Ask Marcie (known around Ukandu as "Smalls") about her favorite part of volunteering with Ukandu, and she'll tell you she can't pick just one. 

Smalls attends both of Ukandu's camp programs and serves on the board's executive committee – but her story with Ukandu didn't start at camp at all. It started with two volunteers who wouldn't stop talking about how much they loved it.

Smalls' first exposure to Ukandu came through fundraising requests from her employer. She was connected with two Ukandu volunteers through her employer, and, she says, both have "unending enthusiasm and love for Ukandu." Their positive energy was hard to ignore. She started attending fundraising events, learning more about the organization, and before long she knew she needed to get involved herself.

Finally, she attended donor day at Camp Ukandu. Watching the kids play, laugh, and be fully themselves, Smalls saw firsthand what a joyous place Ukandu is. And if she's honest, there was a selfish reason too: she saw the support, love, and joy radiating from everyone in the red sweatshirts, and she wanted to be part of that family.

Years later, Smalls still can't narrow her favorite part of volunteering down to one thing. It's the love. It's the joy. It's the resilience, the silliness, and the sheer quality of the staff and volunteers who make it all happen. All of it, she says, is what she loves.

And it's why she keeps coming back. "Ukandu has become so much of who I am and what I do that I can't imagine not volunteering," she says. Once you experience the family that is campers, volunteers, and staff, she believes, it becomes part of you and fills you up with what really matters in life. What strikes her most is how completely everyone supports everyone else, no questions asked.

For Smalls, the importance of volunteering is easy to see in the families Ukandu serves. Letting parents trust that their child is safe, cared for, and having fun is crucial. And giving kids the freedom to be with peers who understand them, to be silly or serious, loud or quiet, happy or sad, simply to be, is something she considers a privilege to support.

But she's quick to admit there's a selfish side to it too. "It fills my cup," she says. "I know I'm part of something greater than me."

When Smalls talks about her favorite Ukandu memories, she says she could go on forever (and often does!). But if she has to choose one, it's campfire.

Everyone gathered together, wrapped in their red robes, supporting each other through skits and songs, laughter, and sometimes, through grief. It's a moment where the whole Ukandu family shows up exactly as they are. "It's beautiful," Smalls says, "in so many ways."

Interested in becoming part of the Ukandu family, like Smalls? Learn more about volunteering with us here.