April is National Volunteer Month. It’s a time when we recognize the contributions people make in their communities every day.

When we think about volunteering, we often focus on what we give.

Our time.

Our energy.

Our skills.

But what we don’t talk about enough… is what we receive in return.

 

More Than Giving: The Human Need for Purpose

There’s something deeply human about wanting to matter.

Not in a grand or performative way but in the quiet, steady sense that our presence makes a difference. That who we are, and what we’ve lived through, can be of use to someone else.

Purpose and meaning are not luxuries. They are essential to our emotional, mental, and even physical well-being.

Research has shown that people who feel a sense of purpose tend to experience:

• Greater life satisfaction
• Lower levels of depression and anxiety
• Stronger social connections
• Even improved health outcomes over time

 

But beyond the research, many of us feel it intuitively.

When we show up for others, something in us feels more whole.

 

How Loss Can Lead to Purpose

My own path to volunteering didn’t begin as a plan.

It began with loss.

After my husband’s two-year journey with colon cancer, and later after my mother’s death, I found myself asking questions that so many people ask in the wake of grief:

What now?

Who am I without this role?

How do I carry what I’ve learned forward?

Grief changes you. It reshapes your identity, your priorities, and your understanding of what truly matters.

For me, it also opened the door to something unexpected:

A desire to give back, not from obligation, but from lived experience.

 

Where I’ve Found Meaning Through Service

Over time, I found myself drawn to spaces where I could sit alongside others navigating some of life’s most difficult moments.

 

Supporting Community at Gilda’s Club Kansas City

Serving on the board at Gilda’s Club KC has given me the opportunity to support a community built around connection, understanding, and shared experience.

It’s a place where anyone impacted by cancer, including patients, caregivers, and families, can gather and know they are not alone.

There is something profoundly healing about being in a room where no one has to explain what they’re going through.

 

Holding Space in Grief with Solace House

Through my work with hospice and Solace House, I’ve had the privilege of co-facilitating grief groups.

In these spaces, there are no easy answers. No fixing. No rushing someone through their pain.

Just presence.

People sharing stories.

Naming what hurts.

Listening to one another.

Again and again, I’m reminded that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in connection.

 

Advocating for Better Care with PIVOT

My work with PIVOT (Patient and Investigator Voices Organizing Together) has allowed me to bring a patient and caregiver voice into the research space.

After navigating the healthcare system as a caregiver, I knew we could—and should—do better.

Through PIVOT, I’ve been able to:

• Advocate for research that reflects real patient needs
• Help translate complex medical language into something more human
• Ensure that lived experience has a seat at the table

 

It’s a reminder that our stories matter, not just personally, but systemically.

 

Volunteering as a Path to Healing

What I didn’t fully expect was how much these experiences would give back to me.

Volunteering has:

• Helped me make meaning out of loss
• Given me a renewed sense of identity after caregiving
• Connected me with others who understand
• Allowed me to carry forward the lessons of the people I love

Purpose doesn’t erase grief.

But it gives it somewhere to go.

 

You Don’t Have to Do Something Big

When people hear the word “volunteering,” they sometimes imagine a large commitment or a formal role.

But purpose doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful.

It can look like:

• Checking in on a neighbor
• Listening to a friend who is struggling
• Sharing your story with someone who needs to hear it
• Offering your time or skills in small, consistent ways

 

The question isn’t “What should I do?”

It’s:

Where do I feel pulled?

What experiences have shaped me?

How might those experiences help someone else?

 

An Invitation to Reflect

As we move through April, you might take a moment to reflect:

• What gives your life a sense of meaning right now?
• Where have your life experiences shaped something you could offer to others?
• Is there a small step you could take toward connection or service?

Purpose isn’t something we find once.

It’s something we continue to create.

 

Walking This Path Together

At Marigold Path, so much of my work is centered around helping people explore meaning, both in life and at the end of life.

Because when we understand what matters most, we begin to live differently.

More intentionally.

More connected.

More fully.

If you’re finding yourself in a season of transition after loss, caregiving, or simply questioning what’s next, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

I invite you to schedule a Peace of Mind Planning Session, where we can explore what purpose, legacy, and connection might look like for you.