted to feel sorry for myself + resent the USAF or if I wanted to honor this move as a blessing + take the chance to help even more women elsewhere. I chose the latter + have learned a lot on the way!
Surprisingly, getting plugged into volunteering isn’t all that easy. It is overwhelming at the very least to Google “volunteering in (fill in the blank city)” + shuffling through what comes up. Most people organically fall into volunteer opportunities through church, friends, school, family, etc. As WAFs we don’t always have the luxury of knowing somebody that knows somebody (HA I just caught myself humming Let’s Go by Trick Daddy while typing that out 😂).
That’s when I remembered a website (
) that we used at the Sexual Assault Center in Tacoma to recruit interns + volunteers. I started doing some digging into the website + was so happy to see that it is extremely user friendly + allows you to search by interests. For me this was a huge incentive because it allowed me to narrow down opportunities that I had a deep-rooted passion for (i.e., victims of physical + sexual assault). Additionally, I was able to search for opportunities I knew would help me grow professionally once I entered back into the working world. I want to make the most of my “unemployment” so I can confidently go into work interviews + show them that the months I wasn’t working were still used to grow + strengthen my skills!
As with any volunteer opportunity, be careful + make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Some of these agencies are very vague, don’t be afraid to ask questions + explain to them your military situation. I joined the Board in Tacoma + was very transparent that we could get the orders any day to leave + they were OK with that. Don’t be disappointed if some places aren’t OK with it. Just like you’re looking for a great fit, so are they + it’s important they bring on volunteers that can best serve the population they’re helping. It’s not personal so don’t let it discourage you from continuing to look!
I am SO excited to tell you ladies that I have connected with an awesome volunteer agency through VolunteerMatch, that has brought me on their team to do direct marketing + outreach for the exact population I was inspired to serve. I hope, if nothing else, this post inspires you to get out + volunteer a few hours a month. In the midst of this busy life we lead it’s easy to lose sight of how important giving back is. Every single one of us has something unique to offer when it comes to volunteering, take your strengths + put them to use helping people that need it most! 💙
Xo, Kirst
