WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:03.840 Uh, my name is Maria Mononttoya and I 00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:06.560 work for ALS New Mexico as the man 00:00:06.560 --> 00:00:09.280 manager of development and engagement. 00:00:09.280 --> 00:00:11.360 I'm Rebecca Cisnertos. I work for the 00:00:11.360 --> 00:00:13.360 Boys and Girls Club and I am the 00:00:13.360 --> 00:00:15.599 community and government relations director 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:19.119 I think that Albuquerque can get a bad 00:00:19.119 --> 00:00:21.359 rap. It's easy to get discouraged about 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:23.519 our city and what's going on. I think 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:25.439 that serving on the board has really 00:00:25.439 --> 00:00:27.599 given me a different perspective. I'm 00:00:27.599 --> 00:00:30.960 participating in the correction of some 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:33.280 of those issues. I'm participating in 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:38.160 the solution and I'm getting to surround 00:00:38.160 --> 00:00:40.480 myself with other people who are also 00:00:40.480 --> 00:00:42.399 participating in the solution. There are 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:44.079 so many people doing really beautiful 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:46.480 things here all the time, every single 00:00:46.480 --> 00:00:48.719 day, and they're not they're not always 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:50.239 getting awarded for it and they're not 00:00:50.239 --> 00:00:52.559 always getting recognized, but when you 00:00:52.559 --> 00:00:54.719 come into these boards, you start to 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:56.960 meet them very quickly. I feel the same 00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.120 way. It's only made me love Albuquerque 00:00:59.120 --> 00:01:02.320 Yes. Um, our board specifically looks at 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:05.360 volunteerism in Albuquerque and we focus 00:01:05.360 --> 00:01:08.479 on how to make it more accessible to our 00:01:08.479 --> 00:01:11.360 our neighborhoods and our communities. 00:01:11.360 --> 00:01:14.640 Um, and we work with nonprofits to help 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:17.040 them target the volunteers that they 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:19.520 need. We do community of practice which 00:01:19.520 --> 00:01:22.799 is Rebecca and I uh sort of co-host. Um, 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:25.200 and that brings volunteer coordinators 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.840 from all over the city together to talk 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.080 about the issues that they're facing. I 00:01:30.080 --> 00:01:31.759 got to meet Hal recently. 00:01:31.759 --> 00:01:34.560 Hal is our 2025 lifetime volunteer 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:37.759 awardy. He volunteers at the nuclear 00:01:37.759 --> 00:01:41.360 museum and he is over 100 years. He is 00:01:41.360 --> 00:01:44.720 fantastic and meeting him was such an 00:01:44.720 --> 00:01:47.840 inspiration to to myself. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:51.040 Yes, I think Hal is incredible. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.079 Definitely a testament to that. If you 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:56.399 do what you love, you'll never work a 00:01:56.399 --> 00:01:58.799 day in your life. And you can see that 00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:01.439 all over his face. He's fantastic. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:04.000 People on the fence. We want them to 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:04.880 jump the fence. 00:02:04.880 --> 00:02:06.880 We do want them to jump the fence. 00:02:06.880 --> 00:02:09.520 I would just say it is an opportunity to 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:13.520 take a pause once a month for 1 hour and 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:16.000 just hear good news. And it's really 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:19.520 that is profound in especially in our 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:23.440 time that we're living in. And for 60 00:02:23.440 --> 00:02:26.239 minutes once a month, you get to come 00:02:26.239 --> 00:02:28.239 into a room full of people who are 00:02:28.239 --> 00:02:30.800 excited about community and our city and 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:33.920 our state and hear good news. I think 00:02:33.920 --> 00:02:36.160 that should be reason enough for you to 00:02:36.160 --> 00:02:37.680 come on over. I think if you're on the 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:40.959 fence about any board, if you believe in 00:02:40.959 --> 00:02:43.519 the organization's mission, values, if 00:02:43.519 --> 00:02:46.160 you have interest in what they do, I 00:02:46.160 --> 00:02:47.840 would encourage you to to join their 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:49.920 board. If you are on the fence, jump the 00:02:49.920 --> 00:02:55.400 fence. It's a good time. Try it out.