LIFT Volunteer Spotlight: Sharon Sunal

By Emily Worden

LIFT volunteers are the individuals who are in our programming spaces daily, alongside our Coordinators and teens, helping keep spaces fun and safe, engaging and intentional. Their hearts and dedication are beyond impressive, and each one of them is so deserving of this spotlight we’re excited to share.  

What better person to start with than Sharon Sunal? 

Affectionately dubbed “Grandma LIFT” by our middle school Lakers, Sharon has been with LIFT since the inception of our Glen Lake program in 2023. 

Sharon started volunteering with LIFT for a handful of reasons; first, her daughter (Mrs. Murphy) was hired as our Glen Lake Middle School Program Coordinator. Second, she was already plenty comfortable at Glen Lake, having retired with nearly 30 years of teaching experience at the school. Third? She enjoys middle schoolers (and as people who work with middle schoolers, we know that isn’t always the case!) In her words, “They need to be asked for their opinion. They want to give insight, and they’ve got the energy!”

We spoke about favorite moments, and that’s really where volunteers shine in my opinion, because you get to pull back the curtain on the moments that keep them coming back.

For Sharon, a Heritage Trail bike ride stands out. She and a participant were pretty consistently in the back of the group. Riding together near the back gave them plenty of time for one-on-one connection. When the teen started finding and rescuing critters along the trail, Sharon used it as a time to spotlight the student who was clearly proud of themselves. She waved the rest of the riders back to show off what animal(s) the student had rescued. The other participants showered her with praise and compliments, and she got to share fun facts she knew about the animals. As Sharon remembered, “I became her friend on that ride.”

Another moment? The Glen Lake High School crew joined the Community Jam Band at the Friendship Center in Suttons Bay. Sharon recalled a student who was interested, but relatively closed off. The Jam Band group leader approached the teen, and after a little encouragement, he began to sing…really well. The boy who came to that LIFT activity and left that LIFT activity were completely different people - and what a gift to witness the transformation. 

We talked about the things she has learned while volunteering with LIFT. One of the biggest lessons for her has been that “they’re their own experts,” and we say this often. Our teens know what they want, they know what brings them joy, and they often know the way to it. It’s our privilege to help them get there safely. Sharon also talked about the power of “freedom of choice” within the program. She has seen plenty of programs more rigid in structure than LIFT that end up losing kids (and volunteers) because there’s no room for flexibility. Lastly, calling back to the bike ride memory, she talked about how she has learned to build trust with teens by shining a spotlight on them and their talents.

We often ask our participants what they enjoy most about LIFT, but our volunteers don’t always get that same platform! For Sharon, it’s that she’s in a comfortable space. The physical space is a room she wants to be in, and she loves the “come as you are” nature of the role. She’s not making a lesson plan, she doesn’t have to bring a craft to lead, she comes with ears ready to listen and hands ready for foosball (one of her favorites, by the way) and that’s that. And a big one? “When they remember you. It doesn’t even have to be in the LIFT space, but when they remember you and they greet you with a hug.”

I asked Sharon if she had any parting words for someone who might read this who is on the fence, unsure if they’d like to volunteer with LIFT or not. I asked how she’d sell them on it, and she said, “Well, after my first shift, I texted my friends who I thought would like it and said, 'Hey, you guys like fun?’” 💚

As staff, we believe that Sharon is a huge inspiration, and we are incredibly grateful for the time and heart she pours into our program and teens. 

If you’re feeling inspired too, register yourself as a LIFT volunteer today! Inspired, but don’t live in the area or think you have the time to spend at programming? Support us with a donation here.