Late last month, Nest Community welcomed Katie Swistek to the Nest Community Shelter staff in a newly created Volunteer Coordinator position. We sat down with Katie to learn a little more about her and what she hopes to bring to her new position. Join us in getting to know Katie and all of the great plans she has for our volunteers, volunteer outreach, and more with us.
What drew you to this role, and what excites you most about building our volunteer program from this point?
“One of the things that drew me to this role was being able to give back to the community I grew up in. Helping those in need is a priority, and seeing the progress with guests is great! I am excited to see our volunteer network grow and see new faces in the community. I hope to build connections with our volunteers and make sure they feel comfortable in their role.”
Since this is a brand-new role for our organization, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges in establishing our volunteer program?
“As a new role [for Nest Community Shelter], there is the opportunity to make it my own and come up with my own strategies to make it run efficiently. The challenges are learning what I don’t know already and the unknown of what the future holds. Also, trying to remember all of the volunteers’ names… that may be the most challenging! (lol).”
Can you walk us through your vision for what success looks like in this position over the next year?
“I would love to see a set day-by-day list of volunteers that come in every week in our La Porte location for the 6 months. We are growing and are always in need of volunteers. That way we know we have every day covered and know who is coming in. We have a set schedule for the Michigan City volunteers and I would like to see that in La Porte too. Lastly, setting up an efficient way to let volunteers know what openings we need to fill if someone can’t make it in for their shift. We are trying to figure that aspect out!”
What strategies do you plan to use to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers who are truly aligned with our mission?
“My main strategy is to be present in the community and to be involved in various community events. Since I am younger, I would like to see more young professionals reach out about volunteering at Nest. Getting a face to a name is very helpful as well to recruit volunteers. With my past work experience, I have made many connections, and I hope to engage with them to join our mission. Building connections with the volunteers at Nest is so important and being open to suggestions helps! I have already made a few new connections, and I hope to make more.”
How do you plan to ensure that both our volunteers and the communities we serve have meaningful, positive experiences through our programs?
“I want our volunteers to feel like they can reach out to any one of us with any questions or concerns. Be open to what they are saying and make a plan to act on their suggestions. I want to let people know what we do at Nest, it is more than just providing shelter and food. Most community members don’t realize we have a case manager that helps with getting our guests into various programs or helping them find a job.”
Is there anything that you want our audience to know about you?
“During my free time and if the weather is nice, I enjoy looking for beach glass along the lakefront. I am an active person, so I go to the gym throughout the week and play rec volleyball once a week. I enjoy hanging out with my family/cousins and friends to catch a sunset. If I want time to myself, you can find me reading on my kindle, crafting, or binging the latest show. Fun fact is that I am the only one in my family with my strawberry red hair color and can’t keep a tan to save my life.”
On behalf of the entire Nest Community Shelter community, welcome Katie! We know you’ll be successful in your role! If you’re interested in volunteering at Nest Community Shelter or Nest La Porte, please reach out to Katie directly at kswistek@nestcommunityshelter.org.
