Wendy Lynn Drush
I have been involved in volunteering for 15 years, beginning when I helped my husband who joined Lions International 2 years before I became a member 13 years ago. I am currently mentoring 5 newer Lions and working with the district LCIF coordinator to establish an all-women's club that will mentor women from age 20 and up who have experienced post-trauma, abuse, teen motherhood, or incarceration. We plan to meet online monthly and organize family-oriented social events like coffee hours at McDonald's and tube rentals down the river to accommodate younger women who might have kids or work from home. I serve regularly with the Lion's Craft House, which provides monthly craft activities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, teaching projects ranging from suncatcher wind chimes and wooden cars to masquerade masks and patriotic crafts. I am currently leading a fundraising effort to raise $12,000 for our local food bank's computer center restoration through grants, dine-out fundraisers, business outreach, community events, and media promotion including radio interviews and newsletter features. My husband and I turned to community volunteering through Lionism after we couldn't find room for service in our church, and this work has become my focus as I can no longer work in the traditional workforce due to degenerative disc disease.
• Lions International
• Lions International
• Lion's Craft House
• Starting an All-Women's Club for Mentoring
• Local Food Bank Computer Center Fundraising
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the way I was raised. I was raised in a Christian household and went to church from day one. One of the big things that had an influence in my early childhood was epilepsy, which I was diagnosed with at the age of 18 months. My parents constantly battled that with me, and around the age of 6, it really acted up and I was in KU Med Center for the majority of 9 months. Somebody in the local town, whether it was a club organization, one of my parents' work co-workers, the church, or someone else, sent my parents a $1,000 check and did not sign their name. That had a huge impact on my family, which in turn had a huge impact on my life, because my parents started tithing on a regular basis and started doing more church work. As the years progressed and we girls all got out of the house, got married, and started households of our own, we tried to look for service in the church first. But my husband and I didn't find any room for us in the church, so we went looking for volunteer positions in the community, and that's what has led us to Lionism and all these years of volunteering in the community.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
One is be yourself and follow your heart.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I like to show everybody respect, but respect is earned, not given freely. It's really a big issue with me.
Milestone Moments
Reunited with along time lion friend. Even if it was just for a weekend