April 2022 Volunteer of the Month David Young

We are excited to introduce David Young as our Volunteer of the Month.  David is one of our many dedicated and dependable volunteers, but there are days he is truly our HERO!  He has been volunteering with Cultivate for seven and half years and is also our IT computer wizard, coming to our rescue and helping us with ALL of our computer needs, server crashes and more!  In addition, David is our eagle-eyed double checker at Carry-Out Caravan in Boulder!  He ensures that the items in the basket are correct before they go to check out.  His attention to detail, computer genius and sarcastic sense of humor help Cultivate and our clients thrive, survive and laugh! 

According to David, he grew up a little in New York (Rochester, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs), a little in Canada west of Toronto, some more in north Boulder, and is still working on it. His childhood ambition was mainly to keep "girl cooties" away and to be able to build anything out of Legos, including an interchangeable lens “camera." Anything to do with computers was motivating to him after taking his first programming class at the Community Free School at age 9-ish (not a big deal these days with kids born holding smartphones).  David's first job was working as an aide at his synagogue’s Hebrew School at age thirteen.

His proudest moments are the births of he and his wife’s two children -- trope but true! Though, being nominated for volunteer of the month is a very, very close second. His greatest challenge is feeling the need to complete everything 100%, all of the time, even though he claims he doesn't need to. It can be exhausting!

David is most passionate about humor! Sarcasm, in particular, is a favorite of his and it keeps us very entertained every week at the store. In career counseling, he has been told that humor is in his Top 5 skills and values. David is also wanting to become a more accomplished photographer as it is one of his main hobbies.  He grew up in a family of photographers, so he has practically had a camera in his hand from day one. David only wishes he had the time to sit and wait for perfect conditions, scenery, etc. and he would be much more pleased with some of the results. Still, he has taken some pretty decent shots that he feels were good enough to actually print and hang up. Well, maybe 10 out of like 30,000 shots, but, hey, it’s a start.

His perfect day would be a nice, long walk somewhere photogenic with lots of time to take photos, picnic with his sweetie and enjoy something gooey and extra chocolate-y on the way back. Oh, and Broadway shows are also fun. One of the items on his bucket list is to embark on a Chocolate World Tour and sample all possible forms of chocolate wherever it goes. Except white chocolate. David does not consider that chocolate!

In David's own humorous words, he says that the three words he would want to describe his legacy are "What a do-gooder!"  He says that the people that inspire him most are his wife and kids. The family has had a lot of trauma of various kinds over the years, and the way they’ve learned to be resilient, work though things and grow is very inspiring. They have helped him to become more resilient, too.  The advice David would give to people of a generation other than his own is to just be kind. It goes a long way. 

David says he volunteers simply to help others. It’s just what people should do for each other. David's paternal grandfather made a significant impact on his life as he always had time for people, a little cash for the homeless and a huge heart. The inscription on his headstone says “He always looked out for the little guy.” And, he did. He was also an accomplished photographer, to boot!

Thank you, David, for being so trustworthy and always coming to our rescue with all of our IT needs. And for being so dedicated each week at the store, making sure our clients get the correct items.  We appreciate you humoring us all with your sarcastic wit that helps make our early mornings so entertaining and fun!  We are honored to have you represent Cultivate as our Volunteer of the Month!