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Elizabeth Voglewede
Saint Joseph
Hero Story
Elizabeth Voglewede is the epitome of giving of herself to create opportunity, equality, and a better community for all. Elizabeth did not serve one organization, one segment of the community, but rather set herself to support the community and organizations across many areas and over the last 2 decades.
Elizabeth has been a lifelong teacher, mentor, coach, and leader in the community. She served as an elementary teacher in Benton Harbor and middle school teacher in Berrien Springs, where she was also a cross country coach. After stepping away from teaching with the birth of our first of 3 girls, Elizabeth jumped in founding a local chapter of MOMs Club International, creating support for local new mothers. She helped in continuing to support education by becoming President of a cooperative preschool, leading it for several years. As our kids got into school, she donated time to tutor students, support teachers, and even set up a school dissection program in our elementary school as programs were cut. She served as the President of the PTO and served on the Board of the Band and Orchestra parents and as a coach, and site liaison, for the Girls on the Run, constantly seeking out ways to bring kids opportunities to grow and become their best.
Simultaneous to helping at the schools, Elizabeth has been a Girl Scout and leader for over 20 years. She started several Girl Scout troops serving those in the community and building programs for exposing girls to outdoor skills, STEM with the local SWE chapter, and helping to co-lead a new Astronomy Club my daughter founded with help from NASA. She then volunteered to serve with our oldest daughter when both were selected to serve on the Mackinac Island Honor Guard. She now leads the 201 service unit, provides training, and continues to lead 2 troops throughout COVID doing service projects. Some examples are Hospice, care blankets for the elderly, blessing boxes, donating cookies to the Blue Star Mothers for our service men and women, recycling plastics to make buddy benches, and supporting numerous Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award girls with their service projects.
When COVID hit hard in 2020, Elizabeth did not hesitate to take on more. She volunteered to help support vaccine clinics and found ways to support those most affected. Always an advocate of kids and the most vulnerable in our community, she trained and became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. She helped foster kids in an already stressful time by supporting them through the courts during times of both virtual and in-person sessions. She has already impacted the outcomes of several kids, changing their lives forever. She did not stop there, as she has decided to become a guardianship reviewer for the courts.
Elizabeth brings the best of herself in service of others, always without seeking attention, awards, or accolades. I just wanted to share her decades of service as a way to serve as an inspiration to others, in hopes they will give of their time and talents, and not just their treasure. As she has demonstrated, it is her time and talents that have been the most precious gift to my family, our schools, and our community.
Elizabeth Voglewede
Saint Joseph
Hero Story
Elizabeth Voglewede is the epitome of giving of herself to create opportunity, equality, and a better community for all. Elizabeth did not serve one organization, one segment of the community, but rather set herself to support the community and organizations across many areas and over the last 2 decades.
Elizabeth has been a lifelong teacher, mentor, coach, and leader in the community. She served as an elementary teacher in Benton Harbor and middle school teacher in Berrien Springs, where she was also a cross country coach. After stepping away from teaching with the birth of our first of 3 girls, Elizabeth jumped in founding a local chapter of MOMs Club International, creating support for local new mothers. She helped in continuing to support education by becoming President of a cooperative preschool, leading it for several years. As our kids got into school, she donated time to tutor students, support teachers, and even set up a school dissection program in our elementary school as programs were cut. She served as the President of the PTO and served on the Board of the Band and Orchestra parents and as a coach, and site liaison, for the Girls on the Run, constantly seeking out ways to bring kids opportunities to grow and become their best.
Simultaneous to helping at the schools, Elizabeth has been a Girl Scout and leader for over 20 years. She started several Girl Scout troops serving those in the community and building programs for exposing girls to outdoor skills, STEM with the local SWE chapter, and helping to co-lead a new Astronomy Club my daughter founded with help from NASA. She then volunteered to serve with our oldest daughter when both were selected to serve on the Mackinac Island Honor Guard. She now leads the 201 service unit, provides training, and continues to lead 2 troops throughout COVID doing service projects. Some examples are Hospice, care blankets for the elderly, blessing boxes, donating cookies to the Blue Star Mothers for our service men and women, recycling plastics to make buddy benches, and supporting numerous Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award girls with their service projects.
When COVID hit hard in 2020, Elizabeth did not hesitate to take on more. She volunteered to help support vaccine clinics and found ways to support those most affected. Always an advocate of kids and the most vulnerable in our community, she trained and became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. She helped foster kids in an already stressful time by supporting them through the courts during times of both virtual and in-person sessions. She has already impacted the outcomes of several kids, changing their lives forever. She did not stop there, as she has decided to become a guardianship reviewer for the courts.
Elizabeth brings the best of herself in service of others, always without seeking attention, awards, or accolades. I just wanted to share her decades of service as a way to serve as an inspiration to others, in hopes they will give of their time and talents, and not just their treasure. As she has demonstrated, it is her time and talents that have been the most precious gift to my family, our schools, and our community.