August 5, 2020
Debbi Harris: Featured Volunteer
Writing a piece on an amazing human is a humbling endeavor and my hesitation can only be resolved by my decision to simply serve this up and let the wonder of Debbi speak for itself. So here it is.
HandsOn Twin Cities recently celebrated their 100th Anniversary with a special book featuring one hundred volunteers who share the dream to see the Twin Cities thrive. One of the volunteers featured on the cover is our very own Debbi Harris.
HandsOn Twin Cities
Debbi Harris
Like so many volunteers, Debbi is very grateful for the opportunity to help because she gets more out of it than she gives. Debbi’s heart must be overflowing because she has given decades of her time, talent and service to The Arc serving as board member, advocate, and important community activator. Her family originally approached the Arc for her son Joshua, who has complex medical needs. Becoming involved helped Debbi “not only give back but also learn how to advocate and learn the system that we had to survive in, and learn how to make connections for better care for Josh. Our quality of life has enhanced.”
Debbi is a professional writer who has helped advance our mission through advocacy work. She is also a skilled public speaker who has testified on behalf of The Arc at Senate Hearings. Her work here has also sent her to Washington, D.C. where she had the memorable experience of meeting President Obama at a White House event.
Like all change makers, Debbi does not rest because of the risk of losing what we have worked so hard to achieve. She plans to continue using her powerful voice as a member of the Arc National Board of Directors. We are honored to have Debbi in our Village and grateful for her contributions. “It takes a village to raise a child” is an old African proverb that still applies today and we must work together for a better world. Thank you for your service, Debbi!
The Arc Minnesota and Arc’s Value Village are grateful for our volunteers and the thousands of hours they generously give each year. If you would like to volunteer, we are reopening our volunteer opportunities and would love your support: https://arcsvaluevillage.org/volunteer/