Mary T. Miller-Albemarle County Resident, Scottsville District
Tell us about your volunteer activities.
I help many organizations, mostly with publicity and/or photography or “blurb” writing. I lead photo enrichment at Ivy Creek School where there are incredibly talented and creative students. I am active with the Brooks Family YMCA, The Bridge Line, Post High program of Albemarle County, Hospice of the Piedmont – take photos at the Journey’s grief camps, am on the steering committee of the Keswick 5K for Hospice of the Piedmont as well as chief photographer. I am on the Mildred W. Spicer Fund committee. I am active in the early spring VSA Charlottesville/Albemarle visual arts show at Carver Recreation, the Spring VSA Charlottesville/Albemarle Music Concert at Carver Recreation Center and am part of the committee which produces the Annual VSA Charlottesville/Albemarle short writings and poetry book. I am volunteer vice-chair of VSA Charlottesville/Albemarle steering committee. Along with Constance Wyant, Norm Carter, and Emily Vanderlinden, I am curator of the VSA CitySpace Gallery summer visual arts show featuring local artists and organizations supporting art with a focus on artists with disabilities.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Staying current with the community, using the skills I have, seeing happiness on the faces of people who learn how to do new things keeps my inspiration level high. I do not have children so helping out people of all ages really helps me stay grounded in the context of today! The other inspiration is that like a big puzzle – I love matching pieces, programs, people and solutions, connecting the dots because I have been around a long time and know a lot of people.
If your volunteer work could make one long-lasting change, what would you want it to be?
I think it would be that we all have the opportunity to experience the joy of knowing the diversity in our community, understanding the needs of our community and matching our talents and love with those needs and then experience just how much more community means when you have embraced this type of exchange. That is why connecting people matters a lot to me.
What is a little-known fact about you?
While I am not at all shy, as nearly everyone will tell you, it is little known that I am a bit of an introvert… like a lot of alone time to re-energize and have absolutely no party small talk.
What brought you to Charlottesville/Albemarle County?
My spouse of 43.9 years is a Professor in the Classics Department (teaches Latin and ancient Greek) and his appointment to the faculty brought us here in 1984.
