Chill programs rely on the help of dedicated volunteers across North America. At the end of the seasons, one stellar volunteer is selected from a series of nominations as the National Volunteer of the Season in recognition of their hard work and unique dedication to the programs and the youth they serve.
We would like to congratulate Paul Woods from our Seattle, WA programs on receiving the Volunteer of the Season! Paul began volunteering with the Chill snow programs in 2012 and has been bringing stoke to the slopes ever since. This Fall he brought his amazing positivity and fun to the skate program for the first time as well! Here’s what Eli, our Seattle Program Coordinator, has to say about him:
He always has a smile on his face and is so willing to engage with youth. He has been working particularly with one of our new skaters Yuning and the progression she has shown working with Paul is outstanding! He really takes the time to work with her and communicate in various ways to help her out. Yuning is an English language learner and Paul has such an ease and positive way of engaging with her in a way where communication barriers do not exist. His continuous positive energy and stoke for skateboarding truly makes a difference at our Skate program.
Week 3 of skate program, which focused on the core value patience, was a stand out favorite for Paul this season. The youth were learning to drop-in on skate ramps for the first time, and incorporating the core value in their pursuit of such a difficult skill. As the process continued and he witnessed the youths trials and successes, he also began to see an overall excitement about skateboarding and self-realization that they could advance as far as they wanted to with continued patience and persistence.
In honor of his Volunteer of the Season award, Paul wants to give a shout-out to Yuning for working hard and coming further in 3 weeks (aka 3 sessions!) than she has in the last decade. She has inspired him to be the best he can be. He would also like to thank his friend Taylor whose significant friendship has helped him to be open and honest, and to grow as a person.
From everyone at Chill, we would like to sincerely thank Paul for his generous and continuing contribution of time and support for the foundation, our programs, and most importantly, our youth. You rock!
