As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands- one for helping yourself, the other for helping others – A. Hepburn
The Joy of Giving Back: Mentor Rachel Kramer’s Journey with BeaYOUtiful
Volunteering as a mentor can be life changing, both for the mentor and mentee involved. It’s not only about supporting others, but also about the growth, joy, and connection you gain in return. At BeaYOUtiful, our volunteers are the heart of our programs.
After chatting with one of BeaYOUtiful’s dedicated mentors, Rachel Kramer, we learned about the impact she felt after donating her time with the foundation's confidence programs and workshops. From building confidence—both in herself and the youth she mentors—to discovering new skills and lifelong lessons.
Rachel Kramer volunteering at a confidence building workshop in Port Moody, BC.
Why is volunteering important to you personally?
I just really love it, honestly. I love to give back to the community. I think it’s a really big part of it, and sometimes it’s just nice to do that not a job setting. I feel like I’m also the kind of person that gets a little bit anxious over work, just doing everything perfectly, and I feel like volunteering is sometimes a way for me to give back to the community in more of a fun, relaxed setting.
I feel like the team with BeaYOUtiful is so supportive—-I always feel very prepared going into workshops. I know what I need to do and I also know that there is room to just have fun.
If you could describe BeaYOUtiful in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Empowering. Definitely empowering. You have some kids that walk into a workshop and they’re so quiet, and it’s amazing what a couple of hours can do in that setting with all kinds of their peers and then mentors. I love that with BeaYOUtiful—their soul sisters tend to be kind of a younger demographic—it really does feel like that sort of older sister vibe. I just love it. I think it’s really great. And it’s so great to see the kids warm up to the volunteers and also to each other.
What advice would you give to someone considering volunteering with BeaYOUtiful?
Oh, absolutely do it. It’s been such a positive part of my life and my growth over the last few years. Also going back to the importance of volunteering to me, I feel like being in your early 20s it’s kind of a weird space and you’re sort of transitioning into the adult world and you still sort of feel like you’re in that youth space.
I just think it’s such a cool thing to do. BeaYOUtiful is such a unique organization. When I found them, I was looking for somewhere to volunteer with, and I just felt like they had such a unique mission compared to a lot of other kinds of volunteer organizations. And again, the team is just so amazing. They make you feel so prepared…there’s just nothing better than spending a day with those girls and doing fun activities.
Confidence Workshop in action with Rachel Kramer in Kelowna, BC.
"BeaYOUtiful really kind of helped me find my pathway to that and helped me see how much I really enjoy working with kids."
What inspired you to become a mentor with the Foundation?
I was in a gap year right after high school when I found BeaYOUtiful. I was kind of deciding what I wanted to go to college for, and what I wanted to do with my life and my career. I knew that I wanted to do something in the realm of helping people and so I was looking into doing a human services diploma, education assisting, and I just thought, what better way to explore what I want to do than to volunteer?
So I found BeaYOUtiful and I volunteered with them for two years before I ended up going to college to be an education assistant. BeaYOUtiful really kind of helped me find my pathway to that and helped me see how much I really enjoy working with kids.
Is there a particular person or moment that inspired you to keep coming back?
My very first workshop with BeaYOUtiful. When I first started, they didn’t really have much going on in the Okanagan where I was living. I really wanted to get started with getting involved. So I actually came out to Port Moody in Vancouver. I went to a workshop that Taylor and Marica were both a part of – and that was just amazing. That’s the only workshop that I’ve actually gotten to see both of them in action and they’re just amazing! They’re so incredible. Taylor did a talk at that workshop and she’s just so inspiring and the kids love her. After doing that workshop with them, I was like, this is something that I want to keep doing and that I really want to be involved with.