Volunteer Profile: Elaina

Elaina, 27, is one of 1.4 million United Way volunteers. Originally from Wilmington, N.C, she is completing her Master's in Nonprofit Administration at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

During a week-long volunteer program at Crossroads United Way in Indiana, a regional branch of the global United Way organization, Elaina and her team focused on community resilience, a challenge gaining momentum across the United Way network.

This work resonated with her personally.

"I did have a personal investment in this project," she said. "I really wanted to do the community resilience aspect because that's something that does affect my hometown often."

Wilmington sees hurricanes regularly, so disaster preparedness is something she and her neighbors understand well.

Her team's assignment was straightforward: What does preparedness look like in daily life across Elkhart, LaGrange, Noble, and Steuben counties? They built a master bank of training and resources, organized by county. That kind of local thinking helped them map gaps and connect people to training that makes a difference.

The experience gave Elaina a chance to apply what she was learning in the classroom to real work. "The hands-on experience, being able to take some of the skills from the classroom and apply that to a real-life scenario," is what stuck with her and her classmates. The atmosphere at Crossroads United Way helped.

"It was really positive. The atmosphere was amazing.”

The program was facilitated by Ben Wilson, Director of the Office of Experiential and Global Learning at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, who started his own career at United Way. For him, it was a natural fit for Elaina and her colleagues.

“I have a deep appreciation for the power of United Way to bring together the diverse people, needs, and resources of a community,” he says. “It's a win-win to play a small role in supporting their inspiring work while exposing our students to the unique breadth and reach of United Way as students discern a meaningful career path.”

Inspired by her experience, Elaina encourages others to volunteer with United Way, saying, "Crossroads really helps tailor the experience to your interests."

With plans to return for the boat race fundraiser in August, she's motivated to pursue a future in the nonprofit sector—possibly with United Way, where her journey could come full circle.