Emily Querna
with The Mental Health Center

Emily Querna, a volunteer for The Mental Health Center Serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties Youth Advocacy Program, has found that volunteering as a mentor a couple of hours a week for a young person allows her to set aside her own personal stresses and enjoy spending time with her mentee.

"I have always tried to volunteer. Service has been really important in my life. I have tried to be as involved as my schedule allows. I could easily waste two hours sitting in front of the computer, being stressed about school. Just by showing up for them, I leave invigorated, with a sense of hope because of just the bit of difference I can make in being myself," said Querna.

The Mental Health Center's mission is to make available an integrated, comprehensive system of community-based mental health services to all people living in Boulder County, with the priority of serving individuals and families.

"Emily has been a very dedicated volunteer youth advocate since October of 2006. She always has really fun activities planned for their sessions," said Mike Britton, Volunteer and Wraparound Outreach Coordinator. Querna and her mentee like to hike with her dog, visit the Butterfly Pavilion, go rock climbing, get ice cream, stop in at the library, and sometimes just hang out and talk. "I try to get outside of myself and spend some time getting to be a kid. It's been really neat to work together, to see the growth in my mentee and in our relationship," said Querna.

Querna, a psychology major at Naropa University, has served on the United Way Allocation Board and the Youth Leadership Board. She has helped with sea turtle conservation in Baja and has volunteered at an organic farm in Samoa, and a women's empowerment program and orphanage in Nepal.

"There is so much need out there. With ten minutes or two hours (of volunteering) you can try to shift the momentum of the world by being a productive member of the community. And there is joy in doing something for other people. That's an added bonus," said Querna

For information about volunteering with The Mental Health Center or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904.