In our community, it’s volunteers that make all the difference.
It’s people who go out of their way to promote kindness and dedication. People who put others before themselves, and do so without expecting praise or compensation. It’s people like Rosalie Richter, a familiar face around the Denver community, who help secure a strong foundation for the J’s future.
Rosalie has been in Colorado for 41 years, but is originally from The Bronx in New York. Frequently dedicating her time to the Intergenerational Programming here at the J, Rosalie is an experienced volunteer around the Denver and she has been a regular volunteer for many years with the JAAMM Festival and the Denver Jewish Film Festival. Past volunteer work also includes Rocky Mountain Road Runners, Bolder Boulder, Aurora Citizens Police Academy, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and many more.
This summer, Rosalie learned about an organization called, “Boomers Leading Change”–an organization that matches individuals with groups who are in need of volunteers. Rosalie says, “after going through their orientation, the JCC was one of my choices.” She was told that the Intergenerational Department at the J was in need of volunteers, so she met with Debbie MacKillop and Debbie Goodman and ultimately decided that it would be a tremendously “rewarding experience.”
Ms. Richter had previously never heard of this department, so she was delighted to hear that it was all about combining older people with the younger generation. One of the first events Rosalie volunteered for was a “very successful knitting activity where knitting connects the generations. Both young and old participated on a Sunday morning using the children’s story ‘A Hat for Mrs. Goldman’ as their theme.”
In addition to her philanthropic good deeds, Rosalie actively engages with the community to promote volunteering. She was a speaker at the JAMP (Jewish Aging Mastery Program) session on Community Engagement where she told the students about all of her volunteering experience and how rewarding it can be. In her words, “it’s a great way to make new friends, learn new skills, and all organizations need volunteers to exist.”
Debbie MacKillop, our Intergenerational & Adult Programs Coordinator, says Rosalie has, “an insatiable thirst for learning, meaning, and stimulation. We get calls and visits every week from older people, mostly new to Denver, who want to know what there is for them at the JCC, and now I turn all those inquiries over to Rosalie.” For many of our newest members, Rosalie is our first impression. She has “an inquiring mind and caring heart” that helps evoke a strong sense of belonging for those who are new to the Denver community and/or the JCC family.
Rosalie is true asset to all of us here at the J, and her selflessness encourages all of us to take a step back and realize what’s important. She cherishes every opportunity and strives to make our center the best it can be. Debbie MacKillop summed up Rosalie well:
“She inspires me.”
