November 13, 2008
Busy CFD coordinator: ‘I’ve always volunteered — it would be weird if I didn’t’
Name: Dawn Counts
UW job: Administrative coordinator, Department of Urology
Volunteer activities: Dawn is an extremely active volunteer for several outside agencies and has been a UW Combined Fund Drive (CFD) Coordinator for about 18 years. She says she’s proud to have won the 2002 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award for her work representing UW Medical Center in the annual drives as well as the CFD’s Sustained Excellence Award in 2006.
“I have volunteered over two years on the nonprofit board of directors for Prospect Enrichment Preschool (CFD # 0514910; learn more at http://www.prospectenrichment.org) and Mount Baker Community Club (http://www.mountbaker.org/) as vice president of social services, granting nonprofits a discounted rate for renting the clubhouse.
“I’m also on the King County/Rotary Boys & Girls Club (CFD # 0320811 specify Rotary) Parent’s Advisory Board, and help with fundraising for both of my grandsons’ nonprofit select football and basketball teams.”
Dawn also has served on a number of UW committees over the years. She spent 16 years on the Health Sciences/UW Medical Center Martin Luther King Jr. committee, more than 17 years on the UWMC Pen Pal program, four years on the UWMC Safety Committee and eight years on the UWMC Art Committee, “just to name a few,” she says.
“I’ve coordinated drives to collect coats (collected 39 in two days), food drives, and organized adopting families through the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club, averaging between one and five families each Christmas. I’ve volunteer though UWMC at various times in years past doing the Teen Feed in the U-District.”
Why these activities? “I’ve always volunteered or set up fund drives for things, and it would seem weird if I didn’t,” Dawn said. She also said she has made use of several area charities when times were lean for her and her family, and wishes to return the favor.
A memorable experience while volunteering: Dawn says her grandson (now 10) attended Prospect Enrichment Preschool, where she serves on the board, and that he long remembered the teachers he had there.
“I loved helping out with field trips, and still do (much to his embarrassment). One Christmas when he was at the preschool, we went down to the Sheraton Hotel to see the Teddy Bear Suite and the kids were so excited. There must have been over 100 Teddy bears all dressed up and sitting all around the holiday decorated suite. While they couldn’t touch them the kids were just amazed at how beautiful they were and how many sizes and colors there were too. The staff made the kids feel very welcome. Most of the children had never been inside a ‘fancy’ (or any) hotel so were all wide-eyed and looking around. Since most of the children (95 percent, I think this year) are on full or partial scholarships, these field trips are the way to expand their ‘worldly’ knowledge and see what’s possible for the future.”
Satisfaction in volunteering: “While I am extremely fulfilled when I am doing any ‘charity work,’ some of my most rewarding memories are when I took the presents to the families we adopted for the holidays through the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club. One in particular stands out: There was a family of four where the father was having trouble finding and keeping a full-time job, the mother was trying her best working part time, and the two little ones were getting old enough to realize they didn’t have what the other kids did.
“The children, when you adopt a family, usually write a letter to Santa telling him what they want and then the parents supplement it with sizes, real needs, and include little things about themselves. While the entire department came through in spades with presents, Cytogenetics went above and beyond by filling the little girl’s wish with a huge house, dolls, furniture, and the works.
“When my daughter, grandson and I dropped off the gifts, the house was too small for the parents to conceal the presents so we put them under the tree with the family watching. I got a call Christmas day from the director of the Boys & Girls Club saying the family wanted to talk to me, so I called them back. They were thrilled with all the presents and the little girl was just beside herself with the dollhouse.
“I’m always moved to tears dropping off the presents, but the phone call thanking me put me into the blubbering stage.”
