Volunteer Spotlight: Jodi Bell Ticknor
The work of the Center would not be possible without its dedicated team of volunteers. We asked volunteer, Board member and entrepreneur Jodi Bell Ticknor to share her experience and inspirations as a mother at the Harriett Buhai Center.
“I feel rewarded and challenged each time I work at the Harriett Buhai Center. I know that the work I do changes people’s lives for the better. I feel very gratified when I am able to help an abused client end the abuse, their marriage and move forward with their life.
As a mother, I understand the depth of the concern when a client who is a mother is fearful for her child’s emotional, physical or financial well being. Through the experience of being a mother, I have learned the art of patience, empathy and compassion. I let them say what they need to say, listen, comfort them, and then ask them the questions I need to know so that I can work within the system to get them the help they need.
Being a mother makes me more sensitive to a client’s plight. Though my circumstances may be different than theirs, I understand their struggles. When I hear an unjust story from a client that affects the children, I can’t help but get emotional about it. Tapping into those emotions help me to better advocate on their behalf.
I began volunteering at the Harriett Buhai Center three years ago and joined the Board of Directors in 2010. Family law was my favorite course in law school and I heard about the Center from another volunteer and the alumni office at Loyola Law School. Although I have been working in entertainment, I realized that I had never pursued family law and that I wanted to. I knew the Center would be a good place to learn but what I found at the Center has been much more than a learning experience. The Center has become a big part of my life, one of my passions and has provided so much more meaning and enrichment to my life.”
To learn more about volunteering at the Harriett Buhai Center, contact volunteer@hbcfl.org