Sharon Kennedy – Albemarle County Resident
Tell us about your volunteer activities.
I volunteer at the Habitat Store one afternoon each week. I work the cash register and also assist people with items on the floor. Every week is different – I have calculated the amount of tile someone needed for their kitchen renovation and have explained the different types of paint we have and where you would use each. I recently downsized and could no longer keep the dining room table that my father had helped me to rebuild. I donated it to the store and was the one to sell it to a couple for their 1st house. I was able to explain the history of the table and it made giving it up so much easier. I also volunteer to pack bags with the PB&J fund each December and at some of the KGB beer festivals in town. I have done a Habitat build and also worked on the trails at the Southwood Community.
What inspires you to volunteer?
I telecommute and spend way too many hours standing in front of my computer (love my standing desk). Volunteering not only gives to the community that I so want to be a part of but also gets me out of the house and I interact with lots of interesting people. Growing up, my parents instilled in us how important having a home is. I love working with Habitat to help enable people to achieve their dream of homeownership.
If your volunteer work could make one long-lasting change, what would you want it to be?
As I state above, contributing my time, and items around my house that I can no longer use, enables Habitat to build homes. I so believe in the Habitat mission and am thrilled to be a little part of it.
What is a little-known fact about you?
I volunteer at beer festivals and yet I do not like beer!
What brought you to Charlottesville/Albemarle County?
I moved to Charlottesville in 2012, after my youngest daughter graduated high school. My girls grew up in Northern Virginia, in the country, but our area was being built up too much for our liking. My eldest transferred to UVA in 2011 so we decided to just pick up and move here. Telecommuting means you can work from anywhere that you can get really fast internet. We had come here for concerts and vacations over the years and I had done consulting in the area long ago. My youngest was a bit iffy in the beginning about leaving where she grew up but after coming down several weekends in a row, she asked why we did not move here sooner. We all love the local food, music and activities.
