At the age of 12, I joined the Portland Boys & Girls Club and my great future started there. As a Club member I participated in many programs, met some near and dear friends, received guidance from some great mentors and started my volunteer journey with the 4-H Club. The Portland Boys & Girls Club was always a safe place to go after school to meet with friends, participate in group clubs, sports activities and art. After high school graduation I aged out of the Boys & Girls Club program but always made time to stop by and spend time with the staff members and Club kids. On one of my visits I learned that an arts and crafts position was vacant and I eagerly applied. That is when my 30 year career began with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana.

During my 30 year career I have held many positions within the organization (Art Instructor, Program Director, Unit Director and Director of Operations) that have allowed me to have a positive impact on many young lives. My current role as the Director of Volunteer Services is definitely my favorite. When I began this chapter in my career, I quickly reached out to Metro United Way because the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana has been a long-standing agency partner.

Understanding that Metro United Way's mission is to engage the community to give, advocate and volunteer, they would be a natural promoter to help us secure volunteers. Over the years, Metro United Way has graciously guided many individuals and group volunteers to our organization. These volunteers have put in countless hours participating in everything from upgrading our facilities with painting and landscaping to mentoring the youth we serve. We also partner with Metro United Way in out-of-school time programming which is crucial to ensure our community's kids stay on track to graduate high school on time.

Volunteers come to the Boys & Girls Clubs with so much passion and are eager to give back. The level of excitement from volunteers has inspired me to begin volunteering again. Over the last several years I have volunteered at local animal shelters, other local nonprofit agencies and the Kentucky Derby Festival. With the Mayor's Week of Service quickly approaching, April 15-23, I invite everyone to look for a project that speaks to your heart and sign up to volunteer. I hope your experience will be so rewarding that volunteerism will be something you look forward to continuing year-round!

To volunteer for Mayor's Give A Day Week of Service, visit HERE. To browse hundreds of other volunteer opportunities in our community, visit HERE.

Tina Hood, Director of Volunteer Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana

Tina Hood has been employed with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana for thirty years. She currently serves as the Director of Volunteer Services and received her certification in Volunteer Administration in June 2015. She is also a member of KAVA (Kentuckiana Association for Volunteer Administration) and received the 2014 Ruth Anderson Award from KAVA. Tina recently received an opportunity through Leadership Louisville to work with an Ignite Louisville team. Together they started a Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana Alumni Association. She is committed to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana's mission and driven by a passion to make a difference in the lives of the children served. Tina graduated from the University of Louisville with a bachelor's in Sociology in 1991. She married her husband James in 1989 and they have two children.