Please join me in celebrating all things Julia! Julia has been volunteering at SPAN as a DART victim advocate since February 2015. She frequently takes on extra shifts when needed. Last month Julia completed training to volunteer as on the Crisis Line and is now doing both roles concurrently. We feel so fortunate to have Julia’s support. Her compassion and commitment for SPAN clients and creating positive social change is inspiring. Thank you Julia, for choosing SPAN as the place to give your valuable time.
Tell me a little about your background – where you’re from, family, work/education experience, anything you’d like to share here, really. I’m from Salt Lake City, UT. I graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Psychology and moved to Michigan to attend the University of Michigan for a masters in social work. I moved to Colorado and worked at Poudre Valley Hospital where I did most crises work and had a small out patient practice. Stayed home for 15 years raising my son. While in college I was a river guide on most major rivers in the West, including the Colorado, Yampa, Green, Middle Fork of the Salmon, Selway rivers.
Do you have any special hobbies or interests? I still love rafting and kayaking rivers. I’m photographer who has gotten her work into several galleries. I’ve also gotten shows in jury venues such as the Dairy Center of The arts, Boulder Open Studios, Longmont Open Studio tours. I’ve composed and produced music many years ago in another life. Right now I’m doing a lot of writing including prose for a novel, political and social commentary. I’ve read my writing on KGNU. I also writing lots of poetry and performing it at open mic venues such as The Laughing Goat Cafe (which is not possible at this time because Shelter is desperate for me the work on the same night as their open mic).
What has been your favorite part of volunteering with SPAN? Favorite part of working at SPAN has been talking to the clients. One in particular was at the county jail. She was so depressed that she was slumped over and looked like she was going to melt into the floor. We talked for an hour and were able to connect. As I got up to leave, she gave me a smile that had me tears as I walked to the car. I felt that I needed that smile as much as she did. I’ll never forget it.
Why is social justice work important to you? Social justice work is important to me because I’ve felt both empowered and dis-empowered in a lot of ways all my life and see that it’s these inequalities that are a threat to everyone. Fighting for social justice is my way of creating my own meaning for living.
Tell me a story about yourself, but only using SIX WORDS (no more, no less). Rising, falling rising again, transcendent meaning.