Volunteer Spotlight: Judy Lorch

Volunteer extraordinaire Judy Lorch has racked up some pretty impressive stats in her many years “on the job” at Aspire.

She’s donated 750 hours to Aspire on Broadway (AOB), our resale shop in Melrose Park. Last year alone, she sold 376 donated items on eBay and raised $12,000 for Aspire. That doesn’t include the dozens of cakes she’s made to celebrate the birthdays of other volunteers, or the hours she works backing up the manager of the resale shop, the time she volunteers as part of the Aspire Siblings Network, or the work she’s done for the Big City Night gala.

How does she do it? She says she’s lucky to be retired and has “the opportunity of time” on her side. She became involved 18 years ago when her brother Jim became a resident at Aspire. He grew in independence, and now Jim lives with a group of seven other men in one Aspire’s community homes in the western suburbs. Jim also works at Aspire Industries, a workshop that provides employment for participants, and at Sam’s Club three days a week.

“This is my way of repaying Aspire for all that it does and continues to do for my brother,” says Lorch. “There is such a need for volunteers and I have to say my parents instilled how important volunteering is when I was growing up. It just makes sense to me to help those that help my brother.”

Lorch says an unexpected bonus of volunteering is being able to work alongside staff. “I see how caring and committed they all are. For many, working at Aspire is far more than just a job. They really are dedicated to providing the best possible care for our loves ones and they give our family members a future we could never have imagined.”