It’s not often you meet someone who is open to new volunteer opportunities in the midst of volunteering at another event, but that’s just the kind of person Marta Peterson is.
Marta was at a thrift store event for the American Cancer Society when she first heard about Widows & Orphans. Since 2010 we have been fortunate to count her among our own long-term volunteers.
The charity’s event coordinator, Juliet Brandolino, extended the initial invite to Marta, asking her to help out at the Hope for Firefighters food festival fundraiser. “Hope day was my very first event,” Marta explains. “The reason I volunteered was to help with the fundraising. That was a fun event for me!” She has been a regular at this annual lunchtime affair ever since.
Marta is no stranger to securing funds. Before her retirement, she served as the financial aid director at the UCLA Anderson School of Management where she helped students and their families understand how to successfully navigate a financial path through business school. These days she continues to find fulfillment while encouraging people to take a different financial route; one that ultimately supports the families of firefighters who are left behind.
Describing her 2016 event duties at Hope for Firefighters she highlighted the impact of her efforts, “I sold firefighter-themed items, like bears in fire suits and oven mitts out in a courtyard, and all proceeds went to Widows & Orphans.”
Marta Peterson Witnesses Our First Responders in Action
She has a great admiration and respect for first responders. “That started in high school in San Jose, when the house across the street caught on fire,” she says. “The source was an electrical fire that started on the second floor. First responders were able to save the lower level of the house. I was impressed by the speed at which they came and the professional care they took of the family.”
In addition to her career, volunteering has been a natural extension for Marta. While at UCLA, she joined the emergency response team and she learned CPR.
She has friends who are volunteer firefighters and has also lived around elderly neighbors who had alerts and medical issues, so she understands the scope of what emergency responders do.
Volunteering at the LAFD Golf Tournament
At the LAFD Invitational golf tournament, Marta helped set up and manage the auction sign-up list and answered questions about the many items available.
She also helped with food truck coordination and organizing the queue area. “In-N-Out always participates,” she says and added that she looks forward to attending the next event.
“Being part of it makes you feel good,” Marta says. “If you’re looking for an opportunity that’s fulfilling this is a great one to look into. It’s a great group of people.”
To help out like Marta, visit our volunteer Boot Brigade page.
By Madeline Wright