Volunteer Spotlight: Shulamit Resendez

We truly appreciate our volunteers and we want you to know how wonderful they are so we plan to feature some of them in the weeks to come. 

This month’s volunteer is Shulamit Resendez, who is the Early Learning Center’s Parent Ambassador Chair. 

How long have you lived in the East Valley and where did you move here from?

I have lived in the East Valley for almost 14 years but I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas.

 What is your connection to the East Valley JCC and how long have you been a volunteer at the J?

When I was having my first baby, I knew the only place I wanted them to go was our local JCC (I am a product of my local JCC) and so in November of 2017 my son Oren began attending the JCC and I began volunteering as a classroom parent not long after.

What made you decide to start volunteering?

Giving back has always been a part of my life and as the daughter of educators, I know how much they give each day. It was an automatic yes when an email went out about being a classroom parent.

 What’s your favorite part of volunteering?

I LOVE making the teachers feel special – they are helping me raise my children and that is no easy task. Nothing makes me happier than brightening their day just a bit.

What is your favorite activity to do in the East Valley?

We love heading to splash pads all over the East Valley. Our favorite is at Mansel Carter Oasis Park.

Who inspires you?

My mom and my sister! They are leaders in their own right and remind me we can be pillars in any community we choose. Not only are they intelligent and hard working, but they are also kind, and that is an inspirational thing.

 What’s the next place on your travel bucket list?

I really want to take my husband to Israel but the first real thing we are knocking off the travel bucket list is taking my two children to Disneyland.

 What’s the last book you read and/or what is the last movie you watched? 

The last book I read is” Harlem Shuffle” by Colson Whitehead.  I LOVE to read.

 What’s a fun fact about you that many people don’t know?

I have been to one of the seven modern wonders of the world – The Treasury at Petra. I completed Young Judaea Year Course before attending Arizona State University and on our Passover break, my best friends and I went to Jordan and traveled around Petra. It was really incredible and I am so glad I had and took the opportunity to do that.

Thank you for all you do for ELC teachers, staff and children, Shulamit!