April Volunteer of the Month

Please excuse our tardiness on this post regarding this month's Volunteer of the Month. Heroes and Handbags was all consuming! Luckily, we had volunteers like Danielle to help throughout the time! I'm so excited to share this months volunteer, Danielle Soffa, with our readers. Danielle has recently started volunteering on a consistent basis with the staff at Heroes for Children. I've gotten used to seeing her in the office every Monday morning at the volunteer computer in our workroom assisting with post event wrap details. We've had her alphabetizing, entering data, and sorting handbags. She's done it all with a smile! Besides her office volunteer time, she has also joined the Heroes for Children 5K Run/Walk committee with the Logistics groups. It's Danielle's job to make sure that we have enough snacks and goodies at the event. Not a small feat for an expected crowd of 1,500 participants, but she'll do great!

Name, Age, Occupation:

Danielle Soffa, 30, mom and wife

How did you get involved with HFC?

I followed Allie's story from very early on. I read Jenny's daily updates and was amazed by her strength and courage. I thought of Allie often and prayed for a miracle. When HFC was started I had 2 small children but I knew I wanted to get involved so when both my kids started going to preschool, I vowed to get involved and started volunteering weekly in the HFC office.

Do you have any kids and/or pets?

I have 2 wonderful kids, Brayden 5 and Kennedy 3, and two mischievous dogs.

From looking at you, no one would guess that…..

Something about me you won’t know is that I have complete 3 sprint distance triathlons and a marathon.

Favorite place to eat:

Anywhere that serves macaroni and cheese to make my kids happy so that I can enjoy my meal...I don't get out kid-less much ;)

What’s on your book shelf?

Everything written by Nicholas Sparks, The Official Guide to Walt Disney World, To Kill a Mockingbird and My Sister's Keeper by Judi Picoult will be there soon once I finish reading it.

What’s in your iPod/CD changer?

Lots of country music...Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and then a mix of others...Home by Daughtry, Bubbly by Colbie Caillat, Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, a few American Idol downloads and my most recent addition...I'm a Little Teapot (Kennedy's dance recital song).

Who’s your hero?

My hero is my sister-in-law Tracy. She is a full-time teacher as well as a professional triathlete. Just hearing her training schedule tires me out but she gets up at 4am every morning to train and then finishes what she didn’t get to after teaching all day. Her dedication, strength, endurance, courage, and charisma inspire me daily. And the fact that she puts up with my brother is a feat in itself!