Volunteer of the Month: Annette Wilhelm

We are happy to be back with our latest volunteer of the month. Let’s give a round of applause to Annette Wilhelm, a Carry-Out Caravan order taker and a participant in our new Call program. 

When she was younger, Annette always wanted to be an elementary educator, as she was very passionate about children’s growth and development. As a teenager, she helped her dad at his company that did assembly work and eventually decided to follow her childhood dream and become an early childhood educator. Annette brought her skills in early childhood development to her own family and is so proud that her children were growing up to be caring, respectful, and loving individuals. Her favorite job was working in the Boulder Valley School District; she enjoyed literally every aspect of it. 

In addition to education, Annette is also passionate about art; any type of art! She also enjoys working with clay, creating amazing pieces of work. Her perfect day includes sleeping in, preparing a pot of chili for dinner, having a foot massage, going out for lunch, reading a book, conversing with her kids, eating that delicious chili that she made earlier, and finally finishing up with a good documentary movie. Whew, what a day! Her biggest inspiration comes from her husband and kids. “I couldn’t do it without them. They always support me with everything, help me stay cheerful, and be a better person.” Those who know her well would describe her as caring, respectful, loveable, and humorous. And we here at Cultivate can attest to that! Annette’s main piece of advice to her kids and others in the younger generations is to be the best version of you, give the most that you can,  and don’t ever lose faith in yourself. “The only limitations are those you put on yourself.” 

Annette volunteers because she has the time and loves interacting with people and helping in her community. The moment she learned about Cultivate, she immediately knew it was the place for her. She tells us that “Cultivate has been amazing to have in my life. I feel good helping the clients plus I love being part of a great team at Cultivate that always supports each other.”  Much of Annette’s heart of gold she attributes to her uncle. He is a priest and she says that no matter what decisions she made in life, or what route she and her family took, he was always incredibly supportive. “He never asked us to do more or told us how to raise our children, or change our beliefs. I will never forget him and hope that I made a positive impact in his life too!” 

All of us at Cultivate agree that Annette goes way above and beyond the call of duty. We appreciate how often she fills in for other order takers, her cheerful nature, her positive energy, and her willingness to participate in our new call program. If you couldn’t tell, we are some of her biggest fans!