Community Leadership in Retirement

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Elizabeth Murphy. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Elizabeth Murphy, 65, has lived all over the U.S., but fell in love with Washington, D.C. several years after starting her career in IT—namely software sales—and never left. She married and raised two kids there. Her cat Mango joined the family during the pandemic. The roots she has laid down run deep, and the care she feels for her adopted home runs beyond family ties. It extends to the community that has made it a great place to live.

In 2016, she started volunteering for Volunteer Alexandria (VolALX), a community volunteerism resource that links individuals and groups with nonprofits and City agencies who need support. After retiring, she shifted even more of her time and energy to VolALX and became a volunteer leader, managing multiple large, annual initiatives.

With just two full-time staff, one part-timer, the executive director and summer interns, volunteers are cherished. Elizabeth’s efforts have generated more than $30,000 across events and, according to staff, has expanded the organization’s impact tenfold.

What inspires you to volunteer?

My first volunteering experience was as a 10-year-old, helping my mother go door to door in our neighborhood to raise money for the March of Dimes. It’s a vivid memory.

She was always an inspiration for me. I didn’t do a whole lot of volunteering during my career and raising my kids, but I wanted to inspire them too. So, I tutored at their elementary school almost every year they were there, and I volunteered for the PTA and many other things through their school. My son was a Boy Scout, so we did food drives and projects for the boys who came up through the Eagle Scout ranks. My son is an Eagle Scout and had a big project we all worked on.

That’s where Volunteer Alexandria came in. They’ve been around for 40 years and have a database of opportunities, so it’s easy. You just go to their website and search.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Volunteer Alexandria.

I’ve been doing the toy drive, called Toys4ALX, for about 11 years in different roles. When I retired in 2021, I took some time off but knew I wanted to get back into volunteering in a more meaningful way. The first thing I volunteered for was food distribution at a church. Then, I saw they needed somebody in the VolALX offices to help with administrative work for projects.

After a while, executive director Marion Brunken asked me to lead Toys4ALX in what is essentially a project management role. It involves recruiting donation sites and sponsors, collecting and sorting toys, working with the Department of Family Services to register families, recruiting and organizing volunteers, etc. We pick up toys from 30 to 40 collection sites and sort them by age for a day of “shopping” for our registered families. Last year, we collected enough toys for 700 children and had around 100 volunteers.

After that, I started filling the same role on their larger annual fundraiser, an arts and crafts fair. There are as many as 90 vendors. I recruit them and keep communications open, and arrange the site and permits. I create applications and maintain mailing lists for events as well.

And lastly, this will be our fourth year doing Food4ALX, an annual food drive with our local food bank. I’m project manager on that, too. We collect 35,000 pounds of food each year. I coordinate everything from the VolALX offices and onsite, when needed, to make sure things run smoothly. I also personally collect and drop off food during the drive.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

We always try to grow the toy and food drives. Our goal for the latter is 40,000 pounds of food in one month. I’d also like to raise more money through the arts and crafts fair. This year we’re doing three fairs. They’re smaller, but there’s more planning.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

The families who benefit from the food and toy drives are struggling. There’s a lot of financial and food insecurity, so it’s rewarding to see our work lessen the burden.

I didn’t expect how much I’m helping Volunteer Alexandria by offloading this work and allowing staff to spend more time on other initiatives. It’s wonderful to see them grow and succeed, too.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

I’m an introvert, and I knew when I retired I was going to be at risk of being isolated. By volunteering, I’m expanding my network. I’m staying busy and experiencing the satisfaction of helping the community. It was more impactful on my well-being than I expected.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

Many nonprofits are struggling, especially smaller ones. They struggle for funds, resources and even hands-on assistance. Many wouldn’t survive without the help of volunteers.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

Start with your local volunteer bureau, if you have one. If you don’t, find a nonprofit that provides a service you can get behind and see if they need help.

I also recommend looking at your employer. At IBM, we had a volunteer office, and we got credits when we volunteered. As a retiree, I still get credits up to $1,000 a year that I can direct to a nonprofit.

The only other thing I would say is that it’s more fun when you’re doing it with somebody you know. Find somebody and make it a party,

What do you want people to learn from your story?

Volunteering can be fun and rewarding, and it can benefit not only your community but your own well-being. If you’re retired, it can be an extension of your career. There are so many people who can benefit from your skills. If you don’t take away anything else, take away that you have value.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Elizabeth? Find local volunteer opportunities.