VOLUNTEER
SPOTLIGHTS
Beginning in 2025, a volunteer is chosen to be "Spotlighted" every March and September. These volunteers are individuals who go above and beyond to help the Friends of the Massachusetts Veterans Cemetery at Agawam work toward our mission to "To honor those who have served, to comfort their families and to enhance their eternal resting places. To assist in observances such as: Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Wreaths Across America and other such activities. To support and improve public awareness of the cemetery. To assist in providing financial resources through fund raising activities."
Meet our Spotlighted Volunteers below:
September 2025
- Diane
Tell us about the first time you volunteered with the Friends.
I joined the Friends in 2019 and volunteered for the Wreaths Across America Event.
How does volunteering with the Friends make you feel?
Volunteering with the Friends makes me proud to honor and preserve the memory of veterans who have served our country.
Tell us about one experience you’ve had while volunteering for the Friends that you’ll never forget.
Working on the Tri-fold! It gave me the opportunity to work with a team of people who provided the input that made the first printing of the Tri-fold possible! Great things can be accomplished when people come together toward a common goal!
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about volunteering with the Friends?
Find out what we’re all about. Check out our Tri-fold - Read our Mission Statement, our history and about our projects with the cemetery. Come to a meeting. Finally visit the cemetery and experience its beauty, peace and above all, how all veterans are honored and remembered. It’s truly special!
There are a lot of nonprofits out there- what is so special about the Friends?
What is so special to me is our mission! It’s not just a bunch of words on paper. It’s real, in our hearts and demonstrated by the work we do in cooperation with the cemetery!
March 2025 - Tiffany
When and how did you get involved with this organization?
My employer, Empower, offers a ton of volunteer opportunities. I was scrolling our intraweb to see if any volunteer opportunities piqued my interest and that were in my area. (Western MA/ CT)
What are your activities and what do they involve?
I am a people person, a girl’s girl. I love listening to others, talking to others, and encouraging others. Pretty much any and everything I do revolves around this.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
It sometimes feels selfish of me to volunteer because it MAKES ME FEEL SO GOOD! I do it for the ‘feel goods’. I do it for the connections. I love making connections with people whom I never would have met outside of volunteering.
What motivates you to stay involved?
The people. People motivate me to want to be a better human. A helpful and loving human.
What have you learned through volunteering?
We were created to have community. We were created to fellowship, and this is exactly what volunteering curates. I have learned everyone has their own story and each is meant to be shared. I’m reminded that caring is sharing, and we make more of an impact TOGETHER.