Volunteer Spotlight March 2026

Q: Why did you start volunteering?

A: I started volunteering in 2012 shortly after I retired from teaching. I had spent close to 35 years teaching children how to read and hopefully for them to enjoy doing so. I worked mainly with kindergarten and 1st grade students for 25 years and was a “reading resource” teacher for an additional 5 years at Lecanto Primary School.
Since I had the time, energy and health to volunteer in the library, I felt it was a natural fit for me to do so.

Q: What is something you would say to encourage someone else to volunteer?

A: I would also encourage others to volunteer with the library. There are numerous opportunities available to fit one’s personal schedule and interests. I feel a new volunteer would be surprised to discover all that the library has to offer. It is a wonderful way to give back to the community.

Q: How has volunteering impacted your life?

A: Volunteering has impacted my life in a positive way. I learned about the various programs and classes that are available in our libraries to children, teens, young adults and people with special needs such as dementia and ESL barriers. I have also seen how it is a welcoming place for those who simply want to read in a quiet setting or work on a computer.

Volunteering has also exposed me to the role that “Friends of Citrus Library” has played in the community. I joined this group 6 years ago and I’m now in my 5th year as treasurer. I would encourage others to explore this group!

Q: Who is your favorite author?

A: I really don’t have a favorite author. My choices in books vary from week to week. I enjoy “historical fiction”. One of my favorites from this genre is “The Tea Planters Wife” by Dinah Jefferies. The story is set in Ceylon under British rule in the 1920s. It explores the tea industry, culture, and racial tension of this era between the British and natives.
Currently I’m reading the novels of Frieda McFadden. These are “psychological thrillers” with characters that have dark secrets and there is usually a plot twist in the end.

Q: Other than volunteering, what do you like to do with your free time?

A: In my free time, I enjoyed biking on “Rails to Trails”, taking yoga classes, gardening, having lunch with friends and spending time with my family. My husband and I have been lucky enough to travel frequently. Our most recent trips were to Hawaii, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Malta, Greece, Italy, the Dominican Republic and Maine.

Q: What is a fun fact about you?

A: A fun fact about me is that I was the only girl in family of 7 boys. As a teenager, my job was to peel and cook potatoes for all of us. I guess I could have been a cook in the military if I had enlisted? Somehow, I survived!