Hannah Bowman: Finding Belonging Within Volunteer Work
This content was created by Ryan Muntean in conjunction with the Content Marketing Practicum at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
Moving to Bloomington and Reconnecting with Volunteer Work
The Bloomington Community offers many paths for finding belonging with volunteer work. It is a great way to meet new people and form a deeper connection with the place that you live. Volunteering is also impactful for young professionals living in the city, as they can contribute their skills to relevant and impactful causes. Meet Hannah, a member of the Bloomington community who moved to Bloomington in 2018, when she was offered a job at Catalent, Inc. which is now known as Novo Nordisk.
Before she moved to Bloomington, Hannah was in high school theatre, where she worked on the technical side building sets and doing lighting for shows and productions. With school picking up and her moving into her career, she realized she didn't have enough time to participate in theatre. However, starting a new job and moving to a new city made Hannah realize that after all these years, she still had an inner passion for theatre and she wanted to see if there was an opportunity to find her community within Bloomington.
Finding Belonging Within Volunteer Work: The Monroe County Civic Theatre
Before Hannah started volunteering with the Monroe County Civic Theatre, the Covid Pandemic had hit and opportunities were limited to get involved in theatre production. However, she decided to join a Zoom book club that reads plays instead of books. She started to make friends and real connections within the community that were completely separate from her work life. Once Covid died down and the Monroe County Civic Theatre started putting on productions again, someone from the book club recommended Hannah to be the stage manager. After her first show back in technical theatre, Hannah knew she wanted to volunteer and help out with more. To Hannah, volunteering means paying it forward. While she primarily volunteers with the Monroe County Civic Theatre, she has also volunteered with the Steering Committee and has been on the board of directors for Alpha Chi Sigma. Hannah tends to volunteer with organizations she is personally passionate about and that help her be successful in life. Hannah stated that volunteering within these various organizations "helped me build my friend group and provided a great professional social network." She has found her sense of belonging by finding new friends in the Monroe County Civic Theatre community and others and she has become more involved in the community by helping put on shows and productions. At one point, Hannah was nervous about living in Bloomington and being in a new city, but now she has a solid network of friends within the community and no intention of leaving anytime soon. One event Hannah is most excited about is "Shakespeare in the Park". The event typically falls the weekend after Memorial Day for the past two years. Shakespeare in the Park is completely free to the public and is an amazing opportunity for members of the Bloomington community to engage in high production theatre work. You can bring friends, blankets, lawn chairs, and more to enjoy the complete experience in the park. How Hannah Has Grown from Volunteer Work While Hannah was able to establish a key network of friends within the community, she also grew personally and professionally from her volunteer work. "I'm naturally introverted, but volunteering has helped me work with a diverse, unique group of people and helped me improve my communication as a result." She has grown to be more comfortable over time and come to appreciate how different people perceive the community and world around them. While Hannah is involved with numerous volunteer organizations, her key recommendation for starting out is to start small and find something you can commit to. For example, instead of volunteering for an entire Monroe County Civic Theatre show, you might be able to help with painting part of the set for only a couple of hours. The City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is a great entry point for new volunteers who might not have much experience with local organizations and is also partnered with the Monroe County Civic Theatre. Find out more about local volunteering opportunities with the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, see how you can find your sense of belonging within our community hereWhat Volunteer Work Means to Hannah
Community Volunteer Highlight: Shakespeare in the Park
How You Can Get Involved With Volunteer Work in the Community
