Every year, I block out a weekend in October to volunteer at Chameleon’s Journey. It is a non-negotiable! No other commitments allowed - simply the time and space to show up. And it is life-giving! As a Child Life Specialist working in the hospital setting with patients and families experiencing grief and death, I see loss, resilience, and tragedy in the raw. I found out about Chameleon’s Journey from one of our music therapists and was intrigued…wanting to learn about life on the other side...

I have the joyous job of teaching studio art at Davidson College. Throughout my career, one of my guiding principles has been to make art accessible and relevant to as many people as possible. Community collaboration has been a cornerstone of this practice - a journey that began during my undergraduate days at the Rhode Island School of Design when I volunteered to teach drawing classes in medium-security prisons.

When people think about volunteering at Chameleon’s Journey, they usually picture the counselors - the ones leading group discussions, sitting with campers, and helping kids process grief in real time. That’s not my role. I’m an “All‑About.”